Category Archives: Estate Planning
What Happens to My Leased Car If I Die Before the Lease Term Ends?
After a house, a car is often the second-most valuable piece of property a person owns. About 15–20 percent of new vehicles are leased rather than purchased and financed. Leasing is a popular alternative to traditional financing because it can allow the lessee (the person who leases a vehicle) to drive a more expensive… Read More »
Beware of Unequal Contributions When Purchasing a House
At a time of record home unaffordability, more people are teaming up with friends and relatives to realize the home ownership dream. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), more than 75 percent of homes on the market now are too expensive for middle-income buyers. Just five years ago, this same income group… Read More »
Limited Impact of Estrangement on Estate Planning
Unfortunately, rifts sometimes arise between family members that are much more serious than just temporary squabbles. The result may be estrangement, defined as “the state of being alienated or separated in feeling or affection; a state of hostility or unfriendliness” or “the state of being separated or removed.”[1] Estrangement does not mean that the… Read More »
Collecting Debts on Behalf of Your Deceased Loved One
People often engage in transactions that result in money being owed to them, such as loaning money to a friend or business partner or renting a house to a tenant. But what happens if someone passes away before they receive the money owed to them? Can someone else collect the money owed to deceased… Read More »
Four Things Your Spouse Should Know Before You Die
It is normal for married couples to share almost every aspect of their lives with each other. But when it comes to death, even the closest couples might become tight-lipped about certain topics. According to one study, half of all couples fail to discuss their dying wishes.[1] Death is final for the departed. For… Read More »
Difference Between Transfer on Death and Payable on Death Designation
Adding a payable on death (POD) or transfer on death (TOD) designation to an account allows the assets (money and property) in that account to be passed to a named beneficiary when the original account holder dies. But what is the difference between payable on death vs transfer on death accounts? Like trusts, POD… Read More »
Should the Trustee of My Trust Be Different During My Incapacity Than at My Death?
When you create a trust, choosing a trustee is one of the most important decisions you will make. If you create a revocable living trust—that is, a trust that you establish during your lifetime and can revoke or amend—you may opt to act as trustee for your trust, retaining the full control over and… Read More »
Bills and Services to Cancel—and Keep—When a Loved One Dies
A loved one’s passing is challenging on many different levels. In addition to the emotional difficulty of processing someone’s death, there are also many things to do when a loved one dies, such as going through their various accounts and taking the necessary steps to cancel them or transfer ownership. Most people subscribe to… Read More »
What Not to Include in Your Estate Planning Documents
One important purpose of estate planning is to facilitate the transfer of ownership of your money and property to your family and loved ones when you pass away. For this transfer to be as stress-free and efficient as possible, it is crucial that estate planning documents be thorough and provide the necessary information. Nevertheless,… Read More »
What Is a Devise in My Estate Plan?
If you are thinking about creating an estate plan, you may hear some new and confusing terms that make your brain hurt. To add to your bewilderment, not only are some of the words unfamiliar, they may also be homophones—words that are pronounced the same as other words, but have different meanings and spellings…. Read More »
