Wills and Estate Planning
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Estate Planning Without Wills & Trusts – Part 2
In Part 1 of this article, I shared some of the avenues through which you can ensure transfer of assets without the need for wills and trusts. So this week, let’s continue the discussion with more ways to avoid probate and transfer property… starting with: Bank accounts. Though once obscure, payable on death (POD) bank accounts […]
How to Manage Your Estate Planning without Wills, Trusts, and Probate
You might be surprised to learn that many Estate Planning goals can be accomplished without wills and trusts. In fact, using other tools can spare you some of the expense and complications of wills and trusts. These strategies also cause the assets to avoid the delay and expense of probate, transferring the title of each […]
How to Write an Ethical Will for Your Estate Planning
Your estate plan is part of your legacy, but your legacy should be more than financial assets, material possessions and legal documents. For more and more people, the final touch to their estate plans is what sometimes is known as an ethical will. Others have called it a legacy letter, heritage will, family philosophy statement, […]
Estate Planning Lessons from Jerry Lewis’s Will
Comedian Jerry Lewis died recently at age 91. Unlike many celebrities, he apparently owned most of his assets outright and disposed of them through a will. That has a least two effects. One is that the estate must go through the time and expense of the probate process. The other effect is that the details […]
Another Reason to Have a Strong Will and Estate Plan
If you don’t have an estate plan, the government’s going to prepare one for you, and you might not like it. This article explains that when you don’t appoint a agent with a power of attorney or a successor trustee who can act for you when you start to fade, the government will appoint someone […]
David Rockefeller’s Will and the Benefits of Avoiding Probate
Wills are public documents. They’re filed in a local probate court and available for anyone to view. That’s why many wealthy people hold the bulk of their assets through trusts that avoid probate. David Rockefeller, the last remaining grandson of John D. Rockefeller, died recently. A large part of his wealth was held through family […]
5 Best Options for Meeting Estate Planning Goals Without Wills and Trusts
Many Estate Planning goals can be accomplished without wills and trusts. Using other tools can spare you some of the expense and complications of wills and trusts. These strategies also cause the assets to avoid the delay and expense of probate, transferring the title of each asset automatically to the person you intended. But these […]
Checklist: Wills and Estate Planning Update
If there has been a change in any one or more of the factors listed since the last review of your estate plan, then it is time to get in touch with your estate planner and update the plan. The marital status of you or any of your family members The birth or adoption of […]
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