One-quarter of Americans said inflation has caused them to think about estate planning, the survey said. Two out of three Americans said they don’t have any kind of estate planning documents.
Estate plans are made up of many parts, including wills and trusts, as well as any additional documents or information that will help beneficiaries carry out the requests of the benefactor.
Although in the past it may not have been the norm to provide for animals in our estate planning, times have changed.
A study by the financial services research firm reveals just how big a problem family secrets can be, as reported in Financial Advisor’s recent article “Family Wealth Transfers Undermined by Secrecy.” Most asset holders plan to share their wishes and intentions with family members before they die. However, the research reveals only about half actually…
In certain instances, particularly when there is no Will, the system ensures that all accounts and property are distributed in accordance with state law.
While more than half of Americans believe estate planning is essential, a mere 33% actually have a living trust or will. And one out of three respondents who don’t have a will reason that they don’t think they have sufficient assets to warrant estate planning.
There are frequently asked questions that people have about revocable living trusts, wills, supported decision making agreements (new), powers of attorney and advance health care directives.
A badly in debt woman dies leaving the proceeds of substantial insurance policies to her children only to have her trust contested by relatives who claim an amendment naming the children as beneficiaries is invalid with no witnesses, misspelled names, suspicious signatures and was never given to previous trustees for review as required by agreement. A long, expensive, and protracted legal battle likely is brewing.
When you’re in the midst of a divorce, you’re probably not thinking about estate planning or your will. However, if you’re divorcing, you should think about the impact a divorce can have on an estate plan.
The first step in understanding whether a power of attorney can transfer money to themselves is to understand the different types of power of attorney.
