Preventing digital lockouts after death in Wisconsin starts with creating and maintaining a secure, up‑to‑date inventory of your online accounts and access information—without putting passwords directly into your will, which can become part of the public record. Keep credentials in a password manager vault, an encrypted document, or a physical list stored...
Category: Planning
Wisconsin Estate Planning: The Risks of an Unfinished Estate Plan—and Why You Should Complete Yours
Planning for the future, especially your own mortality, is never easy. Even when you understand the importance of creating a will or trust to protect your loved ones, finding the motivation to complete an estate plan can be difficult. Yet an unfinished estate plan is almost as risky as having no plan...
Your Family’s Estate Road Map: A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Assets and Wishes in Wisconsin
Maps help us get where we are going. Nowadays, phone apps provide detailed directions, making it nearly impossible to get lost. A physical map may seem outdated, but in an emergency, it can be a lifesaver.
An estate plan without a “road map” leaves your loved ones guessing what...
Your Legacy in Living Color in Madison, Wisconsin
There is a famous scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy steps into the magical Land of Oz and is transported from a black-and-white world to a Technicolor one.
The phrase in living color originates from TV and film advertising in the mid-20th century, when black-and-white imagery was...
Celebrate Your Life Your Way: How to Make Funerals and Memorials Meaningful in Madison, Wisconsin
Many people have a childhood memory of somebody close to them passing away. Whether the deceased was a parent or grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or a family friend, it may have been their first real encounter facing grief or attending a funeral.
That experience may have left a...
The Hidden Gender Gap in Estate Planning—and How to Close It in Madison, Wisconsin
You have probably heard of the gender pay gap. But there is also another common disparity: the estate planning gender gap.
Although the two are interrelated to some extent—earning less than men puts women on an unequal path to investment and retirement savings, and women generally spend more than...
What to Do When Your Doctor Tells You to Get Your Affairs in Order in Wisconsin
Five words no one ever wants to hear from their doctor are “Get your affairs in order.” Unfortunately, 76 percent of Americans do not have a will, and it often requires a chronic disease, terminal illness diagnosis, or other life-changing event to prompt people to start the estate planning process.[1]...
Estate Planning Tips for Someone Facing Major Surgery in Wisconsin
Receiving news that you need major surgery is never easy. Preparing for work absences, planning for childcare and household responsibilities, and understanding the procedure itself and your recovery timeline may be among the things you are worried about. If you have only a short time (weeks or days) to react, focusing on...
Caution: Writing Your Own Deed in Wisconsin to Avoid Probate Can Lead to Costly Unintended Consequences
One goal of estate planning is to ensure that your assets, including your home, pass to your chosen beneficiaries quickly and with minimal expense. In real estate, a common strategy to avoid probate (the court process of validating a will and distributing assets) is to add others to the title.
Why Retirement Is the Right Time to Revisit Your Madison, WI Estate Plan
Retirement can mean many different things to different people. For some, it opens up a new world of travel, experiences, and creative pursuits. For others, it may herald quiet days at home with a good book, a steaming mug of tea or coffee, and no other plans for weeks.