Probate now rises to the forefront in many estate plans. With only a small minority of estates at risk of owing federal estate taxes, probate is the greater threat to separating your wealth from the objects of your affection and delaying the transfer. Read More

Most people are likely to need long-term care for some period as they age. But most Americans are remarkably uninformed and misinformed about long-term health care and the insurance that covers the expense. Read More

Now, only the very wealthy have to worry about estate planning. That’s what many people believe after the latest estate tax law, and that belief could cause a lot of problems for them and their heirs. Read More

It’s at the bottom of the list of insurance policies most people consider It’s the last policy people buy and the first they cut when cash becomes tight. Yet, disability insurance is essential for a package of complete protection. Read More

A revolution in estate planning is underway. While many people know about the 2012 tax law changes, they don’t realize the extent to which these changes require fresh approaches and strategies. Read More

Uncertainty about the estate tax is resolved. Now is the time to consider how the new rules affect your estate plan and revise your plan accordingly. Read More

We’re moving from a paper world to a digital world, and many people don’t realize how important digital assets are to their lives or how valuable they are. They also don’t understand the major problems and headaches they leave by not including digital assets in their estate plans. Read More

Many people use the last part of the year to put their financial houses in order. Yet, one move many overlook is to create or revise their powers of attorney. Read More

Estate planning discussions in 2012 have focused on deca-millionaires and those with even more wealth. Regular people have been left out. Let’s focus on some shrewd gift giving strategies that are valuable whether you’re in a position to give away $5.12 million or an amount with substantially fewer zeros in it. The tax law provides ways everyone can maximize the amount of current and future value that can be transferred tax free to loved ones. Take advantage of those rules. Read More

One of the most important and fastest-growing transactions in personal finance is growing under the radar of most of the financial media and other observers. It and the follow-on transactions are critical to the financial lives of most Americans. Yet, people receive little guidance on the transactions and, as a result, frequently have thousands of dollars siphoned by taxes. Read More