Beneficiary designations are an essential component of every estate plan; however, these designations are often overlooked. As a bit of background, there is a distinction between probate assets and ...

Some financial products like life insurance or tax-advantaged retirement accounts require you to name one or more beneficiaries. However, that's not the case with many assets. For instance, you can ...

Many people fear the word probate, and it is not without reason. Probate can be a tedious, expensive and lengthy process, where you are at the whim of the court’s timeline. But what is probate?

A grantee beneficiary is typically named in legal documents like a trust or a transfer-on-death deed. This designation allows the original asset owner (the grantor) to specify who will receive the ...

One of the biggest myths and misconceptions of estate planning is that a will controls the disposition of all one’s assets at death. This is not the case. Failing to distinguish the difference between ...

For example, spouses who inherit an IRA or 401 (k) can roll that money into their own account. Depending on how old the ...

A recent federal court case, Proctor & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company v. Estate of Rolison, No. 3:17-CV-00762 (M.D. Pa. April 29, 2024) ("Rolison"), serves as an important reminder of the need ...

Making sure affairs are in order and checking in from time to time is key when it comes to protecting loved ones. Ensuring your beneficiary information is updated is one way to help your loved ones ...

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As estate planning attorneys, we have had to answer that question many times. If the client has a tax-advantaged account, the answer may be “No!” What is a tax-advantaged account? A tax-advantaged ...