An advanced health care directive is one of the cornerstones of an effective estate plan. Without it, doctors may use medical procedures you do not approve of if you are not capable of telling them not to. Family members can be left to make excruciating decisions...
Estate planning starts with taking an inventory of the assets that you own and then deciding how to divide those assets between your heirs. Many people own a lot of things that they haven’t even considered in a long time – or that they’ve entirely forgotten about – so...
Increasingly, people are writing their own obituaries as part of their estate planning. It’s an excellent way to help ensure that you’re remembered in the way you want to be. These days, obituaries don’t just appear in the local newspaper. Online sites like Legacy.com...
Planning for your retirement usually involves making an educated guess based on averages. Your decisions on everything from your goals for saving to the budget you project for yourself in the future are based on averages and current data. Issues ranging from a sudden...
When you die, all of your property and personal liabilities become part of your estate. Before the people that you love will receive your remaining property, the representative of your estate will first have to pay off your debt and settle all of your tax obligations....
If you’ve accumulated a considerable amount of wealth over the years or you’ve been fortunate enough to inherit a large sum and invested it wisely, you likely want those assets to be passed down to future generations. That means not just to your children and their...
There are not as many exciting life events as bringing a child into the world. When this happens, there are several things new parents must put in place to care for their new bundle of joy properly. One of these is creating or updating an existing estate plan. Estate...
If you’re in your early 20s or 30s, then your thoughts are most likely on plotting exciting journeys and entering the most enjoyable chapters of your life. Estate planning is probably the furthest thing from your mind. If this is the case, then you might be making a...
Nobody relishes thinking about what will happen if they pass away. For this reason, many people still put off estate planning entirely. The truth is, estate planning doesn’t only clarify matters after a death, it can also bring valuable peace of mind while people are...
Thinking about what will happen in the event of your incapacitation can be a daunting prospect. For this reason, people often swiftly create a will and forget about it. Sometimes, a person may even put off estate planning altogether. The reality is that estate...
