A life insurance trust is a powerful tool in estate planning that can ensure your loved ones are financially secure after your passing. Some individuals know they need to have life insurance, but they don’t realize how a life insurance trust can benefit them. A life...
Estate Planning
7 questions to ask when making advance directives
An uncomfortable but crucial part of estate planning is creating directives regarding your preferred medical care should you become incapacitated. These advance health care directives allow you to continue making your own medical decisions—with the help of an...
2 oversights people commonly make when updating estate plans
There are certain times in life when it becomes necessary to update estate planning documents. If a beneficiary dies before a testator, removing them from the estate plan will often be necessary to keep the documents valid and up-to-date. If someone divorces, they...
Everyone needs an estate plan
People often believe that estate planning is something they can put off until they’re older. Maybe they decide that they’ll make a plan when they retire, for instance. The truth is that everyone could have an estate plan. Any legal adult needs to have a plan in place....
Do you still need advance medical directives if you have a POLST?
More Americans than ever have come to appreciate the peace of self-directing their own medical care and treatment. Knowing they have a say in their healthcare, whether sick or healthy, gives people a sense of lasting empowerment. Those diagnosed with a severe or...
2 important considerations when creating powers of attorney
Powers of attorney are among the most important protective estate planning documents people draft. Even relatively young adults just over the age of 18 would benefit from having such documents in place as they help individuals secure financial and medical support when...
Do new parents need an estate plan?
You and your partner have recently had a child. Understandably, you’re looking to the future and you have no intention of going anywhere. Despite the common perception of estate planning being morbid, this is far from the truth. Estate planning can be an important...
How does a POD account work?
A Payable on Death (POD) account is just one tool that you can use when you’re trying to determine how to transfer your finances from your name to someone else’s. Many people accomplish this goal simply by naming their heirs in a will and stating how much money they...
A living will can bring peace to you and your loved ones
Do you believe you have no control over the circumstances of your eventual death? While this is true in some instances, such as a sudden fatal car accident, it need not always be the case. Modern-day estate planning allows you to plan many aspects of your healthcare...
Do all estates have to go through probate in California?
The last thing you want to worry about when a loved one passes away is handling the legal responsibilities of managing their estate. Unfortunately, a probate application is one of the administrative tasks that need to be done. It’s the only way you are able to...