The person you choose to be the executor of your estate (also called a personal representative) will be responsible for gathering, managing, and ultimately distributing everything you own after you pass away. You’ll need to make your selection very carefully; Don’t just choose your oldest child by default. If a friend or advisor is better […]
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Most people think of probate as a private process, but because wills are filed at the courthouse, probated estates become a matter of public record. That means your nosy neighbor can simply go online (or down to the courthouse) and find out about your probate. It’s easier than you might imagine. It’s Not Just Mr. […]
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Instead of a will or joint ownership, many people today are replacing those common estate planning tools with a revocable living trust. A revocable living trust avoids the public, costly and time-consuming court processes of conservatorship or guardianship (which may be necessary if you become incapacitated) as well as probate (the court process that takes […]
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The Probate Process: There are other options! Jessica and John are in their 60s; they have two children. Unfortunately, John’s parents died in an automobile accident two years ago. John’s parents had a last will and testament written with their attorney’s help twenty years ago, but they had not updated it prior to their deaths. […]
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A savings bond is a “debt security” issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to help pay for the U.S. government’s borrowing needs. When you buy a savings bond, you loan the U.S. government money, which the government repays with interest after a fixed period of time. There are currently two types of savings […]
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According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 1.9% of all infants born in the United States in 2018 were conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART includes all fertility treatments in which both eggs and embryos are handled: The most well-known procedures in this category include artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, and cryopreservation (genetic […]
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Hoarding is not to be confused with general messiness, and it’s not an accurate way to describe someone who stockpiles a six-month supply of toilet paper. It’s actually a serious mental disorder that prevents people from discarding items, regardless of their value, and generates severe stress at the mere thought of doing so. It’s very […]
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If you’re a nurse, doctor, or frontline healthcare worker, you tirelessly care for others and may not have a lot of free time to work on your estate planning. Your time is valuable. But if you can answer the following questions or at least think them through, you can get a jump start on the […]
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Many people are passionate about their collections, both the financially valuable (art or stamps) and the sentimentally valuable (mementos and postcards). If you have a collection—no matter its monetary value—you’ll want to include your treasures in your estate plan. Make arrangements in advance to ensure that the collection is handled in the way you want, […]
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The federal gift and estate tax exclusion is currently very high; in 2020, the amount equals $11.58 million for an individual and $23.16 million for a married couple. At this level, only very wealthy people need to be concerned about taxes at the federal level. This may change in 2026 when the increased exclusion amount […]
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