“Lest you think that people who die are boring….think again,” says Dawn Markowitz in Trusts & Estates. Markowitz cites a few individuals who were “quite creative in their wishes and bequests, to say the least.” Aaron Collins of Kentucky died at age 30, leaving a...
“The easiest estates to settle are those that are well-planned during the lifetime of the deceased,” Alexander Bove, Jr. reminds readers in The Complete Book of Wills, Estates and Trusts. If your estate plan is properly prepared, he adds, your will is going to make up...
“One of the most common misconceptions about executors is the extent of their power in administering an estate,” Alexander Bove, Jr. observes in The Complete Book of Wills, Estates and Trusts. That story about the practically new Cadillac sold by the widow executrix...
“After all debts, expenses, and taxes are paid, and the final account has been approved, the beneficiaries can finally get their shares, although this does not usually happen as quickly as the beneficiaries would like,” explains Alexander Bove, Jr. in The Complete...
“Many people, when they think about estate planning, think it’s a way of giving away their stuff,” says Deborah Jacobs, author of Estate Planning Smarts. There are some aspects of estate planning, though, that have nothing to do with stuff, she explains. In fact,...
“Make two lists: your assets and the people you would like to own these assets one day,” advise the authors of The Beneficiary Book. That may not be as easy as it sounds, they caution. “In many cases, the hardest part about estate planning is taking inventory of your...
Completing her studies at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Columbus, Indiana native wasn’t sure exactly what specialty area of the law she wanted to make her life’s work. She knew only that her career needed to be devoted to helping people. True to that...
If you’re part of a couple and younger than age 62, some new rules about Social Security that were included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 may have you making some changes in your estate plan. (Older than that? Well, if you’re going to be turning 66 by April of...
“Renting a bank safe-deposit box can help secure important personal documents, collectibles, and family heirlooms," says Paul Bomberger of bankrate.com, "but it's important to make wise decisions about what goes in the box and to stipulate who has access to it." Items...
Joint ownership - whether of property or of bank and investment accounts - is convenient. And yes, joint ownership of assets is one way to avoid probate. But as we often find it necessary to remind our clients, it’s important to understand the consequences of joint...
