Creating an estate plan is a huge accomplishment. However, your work is not done when the documents have been signed. You must still ensure that the chosen strategy gives you peace of mind and protects the legacy you have worked so hard to build.
An estate plan is not...
Congratulations on your new baby! Becoming a parent is an incredible journey filled with joy, love, and a whole lot of sleepless nights. It is also a time when you start thinking about the future in an entirely new way. You want to ensure that your child is always protected, no matter...
If you have been named the person responsible for settling a deceased loved one’s affairs, commonly called an executor or personal representative (if your loved one had no estate plan or had a will) or a successor trustee (if they had a trust), you may find yourself overwhelmed by grief and a...
Americans are, quite literally, getting buried in debt, with nearly half expecting to pass away with outstanding debts.[1]
As a general rule, a person’s debts do not go away when they die. Some types of debt, such as federal student loans, are typically forgiven upon the debtor’s...
Once you have been appointed the executor or personal representative of a deceased loved one’s probate estate, or when you step in as the successor trustee of the loved one’s trust, one of the first things you should do is to notify the post office of the death and ask them to...
While the term fiduciary is a legal term with a rich history, it generally means someone who is legally obligated to act in another person’s best interest. Trustees, executors, and agents are examples of fiduciaries. When you select people to fill these roles in your estate plan, you are picking one or...
When creating a last will and testament (commonly known as a will), one of your most important considerations is who to choose to serve as the executor (also called a personal representative) of your estate.
As the name implies, the role of the executor is to execute the instructions...
While it is an honor to be named as a trusted decision maker, also known as an executor or personal representative, in a person’s will, it can often be a sobering and daunting responsibility. Being an executor requires a high level of organization, foresight, and attention to detail to meet responsibilities and...
Executor’s Duties
An executor, sometimes called a personal representative, is the person who is named in a will, appointed by the court, and responsible for probating the will and settling the estate. Depending on the state, an executor may work under court supervision or may use so-called “independent” administration for an unsupervised probate.
