Here’s What Happens to Your Retirement Accounts After You Die
Retirement accounts follow different rules from other assets you may own. After you die, the people you love most may face unexpected tax burdens if you don’t understand how the rules work. Read more… Retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs often represent the single largest category of wealth for American families. According to recent data, […]
Trusts in a Will vs. Living Trusts: What You Should Know (Part 2)
A living trust offers immediate protection and probate avoidance, but understanding how it works and whether it fits your goals is essential to making the right choice. Read more…
Why a “Quick and Simple” Estate Plan Review Is a Myth
If your estate plan is years old, or you did it yourself, you may call an attorney asking for a quick, low-cost review of your estate planning documents, thinking it’s a quick and easy process. The reality is that an estate plan review is (or should be) more complicated than most people think. Read more…
Protecting Your Legacy: Why Life & Legacy Planning Matters for Black Families
Black History Month reminds us that building generational wealth requires more than hard work. It demands intentional planning to protect what you’ve built. Read more…
What Happens to Your Debt When You Die?
What Happens to Your Debt When You Die? Many people worry about leaving debt behind for their loved ones, but the reality of what happens to debt after death is more complex than you likely realize. Read more…
Why Reviewing Your Trust Regularly Isn’t Optional—It’s Essential
Many people believe that once they’ve created a trust, they can simply file it away and forget about it. But just like your health needs regular check-ups, your whole estate plan (including your trust) requires periodic reviews to ensure that it will work for your loved ones and not fail when they need it.
Legal Gangster’s: Netflix’s “I Care a Lot” Uncovers The Dark Side Of Legal Guardianship—Part 2
The Netflix movie I Care a Lot provides a dark, violent, and somewhat comedic take on the real life and not-at-all funny dangers of the legal (and sometimes corrupt) guardianship system. While the film’s twisting plot may seem far-fetched, it sheds light on a tragic phenomenon—the abuse of seniors at the hands of crooked “professional” guardians.
Probate: What It Is & How To Avoid It — Part 2
To spare your loved one’s the time, cost, and stress inherent to probate in part one of this series, we explained how the probate process works and what it would entail for your loved ones. Here in part two, we’ll discuss the major drawbacks of probate for your family, and outline the different ways you can help them avoid probate with wise planning.
Legal Gangsters: Netflix’s “I Care a Lot” Uncovers the Dark Side of Legal Guardianship – Part 1
The Netflix movie I Care a Lot provides a dark, violent, and somewhat comedic take on the real-life and not-at-all-fun dangers of the legal (and sometimes corrupt) guardianship system. While the film’s twisting plot may seem far-fetched, it sheds light on a tragic phenomenon—the abuse of seniors at the hands of crooked “professional” guardians.
PROBATE: WHAT IT IS & HOW TO AVOID IT — PART 1
Unless you’ve created a proper estate plan, when you die, many of your assets must pass through the court process known as probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be time-consuming, costly, and open to the public, and because of this, avoiding probate—and keeping your family out of court—is a central goal of most estate plans.