You want your children to have your house after you pass away. However, you do not want to give it to them as a gift in advance because you plan to live there until you pass away. Likewise, you don't want to sell it to them. So, if you just stay in the home and wait,...
Estate Planning
Do you think of estate planning as an issue for women?
When you think about estate planning, who do you think it should focus on the most? Do you think it's for couples? Is it primarily for men? Is it a women's issue?While all people, of all genders, do need to do their estate planning, some experts do refer to it as a...
What can you do with your estate if you don’t have children?
For most people, estate planning just means leaving their assets to their children. When deciding who should make medical decisions for them and who should handle their financial affairs at the end of their lives, they also pick children.But what if you do not have...
Who are the most popular guardians for children?
To make sure someone will take care of their children if they pass away, parents often pick guardians. They can do this as part of the estate planning process. The guardians only apply until the children are no longer minors, in most cases. If you're thinking about...
You may save if you wait until after death to sell your house
Looking to save on taxes on your estate? One option you may want to consider is selling your second home after you pass away.Real estate that you do not use as a primary residence likely is not exempt from the capital gains taxes. So, if you bought that house 20 years...
Do wealthy people live longer?
With the cost of healthcare and long-term care in the United States, it may be natural to assume that wealthy individuals live longer than those with less access to financial means. But is this assumption true?Studies have shown that it is. Some early studies...
The reality of how many people do estate planning
When you think about how many people do their estate planning, it's easy to assume that every adult must have some sort of plan. After all, everyone has assets, even if some people have more than others. Many people have children. And, above all else, all people are...
Estate planning before Alzheimer’s
Estate planning after you have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's can be problematic for your family. They may not think that your estate plan is accurate because of your condition.For instance, say you want to leave someone out of your will. You have your own reasons to...
Don’t let beneficiary designations become outdated
Don't assume that your heirs will get an asset just because you leave it to them in your will. In some cases, other types of paperwork actually take precedence over your will.A good example is a beneficiary designation. You may find yourself using this with life...
Consider these 10 areas when setting up an estate plan
Estate planning involves far more than just 10 steps. In fact, one of the reasons that people often put it off is that they feel intimidated by the sheer amount of work that they know it's going to be.You shouldn't feel this way. Estate planning is very important and...