Financial advisors introduction Financial Advisors – Before we discuss seeking outside help, there is a crucial point you need to understand. One of the most important steps you can take to secure your financial future is to save regularly and continually (sooner rather than later). That’s one of the first pieces of advice any financial advisor will give… Continue reading Finding a Qualified Financial Advisor

Senior guardians over minor children Grandparent guardians – Thirty years ago, there was probably little concern over whether seniors should have to name guardianship for minor children in their will.  Today, many grandparents are raising grandkids and even have full and legal custody.   Often the child’s parents are incapable of raising the child(ren) for one reason… Continue reading Naming a Guardian for Minors

The Death Tax Not Gone  The death tax? Sounds funny, but it’s anything but.  There are still a great number of questions about estate taxes.  Unfortunately, many people believe the sound bites that have pronounced the death of the death tax.  These have been greatly exaggerated, to say the least.  Many people have the mistaken impression that the federal… Continue reading Is The Death Tax Gone?

Settling Legal Wills The last will and testament will not settle over night.  Beneficiaries often find themselves at odds over the disbursement of property after the death of a decedent.  Sometimes it’s over the property or the value of the property itself.  Sometimes it’s just that fact that it cannot happen immediately.  Most beneficiaries think that once the… Continue reading Last Will & Testament 101

Terminating your rights under a will for the better statutory provisions Why would you renounce a will?  If there is a Will, the surviving spouse can renounce it and the inheritance it contains (if any), and instead elect to take a share of the estate specifically provided by state law.  This is a legal device originally intended for… Continue reading Renouncing a Will

When a person has a “life estate” in a piece of property (most commonly, a house and the contents within it), he/she enjoys almost the same rights in that property as would an “absolute” owner – but only for his/her life.  The idea of a life estate is best illustrated with a typical example, the “subsequent marriage”… Continue reading The Basics of a Life Estate