Who Should Be Your Successor Trustee?
If you have a revocable living trust, you probably named yourself as trustee so you can continue to manage your own financial affairs, but eventually someone will need to step in for you when you [...]
How to Choose a Trustee
If you create an irrevocable trust, you will need a separate person or institution, called a trustee, to manage the trust either now or in the future. Choosing the right trustee is crucial to making sure [...]
Avoid Living Probate: How to Keep Guardians and Conservators Out of Your Estate
While most proactive individuals know the importance of having a well-rounded estate plan, it is typically considered as something that will take effect after they have passed away. But there are in fact many ways [...]
Do It Now: Name a Guardian for Your Minor Child(ren)
We know it’s hard. Thinking about someone else raising your children stops us all in our tracks. It feels crushing and too horrific to consider. But you must. If you don’t, a stranger will determine [...]
The Top 2 Ways the Court Gets Involved in Your Estate, and How to Avoid Them
No one wants unnecessary court involvement in their life. But without careful and proactive estate planning, chances are that some aspect of your estate will end up being decided there. Here are two of the [...]
New Legislation Could Mean the End of Estate and GSTT Taxes
On January 24, 2017, the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2017, or H.R. 631, was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by South Dakota congresswoman Kristi Noem. If passed, H.R. 631 would completely repeal [...]
How to Pick a Trustee, Executor, and Agent Under a Power of Attorney
While the term fiduciary is a legal term with a long history, it very generally means someone who is legally obligated to act in another person’s best interests. Trustees, executors, and agents are all examples [...]
How to Deduct Long-Term Care Premiums From Your Income
Taxpayers with long-term care insurance policies can deduct some of their premiums from their income. Whether you can use the deduction requires comparing your medical expenses to your income in a complicated formula. Premiums for [...]
Watch Out for Mistakes in the List of Doctors Covered by Your Medicare Advantage Plan
Medicare Advantage plans are a popular alternative to regular Medicare because the plans often offer lower out-of-pocket costs, but buyers need to make sure they know what they are paying for. A government review of [...]
New Medicare Rule Encourages Doctors to Test for Alzheimer’s Disease and Offer Care Planning
A new Medicare rule will promote earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Medicare will now reimburse primary care doctors who conduct an Alzheimer's evaluation and offer information about care planning to elderly patients with cognitive impairment. [...]
Preventing a Will Contest
Emotions can run high at the death of a family member. If a family member is unhappy with the amount they received (or didn't receive) under a will, he or she may contest the will. [...]