No one wants their loved ones dealing with the stress of a poorly planned estate. And yet, so many family members are left to put the pieces together after the loss of a loved one. You can help avoid this for your heirs by creating an estate plan. Detailing your last wishes and providing a… Read More »
Blog Posts
Do I Need a Will If I Already Have a Trust?
The creation of a trust is a powerful and strategic estate planning tool, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you consider in protecting your assets and providing for your future. You might be tempted to cross “estate planning” off your to do list once you’ve created a trust, but remember that you’ll need a… Read More »
Study Finds That This Factor Influences an Affluent or Comfortable Retirement
Retirement planning and estate planning both require careful work in advance to help you reach your goals. Most people are looking ahead for their best opportunities to support their own retirement financial needs and leave behind an impactful legacy for their loved ones. The good news is that with the right planning, you can do… Read More »
Who Can Be a Life Insurance Beneficiary?
Although often thought of as distinct from your overall estate planning, a life insurance policy probably factors into the big picture. Leaving behind assets directly or through tools such as a trust is optional and beneficial for you when you already own those assets. But what if you do not have enough assets set aside… Read More »
What’s Your Long Term Care Plan?
If you got into an accident or developed a medical condition that meant you couldn’t take care of yourself, who would help you? Most people haven’t thought through this and end up relying on family members in the short term. But what if you really need the support and care that can only be provided… Read More »
When Is It Too Late for Someone to Create a Will?
Adult children who realize that they must step in and care for their aging parents suddenly have many things to deal with and many questions. It can be even more difficult to learn that your loved one did not engage in any estate planning. The transition of control from your loved one’s personal affairs to… Read More »
When Does Medi-Cal Pay for a Nursing Home?
Outside of long term care insurance, you can’t count on anyone but you to pay your nursing home bill unless you’ve done some advanced planning with the help of a Pasadena lawyer. Some people are under the impression that Medicare will automatically pick up the full tab, but this is not the case. Medicare only… Read More »
Understanding How IRA Assets Transfer at Death
IRA ownership passes to either through a beneficiary designation or pursuant to default provisions listed in IRA documents if there is no beneficiary designation. This means that provisions inside your will do not govern the distribution of assets inside your IRA. If you do not complete your beneficiary designation form to allow another person to… Read More »
Who Are the People Involved in My Living Trust?
There are a few different people involved in the creation and management of your living trust. The first of these is you, the grantor. This is the person who sets up the trust and you might hear this referred to as other names, such as creator, settlor, or trustor. As the creator of a living… Read More »
What Things Does a Personal Rep Need to Inventory with an Estate?
The first step in probating a person’s estate is to locate all of the critical estate planning documents and papers. The estate planning documents might include a will, burial or memorial instructions, and details about a revocable living trust. These documents might or might not be stored together. The important papers belonging to the decedent… Read More »
How Long Should Probate Last?
You can organize your estate in advance to get your own peace of mind, but these actions also help your loved ones navigate what’s expected when you pass away. Probate is often avoided through the use of advanced estate planning tools. There are a number of different factors that can influence the amount of time… Read More »
What Does it Mean to Own Something as Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship?
Purchasing property with someone else raises a lot of complex questions about management and ownership responsibilities. Joint tenancy with right of survivorship is one term that you may come across in the process of purchasing property. Joint tenants referred to two or more individuals who own property together, and there must be four requirement factors… Read More »
Does My Name Change Impact Estate Planning Documents?
People’s names often change due to marriage, divorce or a court order. When family names change this can become problematic for any legal documents that have the previous name. For example, consider a daughter who was named as a power of attorney agent or health care representative by a family member several years ago. If… Read More »
Where Are the Most Expensive States to Retire To?
When you look ahead to your future, there’s a lot to think about. That’s true even when you narrow down your focus lens to financial concerns alone. After all, you’ll need to consider: How you’ll afford long term care or access programs like Medicaid How many years you hope to continue working Whether you and… Read More »
Can My California Trust Hold Title to Real Estate?
There are a few different popular reasons why people in California turn to living trusts as an estate planning tool. First of all, a revocable trust gives you the option to change this strategy or eliminate the trust entirely as you choose during your lifetime. Secondly, trusts add a layer of privacy surrounding your estate… Read More »
Have You Planned for Second Level Beneficiaries?
It can seem very simple to broach the subject of estate planning for couples with no children. In fact, many assume there is no need for a will at all or only use a simple will that doesn’t consider all of their estate planning intentions and possibilities. It’s important to ensure that any wishes you… Read More »
The Four Legal Documents You Must Have for a Child Going Off to College
Back to school is fast approaching in what many hope will be a return to normal. It’s almost that time for your baby to go off to college but it’s important to think about the documents you need to have in place. The transition from teenagerhood to adulthood often catches some parents by surprise when… Read More »
What Happens If You Don’t Make Your Anticipated Retirement Age?
Having the ability to enjoy life after retirement is an important calculation in determining your retirement age but new research has shown that many people are retiring a bit earlier than they anticipated which impacts their financial savings and even their estate planning. Among those who has already retired the average age of retirement is… Read More »
How to Find a Deceased Person’s Will?
If you were recently named as an executor to someone else’s estate, one of the most important and first steps you need to take is to find the will. After you get your hands on the original, you’ll want to make a copy as well as keep a close eye on it as this will… Read More »
How is Real Estate Transferred After Someone Passes Away?
There are many details to sort out when a loved one passes away, but if you’re dealing with real estate, this can probably be one of the most substantial assets inside the estate overall. Furthermore, many family members might have a vested interest in what happens to a piece of real estate. The real estate… Read More »
