Getting married is a special time in your life; you may have a beautiful wedding, a fun reception (with a delicious cake and special gifts), and a romantic honeymoon. It is also the right time for you and your new spouse to plan for your future—for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health. Why You and Your New Spouse Need to Plan Your Estates Why should you and your new spouse care … [Read more...] about Estate Planning Basics for Newlyweds: How to Prepare for the Unexpected
Estate Planning Blog
Kids Going Away to College? Why You Should Include Estate Planning in the Preparation
You have likely been preparing for weeks to get your new college student off to school. It is exhilarating, and your heart may be bursting at the seams. You are probably prouder than words can express but also afraid. How can you ensure your child is safe at their new home away from home? A new matching sheet set for their dorm room does not seem like enough, does it? So, what else can you do? … [Read more...] about Kids Going Away to College? Why You Should Include Estate Planning in the Preparation
Maximize Tax Benefits and Protect Your Spouse with a Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust
Valentine’s Day spending totaled nearly $26 billion in 2024, including an all-time high of $6.4 billion spent on jewelry. Yet many Americans report feeling disappointed that their partner did not do enough to celebrate Valentine’s Day. More than 40 percent of US adults say they feel stressed about finding the perfect gift for loved ones. About one-third plan to give a gift of experience this year … [Read more...] about Maximize Tax Benefits and Protect Your Spouse with a Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust
Appointing Your Legacy: A Guide to Using a General Power of Appointment Trust to Protect Your Spouse
Through sickness and health, thick and thin, you and your spouse have been there for each other. You may even share almost everything, including your estate plan. That plan expresses the love and trust you have built over the years. It ensures that the other will be financially and legally taken care of when something happens to one of you. However, you may have lived long enough to know that, … [Read more...] about Appointing Your Legacy: A Guide to Using a General Power of Appointment Trust to Protect Your Spouse
Love and Estate Planning Go Together Like a Horse and Carriage. Protect Your Wealth and Your Spouse with a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust
February, the month of love, was the perfect time to show your loved ones that you care about their financial futures. While chocolates and flowers are nice gestures, a spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT) can make a more lasting gift, especially with the record-high estate tax exemption set to decrease drastically in 2026. In general terms, a SLAT is a trust that allows you to transfer your … [Read more...] about Love and Estate Planning Go Together Like a Horse and Carriage. Protect Your Wealth and Your Spouse with a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust
Incapacity Planning: The Other Part of Estate Planning Why You Need to Worry
About Incapacity Planning Death is the elephant in the room when we talk about estate planning. We often use phrases like pass away and pass on to make our meetings feel more comfortable and avoid being overly macabre, but the not-so-subtle subtext of an estate plan is death’s inevitability. If death is the elephant in the room in estate planning discussions—the obvious issue nobody names out … [Read more...] about Incapacity Planning: The Other Part of Estate Planning Why You Need to Worry
