For most people, a Last Will and Testament is the first estate planning document they create. In fact, it may be the only estate planning document they create for some time. Whether your Will serves as your entire estate plan, or just the foundation of a more elaborate plan, care should be taken to avoid making mistakes. The St. Louis estate planning attorneys at Amen, Gantner & Capriano, Your Estate Matters, LLC have put together a list of the most common mistakes people make when making a … [Read more...]
What Can an Estate Plan Do for You?
If you have yet to create an estate plan, you are hardly alone. Over half of all Americans do not have even a simple plan in place, despite acknowledging the need for one. Like many of those people, you may have put off creating your estate plan because you are not aware of all the benefits an estate plan offers. A better understanding of exactly what an estate plan can do for you may encourage you to finally get started on your plan, Estate Planning Components Estate planning is a highly … [Read more...]
Domestic Asset Protection Trusts
Domestic Asset Protection Trusts are spreading to more jurisdictions. However, their protections may be waning. Read on to learn more about Domestic Asset Protection Trusts. Domestic Asset Protection Trusts … [Read more...]
The Little Things May be the Most Important
Your estate may be worth a little or a lot at your death. The items which your beneficiaries might cherish could be the sentimental ones. Read on to learn how your will or trust could provide the ability for you to keep a list and update it without needing to see your lawyer every time you change your mind on an item. The Little Things May be the Most Important … [Read more...]
Do Veterans Benefits Transfer to a Surviving Spouse?
If you are the surviving spouse of a veteran, the United States owes you a debt that can never truly be repaid. Though there is no way to repay you for the sacrifice you made as the spouse of a serviceman or servicewoman, the U.S. does offer a number of benefits to veterans as well as to surviving spouses. If your spouse is no longer here to help support you financially, he/she would undoubtedly want you to receive all the veterans benefits to which you are entitled as a surviving … [Read more...]
Naming a Trust as Beneficiary of an IRA
Whom should you name as the beneficiary of your IRA or Qualified Plan? Sometimes, it can be best to name a trust for your intended beneficiary. Read on to see the protections a trust can offer that a direct designation of the individual would not. Naming a Trust as Beneficiary of an IRA … [Read more...]
Estate Planning is Too Important to Procrastinate
Only 44% of Americans have even a simple Will. We procrastinate for several reasons. Learn those reasons and how to push past them. Learn, briefly, why planning is important. Estate Planning is Too Important to Procrastinate … [Read more...]
Key Reasons Not to Wait to Make a Medicaid Plan
If you have an initial estate plan in place you are ahead of over half of Americans, according to recent surveys. While this is certainly good news, do not make the mistake of assuming that the initial estate plan you create will remain effective throughout your entire lifetime. As your estate and family grow, and your estate planning needs change, you will need to update your initial estate plan. For many people, Medicaid planning is a critical addition to their estate plan. The Affton … [Read more...]
Basics of Estate Planning: Asset Protection
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. This is another in a series of blogs on the basics of estate planning. This week, we’ll take a look at asset protection. Much depends upon whose assets you are looking to protect. If the assets are those that are coming to you, the debtor, then typically, those can be protected completely. The debtor could protect their own assets in three general ways: 1) … [Read more...]
Sunset Hills Elder Law Attorneys Explain Long-Term Care Insurance
Estate planning, when done properly, accomplishes much more than just the division and distribution of estate assets at the end of your life. One important additional component to any comprehensive estate plan should be long-term care planning. If you fail to anticipate the need to pay for the cost of long-term care (LTC) it could completely derail your entire estate plan down the road. One option for covering the high cost of LTC is to purchase a LTC insurance policy. To help you better … [Read more...]
