Taxes are just an obligation most people have to deal with -- and that obligation doesn't end when they die. The executor of your estate may not only have to file your final tax return on your behalf, but your beneficiaries may have an obligation to pay inheritance...
If you draft a trust, remember that life is unpredictable
When you draft a trust as part of your estate plan, it allows you to retain more control over what happens to your assets. You get to decide how your money is spent, even after you pass away. What kinds of trusts are available? There are numerous different types of...
Transfer on Death (TOD) registration can help avoid probate in New Jersey
When you’re thinking ahead about how to transfer your assets to your heirs after you are gone, you may have already considered using “payable-on-death” designations on your bank accounts. Once you die, those funds will automatically become the property of whomever you...
Will your loved ones be able to inherit your home?
One of the reasons that people try to preserve their wealth during their life is so that they have the opportunity to leave behind a legacy for the people they love. An estate plan helps people set aside assets for specific people or even charitable causes. Major...
How to prevent death taxes from destroying an estate
More people than ever are entering retirement age. These citizens have worked their entire lives to earn this rest, funding their twilight years with purposeful estate planning and a lucrative retirement fund. These matriarchs and patriarchs often have large families...
Estate planning: More than just a will
Many people assume that estate planning starts and stops with the creation of a last will and testament. While wills are essential documents for distributing your wealth and possessions after your death and naming guardians for minor children, successful estate plans...
Will your family home impact your Medicaid eligibility?
As you get older, the property you own becomes more important. You may have built up years of memories in your family home. You may have raised your children there or spent time reading to your grandchildren. Preparing for Medicaid may leave you with an important...
Estate planning when your elderly father has dementia
It’s not easy if your dad has dementia. Seeing the person you looked up to lose their mental capacities can be hard to take. Estate planning becomes more urgent than ever if your father starts to suffer from dementia. If he does not already have an estate plan in...
Can Medicaid take your house after you die for reimbursement?
Given that Medicaid and Medicare offer similar but not overlapping health care insurance benefits and that they have similar names, many people wind up confused about the differences between these two valuable programs. They are, however, completely different programs...
Should you leave your home to your children?
Many people do not own any assets that are more valuable than their homes. This is true in a financial sense and a sentimental sense. The family home is where you made memories over the years, and that matters to both you and your children. As you do your estate...