Category: Estate Planning

New Study Shows That the Oldest People Are Also the Wealthiest

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index shows that 6 out of the 25 richest Americans are over the age of 80. The Internal Revenues Service shares data that indicates just how old the top billionaires and millionaires throughout the United States are. Individuals over the age of 80 are a small portion of the population, representing 3.7%[...]

Why People Tend to Procrastinate About Estate Planning

Too many people haven’t participated at all in any estate planning. Although they'll admit easily that it's something that they need to do, it keeps getting put off. Some of the most common reasons why people procrastinate about estate planning include: They are under the perception that they do not own enough and that estate[...]

Tips for Women to Save for Long-Term Care

Women live longer than men and for this reason face much greater challenges with regards to funding their healthcare needs after retirement. According to a study recently completed by HealthView Services, a 65 year old male who retires in 2017 will spend approximately $200,000 in retirement on healthcare alone. However the cost for a female[...]

Top Things an Estate Plan Can Do for Your Children

Putting together an estate plan is important not only for your peace of mind but also for establishing a clear structure in the future for your children. As your children or grandchildren are playing with you and enjoying the lazy days of summer, it's still a good idea to think about your estate plan and[...]

Am I Responsible for My Deceased Family Member’s Debts?

When someone passes away suddenly, a lot of questions are raised. This is even more true when the person didn’t take any precautionary steps in terms of estate planning. Once the estate goes through the probate process, family members may be curious about the impact of debts.   One of the biggest myths in the[...]

What You Should Know About the Life Cycle of Your Retirement Planning

As with your general life cycle, there are various stages to your financial and retirement planning that occur based on the decade of your current age.   As your life trajectory changes, so too will the goals you will have as well as the focus you should have. During your 20s for example, you will[...]

Five Consequences of Avoiding the Estate Planning Process

You might be under the impression that smaller estates or a lack of obvious heirs makes it easy to skip the estate planning process. That’s a bad idea, since you need to think ahead about what will happen to your assets regardless of their total value. Anyone who has assets of any amount can still[...]

Retirement and Estate Planning Must Work Together

There is a stage in your retirement planning phase when the focus will shift from accumulating funds to maintaining and preserving those nest egg funds. The importance of protecting and preserving assets cannot overstated and although meaningful growth should always remain a component of your overall retirement plan, you need to protect your purchasing power[...]

Critical Tips for Putting Together an Effective Estate Plan

Whether you believe that your estate plan is complicated or simple, many pertinent details can compromise the effectiveness of your plan overall. There are ten steps you can follow to help avoid some common estate planning mistakes: 1. Set up a meeting with your estate planning lawyer to discuss state death taxes and whether or[...]

Mid-Year Estate Planning Checklists: How to Use One

Keeping in mind it's the middle of the year, it's a great opportunity to review your existing estate plan. There are several different steps you can take to accomplish this and have more peace of mind and confidence that the plan you have put together protects your individual wishes. These steps include: Consider whether the[...]