A fiduciary is someone who manages property or money on behalf of someone else. When you become a fiduciary, the law requires you to manage the person’s assets for their benefit—and not your own.
We may think of a spoiled heiress to a large fortune, whose parents were savvy enough to prevent her from having full access to her funds. On the other hand, we could imagine a loved one with special needs, whose needs will be provided for with trust-protected money.
Regardless of the pandemic, experts say it’s important to plan for when you’re not here—that is, give thought to what would happen to your bank accounts, your home and your belongings, as well as, perhaps, your dependents.
My daughter, my only child, recently married a nice man. However, he is not responsible with his finances. I don’t want my son-in-law to have any access to her money or through a divorce via equitable distribution.
The period leading up to and shortly after losing a close relative is often one of the most emotionally demanding times that we, as humans, experience.
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.
During the past four months, more than 141,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the pandemic has prompted some people to get serious about creating or updating their estate plans, according to Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance.
Windfalls can result from fortunate events, like lottery winning, and unfortunate events, like a legal settlement. Whatever the triggering event, a big injection of cash can certainly be a life-changing event in someone’s life.
