Whether you’re adopting or expecting a baby, welcoming a new member to your family is always an exciting time. It’s also a good opportunity to get your financial affairs in order. You should start preparing for your child’s future with professional estate planning as soon...
Along with writing a will and naming a successor trustee, choosing a beneficiary is one of the most important elements of a good estate plan. At Phelps LaClair, we have 40 years of experience helping people to successfully pass on the wealth they have spent...
When a family member dies with assets held in a revocable living trust, it is likely that someone in the family has been named as a successor trustee who will administer the trust. If this person is you, Phelps LaClair offers our condolences to you...
When a parent passes, sometimes we are shouldered with the heavy job of managing their after-death affairs. Unless this process is planned in advance and in detail with professional help, it quickly becomes a heartache. Some bereft children are left asking themselves questions like, “How did...
Julie, an estate planner, recently went out for dinner with her friend Jordan. While they were eating, Jordan mentioned a show she had seen about the luxurious expanse of Drake’s mansion. “His estate is huge!” she remarked, which turned the conversation toward the word “estate.”...
Are you wondering what happens when your partner dies? How will the surviving loved one be cared for? Death benefits for unmarried couples only exist if you create them. You can decide where your assets go—whether you give them to friends, family, charities, or a...
Estate planning can sound inaccessible to some people, as if it’s an elite tool that’s not appropriate for everyone. If financial end-of-life planning isn’t a topic circulating through your peer group, it can seem far-off or irrelevant. However, neither of these assumptions are true. Many people...
Taxes play a large factor in developing an effective estate plan. Thanks to the dreaded “estate tax,” if you fail to properly plan, Uncle Sam will take his final cut on your way out the door, and your largest tax bill ever will come when...
When you hear the term estate planning, the first thing you probably think about is a person in their mid-60’s, or older. Well today we’re going to challenge your perception. What if we told you that you should have an estate plan much earlier than...
A living will is something that communicates your end-of-life medical decisions and allows your family members to rest assured that they’re making the right choices, if you’re unable to make them yourself. Having a living will is an essential step in estate planning. However, even...