A pour-over will is a particular kind of will created to work with a trust, with a goal of facilitating the transfer of assets if the person creating the trust (the grantor) has not transferred all of their assets into the trust. This happens more often than you’d think. How do you know if you … Continue reading What Is a Pour-Over Will?
Category: Grantor
What Is Better, a Trust or a Will?
Estate plans come in all sizes and shapes. One of the decisions in creating an estate plan is whether a trust should be part of your plan, as detailed in this article titled “Trust vs. Will: What They Share (And 6 Ways They are Different)” from Yahoo! Money. Both trusts and wills give control over how assets are distributed. … Continue reading What Is Better, a Trust or a Will?
Why are Trusts a Good Idea?
Estate planning attorneys know trusts are the Swiss Army knife of estate planning. Whatever the challenge is to be overcome, there is a trust to solve the problem. This includes everything from protecting assets from creditors to ensuring the right people inherit assets. There’s no hype about trusts, despite the title of this article, “Trusts—What Is … Continue reading Why are Trusts a Good Idea?
Are You Ready for 2026?
You may not be thinking about Jan. 1, 2026. However, if your estate is worth $5 million or more when the first day of 2026 arrives, your estate planning should begin now. According to an article from Forbes, “Is 2026 An Important Year For Your Wealth?,” the reduction in the estate tax exemption will revert to the 2010 … Continue reading Are You Ready for 2026?
Could Your Estate Plan Be a Disaster?
You may think your estate plan is all set. However, it might not be. If you met with your attorney when your children were small, and your children are now grown and have children of their own, your estate could be a disaster waiting to happen, says an article “Today’s Business: Your estate plan—what could go … Continue reading Could Your Estate Plan Be a Disaster?
What Is the Point of a Trust?
A trust is an agreement made when a person, referred to as the trustor or grantor, gives a third party, known as the trustee, the authority to hold assets for the trust beneficiaries. The trustee is in charge of the trust and responsible for executing the trust’s instructions as per the language in the trust, … Continue reading What Is the Point of a Trust?
Can You Plan for Probate?
What can you do to help heirs have a smooth transition when settling your estate? An article from The Community Voice, “Managing probate when setting up your estate,” provides some recommendations. Joint accounts. Married couples can own property as joint tenancy, which includes a right of survivorship. When one of the spouses dies, the other becomes the owner and … Continue reading Can You Plan for Probate?
What’s More Important: an Estate Plan or Trust?
A will makes a one-time transfer of assets after death, while trusts allow assets to be transferred during life and after death. Each one has an important role to play in managing assets and protecting loved ones, reports an article “Estate vs. Trust: Do You Really Understand the Difference” from yahoo!. An “estate” in this sense is everything … Continue reading What’s More Important: an Estate Plan or Trust?
Do I Need a Trust, or a Last Will and Testament?
Whether to have a will or a trust or both is often discussed when embarking on the estate planning process. Arriving at the answer, as discussed in an article, “Personal needs, preferences drive estate planning,” from The News-Enterprise, requires a closer look at each individual’s situation. The last will and testament doesn’t take effect until two events occur: … Continue reading Do I Need a Trust, or a Last Will and Testament?
Should Each Child Get Equal Inheritance?
Every estate planning attorney has conversations with their clients about how adult children should inherit. While most people assume siblings should all inherit equally, in many situations, equal is not always appropriate. There are many situations where an equal inheritance might be unfair, says an article, “How Should Your Children Inherit? 4 Scenarios Where ‘Equal’ Is … Continue reading Should Each Child Get Equal Inheritance?