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Estate administration is the process of managing and distributing a person’s property (the “estate”) after death. If the person had a will, the will goes through probate, which is the process by which the deceased person’s property is passed to his or her heirs and legatees (people named in the will). The entire process, supervised…

If you are a high-net-worth individual, it’s essential to have a comprehensive estate plan in place. However, every family’s circumstances are unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for estate planning. Below are five estate planning strategies that may be right for you: 1. Make Sure You Have an Estate Plan For higher-net-worth individuals or…

A diagnosis of dementia, a category of diseases affecting memory and thinking that includes Alzheimer’s disease, can feel overwhelming and upsetting. You might worry that you will lose control over your life and ability to make your own decisions. Fortunately, receiving a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s does not mean that you cannot execute legal…

The beginning of a new year is a good time to take a look at your estate plan to make sure it is up to date. Less than half of people actually have any estate planning documents in place and many of those people may have outdated documents. Documents that were created when your children…

The SECURE Act, passed at the end of 2019, changed a number of rules regarding inherited IRAs, making it more difficult for most beneficiaries to save on taxes by “stretching” distributions over many years. However, an exception to the new rules potentially changes advice that special needs planners often give clients. For many reasons, it’s…

With the federal estate tax exemption possibly about to be lowered, it may be time to think about steps you can take to keep your estate from being taxed. An irrevocable life insurance trust allows you to pass on money to your heirs while avoiding both the federal estate tax, as well as any applicable…

It is tough to know when you should step in and help your parents with their finances. You may go back and forth about when to take over. Deciding whether your parents still have the cognitive ability to manage their money is a difficult call to make. A recent report reveals why it may be…

Being a trustee is a big responsibility and if you don’t perform your duties properly, you could be personally liable. That’s why it’s important to hire the right people to guide you in this important role. A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person (or an institution, such as a bank or law…

Recent news stories may have made you aware of the “step-up in basis” and the current administration’s desire to eliminate or adjust it. If you are considering engaging in estate planning or you may be inheriting assets, it is important to understand what the step-up in basis is and how it may affect you. What…

When planning your estate, it is important to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets. Probate is the process through which a court determines how to distribute your property after you die. Some assets are distributed to heirs by the court (probate assets), and some assets bypass the court process and go directly to…