Can an Inheritance Lead to Trouble for Marriages?

October 22, 2020

Most states recognize inheritances as separate property, and many experts say keeping them separate is often the best approach.

What Does Tenancy by the Entirety Mean?

October 9, 2020

Tenancy by the entirety, commonly abbreviated as TBE, is an ownership structure for real estate that’s used when the owners are a married couple. Under a TBE arrangement, each spouse owns an equal interest in the property, and the property will transfer seamlessly to the surviving spouse, in the event of one spouse’s death.

How Do I Survive Job Loss in My 50s?

September 3, 2020

Losing a job is almost always traumatic. In your 50s, job loss can be devastating — and devastatingly common.

Why Is Trust Funding Important?

August 25, 2020

If you have updated your estate plan during the Covid crisis and even found a way to sign your documents while maintaining social distance, do not overlook the last step of trust funding.

What Should I Know about Beneficiaries?

August 11, 2020

When you open a financial account, you’re often asked to name a beneficiary. Simply stated, a beneficiary is someone who is entitled to the benefits of the account on the death of the account holder. For example, if you’ve purchased life insurance, you name a beneficiary who receives the benefits of the policy when you pass away.

Can I Disinherit Anyone I Want?

August 6, 2020

So, you’ve decided that a family member won’t be getting an inheritance after all. Maybe you have an ungrateful or irresponsible family member you want to cut out of the will.

Preparing Children for Future Inheritances

August 4, 2020

By discussing finances with your children early and often you can set them—and future generations—up for success, when it’s time to receive the wealth you’ve accrued.

Possible Pitfalls for Special Needs Planning

July 23, 2020

Both the state and federal government, administered through the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Medicaid, provide disabled individuals with a variety of life enhancing, and sometimes life sustaining, public benefits.

How Do Children Divide Mom’s Tangible Property?

July 14, 2020

One of the biggest challenges for anyone administering an estate is how to distribute what are called its tangible items. Unlike other property which can be easily sold, turned into cash and divided equally, tangible property is unique and often can’t be equally split. Its value also often can’t be measured by what it could be sold for. A family photo album may have no monetary value, for instance, but great sentimental significance.

Elder Financial Abuse Occurs When No One’s Watching

July 7, 2020

Take, for example, the sad and sordid tax case of Mary Ellen Cranmer Nice vs. United States of America, which would not have existed if an attentive financial advisor hadn’t noticed the large IRA distributions that were allegedly stolen right from under a matriarch’s nose.

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