Marrying again makes estate planning more involved. How do you provide for everyone you love? Should you provide for everyone you love? How do you arrange to transfer wealth in a way that won’t hurt the feelings of certain heirs?
SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS
If you have a child with special needs, you face long-run financial demands that cannot be fully met through federal and state assistance. What can you do to try and meet them?
ESTATE PLANNING FOR YOUR DIGITAL ASSETS
Social media and email accounts. Creative works, photos and keepsakes kept on home computers, the cloud or external storage drives. E-commerce accounts. Domain names. Bitcoin. These are all examples of digital assets. You will manage them closely as long as you live – but what will happen to them once you die?
THE VALUE OF LIFE INSURANCE TRUSTS
You may think of life insurance in very simple terms: you buy a policy so that your loved ones will have some financial assistance when you die. Its functionality doesn’t end there. If it looks like your accumulated wealth will be subject to estate taxes someday, life insurance may be a very useful tool for you. In fact, you might call life insurance the “Swiss army knife” of estate planning, especially when it is used in conjunction with trusts.
DO YOU NEED AN ESTATE PLAN?
You have an “estate”. It doesn’t matter if you own a mansion or a motor home. Rich or poor, when you die you leave behind an estate. For some, this could be real property, an investment portfolio and more. For others, it could be as straightforward as the $10 bill in their wallet and the clothes on their back. Either way, what you leave behind when you die is considered to be your “estate”.
COPING WITH AN INHERITANCE
Inheriting wealth can be a burden and a blessing. Even if you have an inclination that a family member may remember you in their last will and testament, there are many facets to the process of inheritance that you may not have considered. Here are some things you may want to keep in mind if it comes to pass.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED CHARITABLE GIFTING?
A gift to charity may prove to be a great financial favor to you. Some charitable gifting methods offer you notable tax advantages. Here’s a brief look at some popular options.
WHO NEEDS ESTATE PLANNING?
You have an estate. It doesn’t matter how limited (or unlimited) your means may be, and it doesn’t matter if you own a mansion or a motor home.
WHAT TO BRING TO A MEETING WITH A FINANCIAL ADVISOR
he financial planning process is not merely a matter of numbers. When you meet with a financial advisor to map out a strategy for wealth accumulation or wealth preservation, you may find yourself intellectually and emotionally engaged on a level you hadn’t anticipated. It may actually give you a better understanding of what you want from life.
ESTATE PLANNING vs. ADVANCED ESTATE PLANNING
Everyone has an estate. Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter. When you die, you leave behind an estate. For some, this can mean property, cash money, assets and more. For others it could be as simple as the $10 bill in their wallet and the clothes on their back. Either way, what you leave behind when you die is considered to be your “estate”.