You may have spent decades building up your sports memorabilia collection. Maybe you have some rare cards and autographed pictures that have steadily gained value over the years, and now they are worth a significant amount of money. You go to great lengths to keep these items in mint condition. But are you protecting [...]
A vacation property can be one of the most valuable things you can pass down to your loved ones, from both a sentimental and financial standpoint. However, mixing money and family can be tricky. Without a well-thought-out strategy for the ownership transition, hard feelings and disputes could arise, and the vacation home could be [...]
The proceeds from your life insurance policy can benefit your loved ones in many ways, from paying off your outstanding debts to providing supplemental income for your spouse and children to covering funeral and burial expenses. Life insurance policy payouts average $168,000.1 As the policyholder, you can—and should— name beneficiaries of the policy. Generally, [...]
Too little estate planning can put your heirs in a bind and tie up your estate in time-consuming and costly probate litigation. But as the legal saga of Aretha Franklin’s estate shows, too much estate planning—in particular, planning that introduces uncertainty about your final wishes—can also be problematic.After her death, there are lessons to learn [...]
We are at the precipice of what is being called “The Greatest Wealth Transfer in History,” as baby boomers are set to pass down $84 trillion to younger generations.1 Every parent wants to see their children succeed. But some may wonder whether an inheritance will help promote or hinder the future success of their children. [...]
Lucille Ball was the queen of television comedy to an older generation of Americans. Today, more than 70 years after I Love Lucy premiered, reruns still air on late-night networks, making it the longest-broadcasted TV show of all time and endearing Ball to a new generation of fans. Rankings of the best I Love [...]
When we lose a loved one, we often have memories of special events and occasions, support they provided us, or specific qualities of that person we will never forget. They continue to live on in our memories. An epitaph, by definition, is a brief phrase or sentence expressing a sentiment, often inscribed on a tombstone. [...]
Some of us may enjoy games like fantasy football that allow us to assemble our own star team with the players we think will provide the most value. While fantasy football is fun to participate in, have you thought about the importance of establishing your own dream team? Just like in fantasy football, each player [...]
As with any roll call, when assessing an estate plan, several legal tools, or documents, should be in attendance to accomplish the goal of a complete and comprehensive plan. You have likely heard the term estate planning, but you may not be familiar with which legal tools typically comprise a complete estate plan. We outline [...]
Estate planning is important for everyone. It is about protecting yourself, your loved ones, and your hard-earned money (even if you do not have a lot of it). However, the numbers do not lie: most people do not see the importance of estate planning. Whether you need to create an estate plan or update an [...]
