The best way to form the foundation of a sound estate plan is by creating your final will. With it, you can express your wishes for dividing estate assets among your loved ones. Once you have it in place, you can continue to build your plan until it meets your needs....
If you are like most people, thinking about what may happen if you are incapacitated or at the end of your life isn’t something you enjoy. However, as a responsible adult, it’s something you shouldn’t avoid. Part of end-of-life planning is establishing an advanced...
Having a will as part of your estate plan is the responsible thing to do. With a will, you have ensured your wishes are followed regarding your assets, guardianship of your children and more. It’s worth noting, though, that a will isn’t an estate plan. In fact, it’s...
Your estate plan focuses on what happens when you die. It also serves other purposes, such as looking after you if you fall into ill health, but your death is typically the main focus. You cannot predict when you will die, so it is essential to get an estate plan made...
Divorce is one of those significant life events where you need to update your estate plan. You should revise it every year or so anyway. But births and deaths, marriages and divorce may require more significant changes. Here are four things to consider: Powers of...
A comprehensive estate plan might include multiple different documents, each of which can protect you in different ways. A will allows you to name a guardian for your children and to designate beneficiaries for your property after you die. This is the most basic...
Your estate plan enables your family members and others named in the plan to know what you want to do with your assets when you pass away. When you set up a comprehensive estate plan, it also relays your wishes for your care if you become incapacitated. Many people...
As you proceed with developing your estate plan, you’ll learn all sorts of new terms. While the sheer number of them can be overwhelming, it’s important to understand them so that you can be sure that your plan will do what you intend it to do. Two of the terms you...
Living trusts and wills are estate planning tools that California residents can use to determine how their assets are managed and distributed whilst alive as well as after passing on. While you can choose one tool over the other, or use both, it is important that you...
One-third of American adults do not have any kind of estate plan, despite almost 60% claiming it was important to have one. That is one of the findings of a recent study by Caring.com. Estate planning professionals have long worried about the number of people who are...
