If you carry debt, do not assume that your death or incapacity will make it automatically disappear. To the contrary, the money you owe may eat away at the assets you were planning to leave to your heirs or —…
The new tax legislation raises the federal estate tax exemption to $11.2 million for individuals and $22.4 million for couples. The increase means that an exceedingly small number of estates (only about 1,800, nationally) will have to worry about federal…
According to a March 2017 survey by Caring.com, six out of ten Americans have no will or any other kind of estate planning. Many said they’d get around to it, eventually. When they’re old. (The survey did find that the…
There is a common misconception that estate plans are only for the ultra-rich – the top 1 percent, 10%, 20%, or some other arbitrary determination of “enough” money. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. People at all…
People often set up bank accounts or real estate so that they own it jointly with a spouse or other family member. The appeal of joint tenancy is that when one owner dies, the other will automatically inherit the…
Student loan debt is a part of life nowadays for most people, which is especially true for students obtaining advanced or professional degrees. As of 2017, the total national student debt is now over $1.4 trillion. On average, college students…
If you’re a frequent airline traveler, one of your estate planning concerns may be what will happen to your accumulated miles once you’re gone. They could be worth thousands of dollars, so you probably don’t want them just to disappear,…
If you own a vacation home, timeshare, investment property, or any other asset outside of the state where you are domiciled you must make sure it’s included in your estate plan. If you fail to include these in your estate…
Hugh Hefner was known for throwing lavish and decadent parties at his Playboy Mansion. The parties were often described as wild affairs that lasted well into the night. Hefner might have been known for these wild parties, but he wanted…
The federal estate tax has been in the news recently after the passage of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, which doubled the exemption amount for estate, gift an generation-skipping taxes. In 2018, individuals can shelter $11.2 million, and couples…