What if the unthinkable happens and your spouse dies unexpectedly? Would you be prepared to cope emotionally and financially? As the surviving spouse, you’ll face several tasks and challenges. First steps first By no means complete, the following are areas that will need to be…

Estate planning typically focuses on what happens to your children and your assets when you die. But it’s just as important to have a plan for making critical financial and medical decisions if you’re unable to do so yourself. A crucial component of this plan…

Have you coordinated your payable-on-death accounts with your estate plan? Payable-on-death (POD) or Transfer-on-death (TOD) accounts provide a quick, simple and inexpensive way to transfer assets outside of probate. They can be used for bank accounts, certificates of deposit or even brokerage accounts. Setting one…

Choosing the right executor — sometimes known as a “personal representative” — is critical to the smooth administration of an estate. Yet many people treat this decision as an afterthought. Given an executor’s many responsibilities and complex tasks, it pays to put some thought into…

Despite what you might think, estate planning isn’t just for the rich and famous. In fact, your family is likely to benefit from a comprehensive plan that divides your wealth, protects your well-being and provides a compass for your family’s future. Dividing your wealth Estate…