Category Archives: Estate Planning
Is Credit Card Debt Stopping You From Retiring?
There has probably never been a time in your life when you did not see senior citizens wearing name tags at work. Before there were elderly Walmart greeters, there were elderly diner waitresses. When you were a child, your reaction was, “They’re so old!” When you were a teenager, you thought, “This is awesome! … Read More »
Should A Strategic Divorce Be Part Of Your Estate Plan?
Marriage is one of the best investments you can make in your future. Married people are healthier, wealthier, and less lonely than their unmarried counterparts. The mere existence of your spouse makes probate simpler, because whether or not there is a will, the surviving spouse automatically inherits the couple’s jointly held property. Some couples… Read More »
Is There Such A Thing As A Wrong Beneficiary For A Non-Probate Asset?
One of the most fun parts of estate planning is that you can leave your property to anyone you choose. It is exhilarating to type drafts of your will that you know you will never formalize in which you leave your entire estate to a rescue shelter for sugar gliders or to your high… Read More »
The Commitment Phobe’s Guide To Trusts
You know you are old when you start making New Year’s resolutions, because it means that you are old enough to understand that, while not everything is within your control, your actions have an effect on your life satisfaction. The trouble with New Year’s resolutions is that they require commitment, and you are a… Read More »
How Creditor Proof Is Your Retirement Account?
In some ways, worrying about whether the money in your retirement account is enough to sustain you in retirement is a high class worry; if you have an employer-provided retirement account, you are in a better position than most. At minimum, you will get Social Security income when you retire, plus a modest distribution… Read More »
Two Is A Crowd When It Comes To Personal Representatives Of An Estate
Diversifying your investments is one of the most fun parts of estate planning, especially since it does not require you to contemplate your mortality. If you adopt the mindset that diversity equals abundance and apply it to writing your will, you might decide to designate two or more people as personal representatives of your… Read More »
Regrouping After A Major Hurricane: An Estate Planning Lawyer’s Perspective
Estate planning lawyers operate on the assumption that the goal of estate planning is not to die with the most money or to share the least amount of one’s money with the IRS, but rather to make things less stressful for you and your loved ones in the face of adverse events. The usual… Read More »
You Can Live Without A Revocable Trust, And So Can Your Heirs
If you look for estate planning checklists online, you might see “establish a revocable trust and fund it” right after writing a will and signing a medical advance directive. Everyone needs a written expression of their wishes about their own medical care in a worst-case scenario, and almost everyone’s probate case would be simpler… Read More »
Do You Dare To Retire In A House You Own Jointly With Someone Who Is Not Your Spouse?
More than 20 years ago, George Carlin ranted on stage about the wimpy names that had recently become popular. He singled out Todd as a silly name, along with other names such as Kyle and Cameron. Today, Todd, Kyle, and Cameron are names for prosecutors, real estate agents, and parents that every teacher dreads… Read More »
For A Successful Retirement Plan, Think Beyond The Bucket List
You probably have some ideas about things you want to do when you retire, and while the retirement activities that people look forward to sometimes come to fruition, the highlight reel of anyone’s retirement does not reflect reality. The experiences that you are looking forward to last a few weeks at most, and they… Read More »
