Probate is a term most people have heard. It’s the court process required to settle an estate when a Will was used as the estate planning tool. What most people don’t know is that there are two types of probate—Common and Solemn. The executor chooses the one that is...
Alhambra's Bob Williams discusses whether a trust should be your IRA beneficiary rather than an individual.
Someone close to you dies and you are now the executor of the estate. You’ve never been in this position before and if you’re like many of my clients who have been faced with settling an estate, you’re a little panicked by the whole prospect—you’re staring into the great...
Revocable Living Trusts have become a very common estate planning technique. A Trust can replace a Will because it outlines how your assets are to be distributed. But a Trust can also protect your assets while you’re living and provide a process of caring for you if you become...
It’s called the survivor trap or widow’s penalty. It’s a financial monster that eats away retirement income after one spouse dies, often leaving the surviving spouse with no hope of the retirement they expected. Here are some of the pitfalls of the Survivor Trap.
Loss of Social Security
One of the...
Have you made preparations? It’s a question I’ve asked clients more times than I can count, but I was reminded of the significance of the question and the possible consequences when I recently asked the same thing of a family member.
Bill (not his real name) is 70 years old...
Covid-19 has changed life forever in more ways than we can count. It has also changed end-of-life estate planning and estate modification. It can be very difficult having that conversation with a spouse who’s dying.
Estate planning conversations are often put off because they are a reminder of the inevitable...
