Executors can use additional information in administering estates, especially if the executor is unrelated to the decedent.

For most people, entering the realm of estate planning can feel a bit like traveling as a tourist into another culture. Because the language itself is unfamiliar, asking a question can result in an answer that is equally confusing.

We are approaching the biggest wealth transfer ever, as Baby Boomers prepare to hand off their life savings to their heirs. However, will their heirs actually get the full amount of the wealth intended for them…or will a large amount be lost to unnecessary taxes?

However, if you are retired and no longer generating employment income, you should make sure you weigh the financial implications of any potential move.

With apologies to poet Robert Burns, the best-laid estate plans of women and men sometimes go awry.

As a review of terms, a will is a legal document that specifies how a person’s estate should be handled only after that person’s death. A living will has nothing to do with how your “things” like property, money, jewelry, etc. are to be distributed. Unlike a will, it is, in fact, a document that comes into play while you’re still alive.

No one knows when their time will come, which is why it’s important to have a last will in place. This document ensures that your final wishes are carried out after your death. Without a will, the laws of the state of your residence at the time of death will determine what happens with your estate.

I’ve decided I no longer want to leave my estate to my children. They are ungrateful brats. How can I set things up to give my money to charity when I die?

Non-probate assets are those assets which do not go into an estate when the owner dies.

Without a valid will, a person’s estate passes to their surviving heirs under intestate succession (i.e., ‘succession without a will’).