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minimalist estate planning

Minimalism May Be Great for Your Stuff and Finances but Not for Your Estate Planning

Minimalism is a hot topic these days, but a minimalist “less is more” mindset for estate planning can leave you and your loved ones unprotected. An estate plan is one area of your life where you should lean into chaos and assert control, not by r… Read More
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Want to Disinherit Someone? This Is What You Need to Know

Disinheritance—the intentional exclusion of a family member, usually a child or spouse, from receiving part of your estate after your death—is more common than you might think. It is also easier than you might think to disinherit a loved one, wit… Read More
Fish bowl over piggy bank symbolizing asset protection

Three Asset Protection Tips You Can Use Now

A common misconception is that only wealthy individuals and people in high-risk professions, such as doctors or lawyers, need an asset protection plan. However, anyone can be sued. A car accident, foreclosure, unpaid medical bills, or an injured tena… Read More
Uncle playing video game with nephews for article about why corporate trustee might be better.

Five Reasons Uncle Bill May Not Make a Good Trustee (and Maybe a Corporate Trustee is a Better Choice)

If you have created a trust that you intend to last for decades, choosing the right trustee is critical to ensuring the trust’s longevity and ultimate success. Initially, you may think that a family member (for example, Uncle Bill to your children,… Read More
Black graduation cap and tassle on top of wooden building blocks

How an Inheritance Can Help with Loved Ones' Educational Costs

A primary goal of estate planning is to provide financially for your loved ones. One way to ensure they are set up for lifelong success is to create an estate plan that allows an inheritance to help with your loved ones’ educational costs. High… Read More
the documetts that create an estate plan

Where Is the Best Place to Store Your Original Estate Planning Documents?

Estate planning attorneys are often asked where original estate planning documents—wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives—should be stored for safekeeping. While there is no right or wrong answer to the question of where you… Read More
Including unborn children in estate plan image shows child leaning over pregnant mother’s stomach

Should I Include My Unborn Child in My Estate Plan?

Estate planning is an exercise in anticipating potential future events that could affect your plans for what happens if you become incapacitated (unable to manage your own affairs during your lifetime) and how your assets (property and accounts) will… Read More
Sign that says JUST in CASE because disinheritance happens

Have a Harmonious Family that Does Not Fight? You Still Need an Estate Plan

Last week, we shared tips for avoiding a will contest. In many families, everyone gets along, happily gathering for the holidays, sharing laughs, telling stories, and enjoying each other’s company. Then, the matriarch or patriarch dies. Suddenly, y… Read More
Avoid probate

Four Tips to Avoid a Will or Trust Contest

Fighting over provisions in your will or trust can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your financial legacy, and tear your loved ones apart. However, with proper planning, you can help your family avoid a potentially disastrous fight by helpin… Read More
Buying a Home with Someon…

Buying a Home with Someone Other than a Spouse? Be Mindful.

Rising housing costs, the desire for companionship, and the need to share resources are increasingly leading buyers to consider co-owning a home with someone other than a spouse, such as a friend, relative, or significant other. Although this arrange… Read More