The rapidly evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is creating a plethora of unique estate planning and legal challenges across the globe, particularly given the volatility of the financial markets.
The most common misconception estate planning attorneys hear, is that someone doesn’t need an estate plan because their client isn’t elderly or on death’s door.
About 55% of Americans do not have a will. Even more worrisome is the fact that less than one in five millennials have a will. The top reason why Americans don’t have a will, is simply procrastination, followed by the feeling of not having enough assets, and a fact that it’s too expensive to set up.
For obvious reasons, including control, privacy, asset protection, etc., many clients are interested in putting assets into a trust. For many retirees, their IRA is among their biggest assets. It’s only natural to want to put the IRA into a trust.
Even as you work through your grief, there are some important financial tasks to take care of along the way. Here is a framework to use as a starting point.
Nobody likes to think about their own mortality, and that's why so many people go without basic estate planning documents. Often, an event like the coronavirus can be the kick in the pants you need to get your affairs in order.
PODCAST: TOP ESTATE PLANNING MISTAKES TO AVOID Here is a link to a recent guest appearance on the Christian Financial Perspectives podcast (copied below as well). We cover some the of the basic estate planning mistakes we see people make and talk about how to avoid those mistakes. This podcast comes from the Top 10 […]
Probate can be a long, arduous, and costly process—especially in states that aren’t considered probate-friendly. Enter a workaround that is being used by an increasing number of people: revocable living trusts.
Giving appreciated stock shares, donating your RMDs and using charitable remainder trusts are just a few of the options you may not be aware of to help charities and your heirs at the same time.
The stretch IRA is dead and everyone (including me) is writing about how this is the apocalypse for IRA planning. Well, it isn’t. Let’s all take a deep breath.
