One important purpose of estate planning is to facilitate the transfer of ownership of your money and property to your family and loved ones when you pass away. For this transfer to be as stress-free and efficient as possible, it is crucial that estate planning documents be thorough and provide the necessary information. Nevertheless, there is […]
When you form a trust as part of your estate plan, one of the most important decisions you will make is who will oversee the trust’s management when you are no longer able to manage it (this person is known as your successor trustee). Because a trustee’s work may be time-consuming, complicated, and risk liability, many […]
When someone who has named you as the executor of their will or the trustee of their trust passes away, you are obligated to distribute that person’s money and property according to the document’s terms to the designated beneficiaries. (For convenience, the roles of executor and trustee will be referred to throughout this article as the […]
While the term “fiduciary” is a legal term with a long history, it very generally means someone who is legally obligated to act in another person’s best interests. Trustees, executors, and agents are all examples of fiduciaries. When you pick trustees, executors, and agents in your estate plan, you’re picking one or more people to make […]
A comprehensive estate plan consists of several documents designed to accomplish three important things. First, they lay out your wishes for the handling of your money and property during life and at death. Second, they explain your medical wishes if you are no longer able to make them yourself or communicate them to others. Third, they […]
Asking someone to serve as your fiduciary (trustee of your trust or personal representative or executor under your last will and testament) is not something you should do lightly. Serving as a fiduciary is a heavy responsibility that requires significant time and effort. If you plan to nominate a family member or friend to serve in […]
An important element of creating an estate plan is choosing a responsible party to handle your legal, medical, and financial affairs if you become unable to manage them yourself (i.e., become incapacitated) or die. The individual or entity you choose must be someone whom you can trust to make crucial and often time-sensitive decisions, who is […]
When you establish a trust, you need to choose a trustee. A trustee does what you do right now with your financial affairs. Some of their duties include collecting income, paying bills and taxes, saving and investing for the future, buying and selling property, providing for your loved ones, keeping accurate records, and generally keeping things […]
