Trusts

One way to set up your estate plan is by using a trust. You can give instructions to the trustee about how they should distribute those assets to your intended beneficiary. This can give you more control. For instance, perhaps you want to make sure that the money is...

People with pets or companion animals usually want them to live long and happy lives. For older adults, those with serious medical challenges and those who own particularly long-lived animals, adding them to an estate plan may be necessary. Some people include their...

If you put money into a trust when making an estate plan, you can have some say in how the beneficiary uses the money. For instance, a grandparent may consider putting money in a trust for a grandchild’s eventual college education. One issue with trusts is that they...

All adults should take the time to create an estate plan, but it’s not something that most want to do. Getting it together means making decisions about things like your assets and who you want them to go to when you pass away. There are two primary options for doing...

Creating your estate plan is one of the most important things you can do to help your loved ones after you pass away. One critical thing to think about is what will make it as easy as possible for your beneficiaries their inheritance.  If you opt to leave assets to...

A revocable living trust is often created alongside a will. This opportunity allows you to name a trustee and transfer ownership of your assets to beneficiaries while you are living. This means that your trustee has ownership of the asset, but you can still make...

You likely treat your pet as if they were your child. You care for their needs, greet them every day and likely have spent many years watching them grow older. However, they’ve likely been watching you grow older, too, and may even outlive you.  While it’s hard to...

When you set up a trust as part of your estate plan, you pick a trustee. This person is in charge of authorizing and distributing payments to the beneficiary. The beneficiary may have no ability to access the money on their own. These trusts can be designed with a...

An incentive trust is one that incentivizes the beneficiary to do a particular thing. They only receive the payout if they complete or achieve the thing or things you stipulate.  A few examples might be they must graduate from law school, or they must get...

If you have a loved one with special needs, you may be worried about their future. How will they get by when you are no longer around? Who will manage their finances and provide for them? How will they maintain their eligibility for government benefits? A special...