Category Archives: Estate Planning
Estate Planning for People Who Are Too Scared to Tell Their Spouses the Whole Truth About Their Finances
If you have been married to your spouse for decades, you might think that the two of you know everything about each other. The middle-aged awkwardness, where your kids have grown up and you realize that you no longer know your spouse or yourself, is long in the past; by the time you retire,… Read More »
The Rich Can Get Richer at Age 73
Retirement sounds exhilarating when you think about how much control you will have over your time. You can get up early and watch the early birds at your bird feeder if you are so inclined, or you can sleep late without an alarm clock waking you up, if you have been blessed to have… Read More »
A Wish Is Worth a Thousand Legal Documents
During your first few meetings with an estate planning lawyer, you talk a lot about your wishes, and usually you come away from the meetings feeling inspired and optimistic about your retirement, even if your lawyer persuades you to trade your far-fetched dreams for more realistic plans. Eventually, though, it is time to start… Read More »
How Awesome Is It to Inherit a 401(k) Account?
Everywhere you look, you see evidence that the young generation has more obstacles to financial stability than their parents had. News headlines sound the alarm about how homeownership is out of reach for buyers under 40 unless they inherit a house from their parents, or unless their parents give them money for a down… Read More »
Why It Is Important for Unmarried Couples to Do Estate Planning
A marriage certificate is not what makes you and your partner a couple. People who find love late in life often do so with the wisdom to know what they want from a relationship and which aspects of their previous relationships they do not want to repeat. You might have any of several reasons… Read More »
Solo Aging Is as Unglamorous as It Sounds
A recent article on Moneywise points to an uncomfortable truth that we probably could have figured out if it were not such a bummer to think about. Specifically, more than a quarter of American retirees are doing what Moneywise describes as “solo aging,” meaning that the retirees live alone and do not have any… Read More »
Does Undue Influence Apply to Payable on Death Beneficiary Designations?
Many banks and credit unions give account holders the option to add a payable on death (POD) beneficiary to their checking and savings accounts. If you do this, then the account becomes a non-probate asset. This means that the beneficiary does not have to wait until the estate of the original owner of the… Read More »
Protecting Your Unmarried Domestic Partner From the Vicissitudes of Probate
Your estate plan can be a way of showing your family how much you love them, or it can be a way of showing them that you are over them and all their drama. There is a reason that estate planning lawyers tell people never to write a will when you are angry. If… Read More »
Decluttering Your Revocable Trust
Establishing a trust can be a great source of relief when you are building your estate plan. If you choose a revocable trust, it is easier to overcome the hesitation. With a revocable trust, you are not signing away possession of your assets into the void, and if you change your mind about which… Read More »
3 Estate Planning Decisions You Don’t Have to Make
False dichotomies are a logical fallacy. When someone holds up a pear and says, “Is this an apple or an orange?” it is an unanswerable question, unless you say, “no.” Life is not as simple as the logic puzzle where every character in the story is either a knight, who always tells the truth,… Read More »
