The Importance of Estate Planning It is important for every person to have a proper estate plan in place, but, for a number of reasons, people often have no estate plan at all or, if they have one, it is inadequate.  A proper estate plan should allow you to control your property whil...

Estate Planning after a Second Marriage It may be time to review your Will Chances are that you have a Will somewhere that you had drawn up when your children were born. Depending on how long ago that was, you should probably dig it out, review it and then talk to an attorney abou...

Estate Planning, who needs it and why? California estate planning attorney Mina Sirkin has started a new blog called MomsRules.com. In a recent post, she talked about categories of people who need estate planning more than others: Estate Planning: Not only everyone needs it, but th...

Estate Planning in Georgia You can save a lot of money and potential chaos and hard feelings among those closest to you by preplanning how you want your assets managed when you are incapacitated, and how your property will be divided at your death. Powers of Attorney In Georgia...

You've spent years growing your wealth and building your estate, so it is just good sense to plan to protect your assets and pass them on to your beneficiaries according to your wishes. When you're ready to sit down with your financial pr...

What is Estate Planning? Estate planning is one of the most important steps any person can take to make sure that their final property and health care wishes are honored, and that loved ones are provided for in their absence. Though often overlooked or put off in favor of more immedi...

Advantages of Various Estate Planning Tools There are a lot of estate planning tools available to you. The following table summarizes the benefits provided by some of the more common estate planning techniques. Talk to your estate planning attorney for the details. (Note: For de...

ESTATE PLANNING LAW Life Advice – Planning Your Estate A primary purpose of estate planning is to distribute your assets according to your wishes after your death. Successful estate planning transfers your assets to your beneficiaries quickly and usually with minimal tax conseque...

Estate Planning in Georgia You can save a lot of money and potential chaos and hard feelings among those closest to you by preplanning how you want your assets managed when you are incapacitated, and how your property will be divided at your death. Powers of Attorney In Georgi...

Estate Planning: Preparing a Letter of Last Instructions A letter of last instructions is an informal document, and one of the most helpful things you can provide for your family. The letter should express your wishes following your death. The purpose of this letter is to give your p...

Do I Need More Than a Will? Learn whether you need a trust, power of attorney, or health care directive in addition to a will. Most Americans don't have a will, to say nothing of a more comprehensive plan to avoid probate or save on estate taxes. Do you need to start planning what...

Estate Planning: What's the best way to give money now? Giving gifts to family and charity while you're alive can be a boon to them – and your estate. Estate planning isn't just about how you want your assets distributed after you die. It's about deciding how much you want to give ...

Estate Planning: Does a trust make sense? These tools aren't just for Rockefellers. The notion of a legal trust may conjure up images of country clubbers cradling gin-and-tonics. The truth is a trust may be a useful estate-planning tool for your family if you have a ne...

Estate Planning: Why should I assign power of attorney? When you can't control your financial life, make sure someone you trust will. No one is immune from aging or the loss of mental clarity that may come with it. And you're never immune to health crises that may leave you un...

Estate Planning: Living wills and healthcare proxies Making your medical wishes known now can save a lot of heartache later. A living will (also known as an advance medical directive) is a statement of your wishes for the kind of life-sustaining medical intervention you want, or do...

Estate Planning: Why do I need a will? If you don't have one, a court decides who gets your assets. A will is a device that lets you tell the world who you want to get your assets. Die without one, and the state decides who gets what, without regard to your wishes or your heirs' needs. So-cal...

Estate Planning: Why do I need a will? If you don't have one, a court decides who gets your assets. A will is a device that lets you tell the world who you want to get your assets. Die without one, and the state decides who gets what, without regard to your wishes or your heirs' ne...

Estate Planning: Take Stock Assessing your assets and goals is groundwork for a good estate plan. Few people relish estate planning. After all, deciding how you want your assets distributed after you die can serve as an unnerving reminder of your mortality. But there are plenty of ...

Estate Planning: Top things to know 1. No matter your net worth, it's important to have a basic estate plan in place. Such a plan ensures that your family and financial goals are met after you die. 2. An estate plan has several elements. They include: a will; assignment of powe...

Many boomers favor comfortable retirement over leaving wealth to heirs By MARSHALL ECKBLAD Dow Jones Newswires Published on: 12/11/07 New York — The greatest transfer of wealth in history may end up leaving heirs disappointed — and could mean big changes for financial advisers. As...

10 Things Estate Planning Can Do for You What are the advantages to estate planning? By taking the time and effort necessary to plan your estate, you will be able to: Provide for your immediate family Couples want to provide enough money for the surviving spouse. Cou...

Cohabitation and Estate Planning One of the advantages of marriage over a cohabiting relationship is that a spouse in a marriage is a legal heir, and has a legal right in every state of the Union to inherit, with or without a will. The only way cohabitants can inherit is through a wi...