The estate of Michael Jackson continues to attract attention years after his death because it remains under long-term court supervision. Situations like this often raise questions about why estates for famous individuals can take decades to resolve. Large or complicated estates can...
Disability is often treated as a remote possibility, something that happens to other people. Yet one of the most persistent blind spots in planning conversations is disability risk. Disability is not limited to conditions that we are born with. It can arise...
An 80-year-old widower relied on his adult daughter for help with his daily life and finances for more than a decade. During that time, she managed his finances under a valid financial power of attorney, handling savings, pension income, and proceeds from...
Today, so much of what once existed in material form now lives entirely online. Estate planning for digital assets is crucial as our photos, finances, business operations, and even our identities are stored on devices and platforms and in cloud accounts. Without...
A partridge in a pear tree? Lords a-leaping? Many of us may know the lyrics to “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” but few likely know its origin or the meanings behind the song. And what is the story with the 12 days,...
Thanksgiving is built on a shared story and tradition, but every family has a different way
of celebrating the country’s second-favorite holiday.1 Unlike Christmas and the gift-giving
anxiety that can accompany it, Thanksgiving is more about keeping things simple. Sure,
hosting...
If you are part of the sandwich generation—caring for both your children and your parents at the same time—it is crucial that you know whether or not your parents have an existing estate plan. While the final decisions within their estate plan...
Happy National Stepfamily Day to all who celebrate it! Amid shifting family structures, there is a good chance that you are part of a stepfamily—or know somebody who is—which makes September 16 a perfect day to celebrate.
At its...
Bookending the first week of September with Labor Day is a less recognized holiday that may not get much national attention but should if you are planning for your future: National 401(k) Day.
Though we are in an...
Actor Val Kilmer’s passing in April 2025 highlights estate planning issues that can affect almost anyone. Although Kilmer was a celebrity, these issues—including managing real estate in more than one state, deciding what happens with digital assets, and using charitable gifts to...
