Add Balance to Your Incentive Trust
Are you thinking of using an incentive trust to give your heirs motivation as you pass your assets on to them? One of the most common ways that parents use an incentive trust is by specifying yearly payouts that are tied to employment. For instance, the child could get $10,000 per year from the trus
A Family Business is Not an Easy Career
You own a family business. It’s been successful, but you worry that your children simply see it as an easy career. By virtue of the sheer luck of being born into your family, they will always have a job waiting for them. You’re not wrong to be worried. Experts warn that this point of view can be det
Estate Planning Before Alzheimer’s
Estate planning after you have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can be problematic for your family. They may not think that your estate plan is accurate because of your condition. For instance, say you want to leave someone out of your will. You have your own reasons to do it, and you even talked wit
Don’t Let Beneficiary Designations Become Outdated
Don’t assume that your heirs will get an asset just because you leave it to them in your will. In some cases, other types of paperwork actually take precedence over your will. A good example is a beneficiary designation. You may find yourself using this with life insurance policies, annuities and re
4 Main Classifications for Children with Special Needs
If you have a child with special needs, a big part of your estate planning is likely setting up a special needs trust and other systems to support the child when you can no longer do so. You understand that your role as a parent is different than most, and your child may need life-long care. The tru
Can Your Child Actually Run Your Company?
Ever since you started your business, it has been your dream to pass it on to your children. You want them to love it as much as you do. You want them to have a source of income. You know how hard it was for you to find a career path, so you hope to give that to them and make their lives easier. The
Consider These 10 Areas When Setting Up an Estate Plan
Estate planning involves far more than just 10 steps. In fact, one of the reasons that people often put it off is that they feel intimidated by the sheer amount of work that they know it’s going to be. You shouldn’t feel this way. Estate planning is very important and you can accomplish it; it’s pro
The Odds Are Stacked Against Your Family Business
You have a vision for your family business that goes beyond your immediate interaction with it. You want to leave it to your children. You hope that they can in turn leave it to your grandchildren. You want to create a legacy that spans the generations and provides income and opportunities for decad
If You Worry About Leaving Money to the Kids, Test Them First
Parents know that a big part of their estate planning is simply leaving money to their children. Physical assets do play a role, but many parents simplify their estate by selling assets before they pass away — selling the family home when they go to a nursing home, for instance, and simply leaving t
Funding a Trust as Part of Your California Estate Plan
For some people, the word “trust” conjures up images of spoiled college-age children living off the largesse of their families. However, trusts are not solely the domain of the incredibly wealthy and elite. Instead, trusts are wonderful estate planning tools for Americans of all incomes. The creatio