Estate Planning

People often put off their estate planning for "another day," but that becomes months and then years. They constantly tell themselves that they'll get to it eventually, but they never do.Why do we do this? To understand it, you need to look at why people procrastinate...

One of the main keys to estate planning, if you want the whole process to go smoothly, is communication. You need to talk to the other members of your family who will be impacted by the plan. Experts advise sitting down and creating a family communication plan to...

People often assume that estate planning just means writing a will. That's a good place to start. The biggest mistake people make is not drafting a will or doing any planning whatsoever. But that doesn't mean that a will is all you need or that there aren't other...

For children, starting that estate planning conversation may feel intimidating or even impossible. You want to talk to your parents because you know they haven't done enough planning -- or any at all -- but you don't want them to be insulted. You don't want it to...

Most people know that creating a will is a normal part of growing older. You start to collect assets, so it only makes sense that you'd want to create a will to protect those assets and state who should receive them upon your death.A will, also known as your Last Will...

When you create an advance directive, you lay out your wishes for medical care in writing. These are decisions you would typically make in person, at the time they need to be made, but the advance directive gives you some insurance if you're unable to do that. You can...

You know that you want to be fair when you leave your money to your children. But does that necessarily mean leaving them equal amounts? This is one of the biggest questions that parents have to ask themselves.For instance, one couple had three children. One of those...

You have an heir with special needs, and you are trying to figure out your best course of action during your estate planning. You want to provide for that person and help him or her significantly after you pass away, but you do not accidentally want to do something...

When was the last time you gave some serious thought to your estate plan? If you cannot remember, or if you have never done any estate planning, you are not alone. We will all need it eventually, so why don't we think about it more often?For one thing, many people do...

As of Jan. 1, New Jersey no longer has a state-imposed estate tax. However, we still have an inheritance tax on assets that go to a beneficiary after a person's death.Surviving spouses do not have to pay an inheritance tax on assets left to them by their husband or...