The Dangers of Dying Without a Will

Until now, you may have viewed writing a will as something you’d get around to doing someday. But because of the vicious coronavirus, it’s time to treat writing a will as something every bit as important as washing your hands and using hand sanitizer, … Continue reading

Is Your Estate as Planned As You Think?

You’ve considered how you want your estate to be distributed after you die. Hopefully, you’ve even written a will to make sure your wishes will be followed. So, your estate is planned…right? While most of us would like to think that estate planning is … Continue reading

A Clever Way to Divvy Up Items After a Parent’s Death

One of the biggest challenges for anyone administering an estate is how to distribute what are called its tangible items. Unlike other property which can be easily sold, turned into cash and divided equally, tangible property is unique and often can’t … Continue reading

How to Make Plans to Provide Care for Your Pet If You Can’t

If you have a pet, you undoubtedly take steps to be sure he or she is cared for if you go on vacation. And you even may have written into your will or trust who should be responsible for your pet after your death. But too few older owners plan for the … Continue reading

It’s Getting Easier to Draft a Will Electronically at Home

For some time now, you’ve been able to draft an online will on a home computer via firms like Rocket Lawyer, Legal Zoom or FreeWill. But it still had to be signed with wet ink in front of a notary and witnesses to be valid. That’s on the cusp of changi… Continue reading

How to Find a Good Estate Planner

Estate planning is a critical part of financial planning, but something many Americans procrastinate about. Yet drafting a will and a health care proxy or power of attorney, maybe creating a trust, and maximizing your loved ones’ inheritances by minimi… Continue reading

The Legal Dangers of Living Together

For couples over 50, living together has a lot of appeal and is on the rise. In fact, the number of unmarried couples who are 50+ shot up 75% between 2007 and 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. One likely reason: many have experienced at least … Continue reading

8 Reasons You May Need to Update Your Will

Your will may be the most important document you’ll ever write. Problem is, after many of us draft one, we put it somewhere for safekeeping and don’t look at it again. That can be a big mistake. Lives change. Our finances change. Loved ones leave us an… Continue reading

6 Tips for Dealing With the Aftermath of a Family Hoarder

Losing a loved one is hard in itself. But when that person was a hoarder — like roughly 19 million Americans — managing grief while sorting through mountains of stuff is even more challenging. I know; my widowed grandmother was a hoarder, and I dealt w… Continue reading

A Solo Ager’s 5-Step Plan to Finding a Fiduciary

My family is all dead, and I never married or had children. The new term for people like me is “solo ager” or “elder orphan.” Aging alone highlights the dilemma of what to do when you need help managing your health, finances and the disposition of your… Continue reading