Have you heard of a life insurance trust? This estate planning strategy gives you more control over your life insurance benefits.
So, you've created your trust, established a pour over will, and named your trustees. After all that time, effort and cost, surely you're all set, right? Not quite.
While it’s obvious that much has changed with the advent of the internet in the mid-90s, the complexity has become even more pronounced within the estate planning industry. In the pre-internet days, when a loved one passed away, you...
In this quick 12-minute presentation, Michael discusses key Estate Planning topics and how they are specifically pertinent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Much of estate planning has to do with the way a person’s assets will be distributed upon their death. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. From smart incapacity planning to diligent probate avoidance, there is a lot that goes into crafting a comprehensive estate plan. One important factor to consider is asset protection.
Confused about estate plans and the difference between wills and trusts? Or why you need them at all? Here we've shared some examples of what happens in cases of dying intestate (without a will or trust), with a will, and with a trust. Contact us to learn more and let us help you determine what's right for you!
Don’t make the same mistake so many celebrities, like Prince, have made Whether your estate is worth $40,000 or $400 million, the effects of poor estate planning are undeniable. Between estate taxes at the state and federal levels, more...
Read Jeffrey Steele’s entertaining take on the importance of beneficiary designations. Michael Stuart weighs in on real-life situations and how to avoid unintentionally disinheriting your loved ones.
By Jeffrey Steele Originally appearing in the Chicago Tribune Primetime section May 9, 2014. Reposted with express permission of the author.
By now you’ve heard that Congress has acted — even if at the eleventh hour — and they made the estate tax ‘changes’ permanent. We can bet that permanence has some impact, but if later Congresses want or need to change...