» Estate Planning

If you have ever had to plan funeral services for a loved one, you know that there are a lot of decisions to be made. Cremation or burial? Traditional funeral service, or celebration of life? Who will be invited to attend? Where will the final restin… Read More

For many people, their home is the biggest asset they own. It’s also one of the most likely to be encumbered by debt (a mortgage), and to have great sentimental value. Those factors often lead to difficult decisions for heirs when the homeowner die… Read More

More than three years after COVID-19 first appeared on the scene, many aspects of our lives and world have gone back to something approaching normal: we are dining in restaurants, traveling on planes, attending work and school in person. But some thi… Read More

What do you do if you have a life insurance policy or annuity, and discover that another policy or annuity better meets your needs? Do you have to pay tax on the gains in your old policy before transferring the cash value to a new one? In many cases,… Read More

If you asked 100 people on the street what estate planning is for, the great majority would probably say something like “to provide for your family,” or “to distribute your property after you die.” Those are certainly important reasons to hav… Read More

Ten states in the U.S. are classified as “community property” states, in which each partner in a marriage is considered to own half of the assets acquired during the marriage. Although community property jurisdictions constitute a small minority… Read More

Retirement assets, including Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), often make up a large part of a deceased person’s estate. Retirement accounts are also, unfortunately, one of the biggest sources of estate-planning errors. The rules about distrib… Read More

Like everyone, you have a vision for your future, and plans for how it will unfold. Unfortunately, the prospect of a divorce throws a wrench in those plans. You may need to change course regarding a number of objectives, including your estate plan. T… Read More