On February 14, 2023, California state lottery officials named the winner of the largest lottery prize in United States history: Edwin Castro won an eye-popping $2.04 billion in a November 2022 lottery drawing, choosing a lump sum payment of $997.6 million instead of annual payments over three decades.[1] A lottery player in Maine recently won the […]
A will (which should be accompanied by other important documents) is a foundational estate planning document. However, according to Gallup, only 46 percent of US adults have a will. This number has remained consistent in Gallup polls dating back to 1990. If you are among the minority of Americans with this crucial estate planning document, then […]
Whether you are reviewing your existing trust or creating a new trust, you should understand the important role that trustees play not only in handling trust matters but also in providing for and protecting your loved ones. What is a Trust? A trust is an agreement between an owner of accounts and property (Trustmaker/Grantor) and another […]
Like any other complex subject, estate planning has its share of myths and misconceptions. Understanding the top three estate planning myths will help you to create and maintain a plan that will work the way you expect it to work when it’s needed. Myth #1 – You Don’t Need an Estate Plan Because Your Spouse Will […]
Long time readers of this blog know of our love of the 2019 murder mystery film Knives Out, for shining a Hollywood sized spotlight on the world of estate planning. With the release of the sequel, Glass Onion in 2022, now is a great time for a refresher into the world of estate planning and the […]
Musician Aaron Carter, a former child pop star and younger brother of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter, died in November at the age of thirty-four. Aaron’s untimely passing is one of the more tragic celebrity deaths of 2022. It is also one of the messiest from an estate planning perspective. The late singer, who struggled with substance […]
Losing your spouse is one of the most difficult things you might face in life. Although it is important to take time to grieve, there are also some crucial steps you need to take as soon as possible to address your spouse’s accounts and property and secure your own future. If your spouse’s estate plan, or […]
As the name suggests, ABC’s TV show Modern Family depicts the relationships and experiences between a fictional extended family. Throughout the course of the series, the show addresses many issues that families deal with each day. For a close-knit family, such as this fictional one, estate planning is crucial to ensure that everyone is protected when […]
