The short answer to this question is: YES. If that were the end of the story, then this would, again, be the shortest blog I have ever written. But, alas, again this is not the whole story. I have previously discussed what a beneficiary deed is and why you may want one, but we will focus on the avoiding probate aspect of a beneficiary deed in … [Read more...]
Why Every Homeowner Needs and Estate Plan: Tips for Protecting Your Property
Most people that I know are fairly normal, regular people. They aren’t rich, and they aren’t poor, but they are somewhere in the middle. They own a house, have a few kids, and generally just go to work, pay their bills, and take a vacation every now and then. I am one of these people, and so I understand how this type of life works on a regular … [Read more...]
How To Give Your House Away After You Die – Estate Planning 101 (or Maybe Even More Basic Than That)
For most people who own a home, the home is likely their largest, and most valuable asset. If you purchased a home while you were young, and then paid off the home over time, then the home has likely appreciated in value, and your home is worth quite a bit. When it comes time to pass the house on to your children, you want to pass along the home, … [Read more...]
What To Do If Someone Dies With An Estate Plan Already Set Up
Many of the topics I have covered on my blog have to do with what happens if someone dies without a plan, or how not having a plan can be problematic. I spend a lot of time encouraging people to set up a plan, so that they can have their affairs in order. Similar to my last blog post, where I talked about what you need to know about your estate … [Read more...]
Making Beneficiary Designations Work for You
You spend hours setting up the perfect estate plan, and you are set up exactly the way you want. Everything seems perfect, and then it comes time to implement the plan. But wait, what is this? Your assets are transferring outside of the perfect plan? How can that be? What is going on? What happened? Is everything now ruined because of something … [Read more...]
Estate Planning 101: The Four Methods of Transfer & Who Gets What
I am amazed at how often people want a will written to make sure their assets go where they want when they die, but have never considered what other methods of transferring assets exist. And...what different types of asset transfer options are available to use. These people want me to write a will to make sure assets go where the individual … [Read more...]