Minimizing Beneficiary Squabbling

We have all seen it. The media likes to pass along juicy stories of actors that either had no wills or their heirs are fighting tooth and nail over the inheritance. But how do we stop any infighting among our own beneficiaries when we pass? Most families get along great… Read More

Now What? The problem with having an A/B trust

Nothing is worse than having your estate planning attorney advise you one way then change their mind the next. Well, we are doing it again. Before when the estate tax applied to many more people, it was important to create an A/B trust. Essentially this meant that a married couples’… Read More

Is My Estate Taxable When I Die?

This is a pretty common question. I think there is a lot of misconceptions that an inheritance is taxable. For the most part it is not. Arizona doesn’t have an inheritance or death tax. There is a federal estate and gift tax but unless your estate exceeds 11 million dollars… Read More

Will My Heirs Have Hurt Feelings Over My Personal Items? Short Answer: Probably

“The biggest estate-planning mistake is that people think it’s only about the money,” said Marlene Stum, a professor at the University of Minnesota and author of the “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?” workbook and website. “When it comes to their personal possessions, they say, ‘It’s just stuff.’ ” In my… Read More

“Only Older People Need Estate Plans”

Français: Enterrement à (Photo credit: Wikipedia) It isn’t a surprise to anyone that those typically motivated to do estate planning are those that have their mortality staring back at them. Examples include clients preparing for travel, life-challenging illnesses or individuals in advancing years. I don’t need to remind anyone that… Read More

“I don’t need an estate plan since I’m unaffected by the estate tax”

While this is a common misconception, I believe it mixes up two ideas, estate planning and estate tax planning. Estate tax planing is actually a small, but important, part of the overall estate planning process. Estate planning is about making sure your estate is in order and passes as you… Read More