A trust can be an excellent estate planning tool, passing assets to loved ones while avoiding the probate process, and potentially eliminating the need to pay an estate tax (when implemented correctly). But there is far more nuance to a trust than most might guess, and there is far more to implementing a revocable vs
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Death can come suddenly and unexpectedly, and it is rare to be prepared for it. As a matter of fact, nearly half of all Americans over the age of 55 do not have a will, and only 18 percent of Americans above age 55 have an established estate plan (with more than just a will).
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It is incredibly stressful to be a new parent. Parenting is not something that anyone can be adequately prepared for. No matter how long you have thought about it and how much you have read about it. But between weathering the many sleepless nights and stressing endlessly over baby products, and the many challenges of
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The law is a rather precise thing – especially contract law. There is a reason lawyers stress the importance of pouring over the bylaws and the fine print. When sitting down to pen an agreement between two parties, every little detail counts. Conduct needs to be discussed twice and thrice over, conditions need to be
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In estate planning terms, a trust is both an agreement and an entity, created for the purpose of holding assets and accounts ‘in trust’ until they are ready to be distributed to designated beneficiaries. Trusts must be ‘funded’, which involves amending the assets mentioned within the trust document to reflect that they are now part
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As we deal with this crisis, it is as good a moment as ever to take stock of your current estate planning documents. If you do not have an estate plan, then this is the time for you to set one up. Despite the term, estate plans are not just all about your estate. More
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The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump earlier last December, features a series of provisions designed largely to help Americans prepare for retirement. As the pension vanishes, more Americans turn towards partially self-sufficient means of preparing for retirement, such as the IRA and the employer-provided
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We all pass away eventually, and we all hope of leaving behind some kind of legacy. The older we get, the more important this becomes – especially as we see our loved ones grow up and lead lives of their own. With age comes time for introspection, and a thoughtful look at the past –
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As we enter a new decade, we gather to set our goals for the year and reflect on the progress made in the last 12 months. Just as it is time for a little spring cleaning, it might also be the perfect time of the year to revisit a crucial element of your family’s financial
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The thing to remember about probate is that, in a best-case scenario, it is boring. And that is a good thing. The probate estate process is not overly complex in most cases, and it does not need to be. If you are in charge of overseeing the probate estate process, it helps to have a
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