When your children marry, your family grows. You acquire a son-in-law or daughter-in-law. The wedding may soon lead to new grandchildren for your family to raise. Compassion and inclusion can go a long way toward helping these new members of your family feel like they...
A living will protects you while you’re still alive
As a part of your estate plan, one of the things you should consider doing is setting up a living will. A living will is a legal document that lets other people know what your choices are for end-of-life treatment. It will also provide information on the kind of...
Why you need to plan for inflation when estate planning
One of the key tasks when estate planning is to put enough money aside for your retirement. Yet, that can be hard when you do not know what things will cost in the future. When making your estate plan, you need to allow for inflation. Yet, sometimes prices rise more...
3 reasons working-class adults could use a trust in their estate plan
People often treat detailed estate planning like a process that only benefits those with millions of dollars in personal assets, but nothing could be further from the truth. Neither estate planning nor trusts are only useful to those who are independently wealthy. ...
Sibling rivalries don’t always end in adulthood
Any parent knows that sibling rivalries can be intense. Children vie for their parents’ attention and they try to get the upper hand in countless ways. You may even feel that your children simply struggle to ever get along as they grow up. That may be true, but do...
Where do you start when cleaning out a loved one’s home?
One of the biggest challenges Baby Boomers and those younger face when their last living parent or other elderly family member passes away is what to do with all of their belongings – and, more specifically, how to decide what to keep. Maybe you’re an only child, and...
What your debts could mean for your loved ones when you die
If you don't have any co-signers on your debts, you might ignore them when planning your estate. People often mistakenly assume that a debt dies when they do unless there is a co-signer. In reality, the debt remains valid regardless of whether or not you are alive to...
Creating your first estate plan? Answer these questions
Creating your first estate plan will give you peace of mind. Of course, since you’re new to the process, it can also bring stress into your life. Fortunately, when you know how to approach the estate planning process, it’s much easier to get on the right track and end...
Dying without a will is the best argument for making one now
Estate planning is an important step for an adult to take, regardless of whether they have children, a business in their name or a sibling with special needs who is dependent on them. However, most people perceive estate planning as something that primarily benefits...
Signs that you should consider adding a trust to your estate plan
Many people mentally associate using a trust in their estate plan with the ludicrously wealthy. While it is true that very rich people benefit from using a trust when they plan their legacies, middle-class and working-class Americans also benefit from trusts in...
