Recent News & Blog / Estate Planning
Avoiding probate: How to do it (and why)
Few estate planning subjects are as misunderstood as probate. But circumventing the probate process is usually a good idea, and several tools are available to help you do just that. Why should you avoid it?
Did your spouse’s estate make a portability election? If not, there may still be time
Portability helps minimize federal gift and estate tax by allowing a surviving spouse to use a deceased spouse’s unused gift and estate tax exemption amount. Currently, the exemption is $12.92 million, but it’s scheduled to return to an inflation-adjusted $5 million on January 1, 2026.
Life insurance can be a powerful estate planning tool for nontaxable estates
For years, life insurance has played a critical role in estate planning, providing a source of liquidity to pay estate taxes and other expenses.
To avoid confusion after your death, have only an original, signed will
The need for a will as a key component of your estate plan may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by the number of people — even affluent individuals — who don’t have one.
Yes, you still need an estate plan even if you’re single, without children
There’s a common misconception that only married couples with children need estate plans. In fact, estate planning may be even more important for single people without children. Why?
How can an estate be kept vital after death?
When a loved one passes away, you might think that the options for his or her estate plan have also been laid to rest. But that isn’t necessarily the case.
The time to make health care decisions is when you’re healthy
When it comes to estate planning, your ultimate goal likely is to provide for your family after your death. To achieve this goal, consider placing assets in an irrevocable trust to protect against creditors and drafting a will to clearly state who gets what.
How to address your frequent flyer miles in your estate plan
If you’re a frequent traveler, you may have accumulated hundreds of thousands or even millions of frequent flyer miles. The value of these miles may be significant, so it’s important to determine whether you can include them in your estate plan and share them with your loved ones.
Asset protection: How to shield your wealth from lawsuits and creditors
Much of estate planning focuses on transferring your wealth to loved ones in a tax-efficient manner. But for some people, it’s equally important to protect that wealth against frivolous lawsuits or baseless creditors’ claims.
You’ve been asked to serve as executor, now what?
If you’ve been asked to serve as executor of the estate of a friend or family member, be sure you understand the responsibilities and potential risks before you agree.