Estate Planning Basics

From minimizing estate taxes to taking control of your future healthcare and asset distribution, learn from estate planning professionals in our Estate Planning Basics section.

Recent Stories

Estate Planning & Young Adults – What to Consider
Apr 2013

Estate planning can help your family make important decisions during difficult times. As our lives become more complex, preparing an estate plan is no longer reserved for older Americans. Here are some situations where certain documents, like a power of attorney, may make sense for young adults in your family.

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Estate Planning Tools to Account for the Fiscal Cliff
Feb 2013

The dust’s settled—we know the country didn’t go over the fiscal cliff. Now it’s time to consider how the new tax laws may affect your estate plan. Spoiler alert: it’s not as bad as you might think.  more...

The Other Side of the Will – Top 10 Duties of an Executor
Dec 2012

The role of executor is usually assigned to a close member of the family. Given the nature of the assignment itself, the role can be quite a challenge—both mentally and emotionally. What follows is a list of executor’s duties that hopefully will create the right expectations for the job. more...

8 Tips to Start a Conversation with Your Family
Nov 2012

Talking to parents or loved ones about making a future plan can seem overwhelming. But not making a plan should not be an option. Here are 8 tips to help make the process easier. more...