You purchased a long-term care insurance (LTCI) policy many years ago – perhaps through your employer or maybe on your own. As a fairly young person (maybe in your 30s or 40s), you were able to get in at a good rate. You’ve been paying your premiums regularly ever...
Estate Planning
Can you use your will to distribute life insurance?
Among the expensive assets that you control, you have a life insurance policy. You've had it for decades, and you've always planned to leave it to your children. You only had one child when you took out the policy, so you named them as the beneficiary, but now you...
2 big things to consider when creating your estate plans
A comprehensive estate plan outlines exactly what you want to happen with your assets when you pass away. Some people don’t realize all the work that’s going to go into creating one of these. It’s imperative that you think carefully about every aspect of your life so...
The basics of estate planning
Estate planning is the process of deciding who will handle your responsibilities and receive your assets once you’ve either passed on or become incapable of making those decisions for yourself. Everyone should have these plans in place in order to make things easier...
Plan ahead for your pet’s care
Having pets requires a commitment to care for them until they pass away. Many people don’t think about what’s going to happen if they pass away before their pets. If you’re a pet owner, now is the time to set things up so your pets can be cared for if you die. One of...
What can you do if you suspect your elderly parent is a target of abuse?
Family members or professional caregivers can offer your elderly parent safety and companionship while you focus on raising your children. But, unfortunately, those you trust with your parent's well-being may be a problem rather than a solution. When you suspect elder...
How will divorce affect your estate plan?
Once you have finalized your divorce, you need to update your estate plan to reflect your new situation. However sick of legal paperwork you are, it is best to get it done straight away. Here are some of the things you need to look at: What do I still own? Draw up a...
Spendthrift trusts provide needed protection for beneficiaries
As you complete your estate plan, a thorny issue sometimes arises. One or more of your potential beneficiaries has proven to be ill-equipped at money management. This presents a major dilemma for those trying to make prudent estate planning decisions. You don’t want...
Don’t wait until late in your life for estate planning
There is a persistent myth that people don’t need to think about estate planning until they are at retirement age or even past it. Actually, you can embark upon estate planning much earlier in your life if you wish. You never know when you might be unable to...
3 tips for health care directives
Estate planning isn’t just about directing what happens with your assets after you die. It’s also about protecting your future. One important part of any estate plan is a health care directive. Having a health care directive in place is one of the best things you can...