Death is not a favorite conversation topic. However, we all know it is something we must at some point discuss. The loss of a close friend or family member, or an event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, seems to bring the topic to the forefront.
If you are like many moderately successful Americans, chances are you are worth more dead than alive. In many cases a lot more.
Small businesses are often caught up in growth cycles, profits and ensuring that products arrive to consumers on time. The life of a small business owner is a hectic one with many owners failing to follow basic estate planning and business law practices.
When creating an estate plan, one important question to consider is how to handle the transfer of personal property, including your home. A Qualified Personal Residence Trust, or QPRT, is something you may decide to create to minimize gift and estate taxes associated for your heirs.
Trusts are legal entities that own assets, and all trusts are not alike. They are created by a written trust document with certain provisions that can vary from trust to trust.
Creditors typically try to collect on unpaid debt, by going after the decedent’s estate during a process called probate.
For example, did you name someone as an heir who is no longer in favor with you or—worse yet—has died? Who should get what they would have gotten? Are there now new people in your life—be they family members or not—whom you might wish to share in what you may have?
One problem that frequently stems from the inheritance process is fractured relationships between siblings. Unfortunately, the common denominator in many of these situations is the parents’ estate plan.
Financial planning is an important part of life. Estate planning is one key aspect of planning for the future. It can feel daunting to take on the task, but once it’s done and your future is organized, it usually feels a lot better.
The saying goes that anyone who does not learn from mistakes in the past, is doomed to repeat them. In estate planning, if you do not learn from other’s mistakes, you are likely to repeat them.