Creating an End-of-Life Checklist
An End-of-Life Checklist can avoid any confusion or questions that may arise among different family members.
Ethan Huizenga
March 16, 2020
The Procrastinator’s Estate Planning Checklist
Nobody likes to think about dying. However, it happens whether we prepare for it or not. If you don’t do some advance planning, it can cause even more longer lasting pain and grief, not to mention money and strained relations for your loved ones.
Ethan Huizenga
March 10, 2020
6 Reasons Have a Power of Attorney Drafted
A power of attorney is a document that lets you appoint a person or an organization to handle the financial and medical decisions on your behalf, when you are not able to because of sickness or death. The person or the organization is called the attorney-in-fact or the agent. POA is given to someone whom you can trust with your life.
Ethan Huizenga
March 3, 2020
Fixing an Estate Plan Mistake
Sometimes, despite best intentions and best efforts, an estate plan leaves unintended problems for heirs, trustees and others to solve. For example, a trust may have become outdated because of changes in tax laws, the birth or death of family members, or special circumstances like an heir’s disability.
Ethan Huizenga
February 27, 2020
What Should I Know about Beneficiary Designation?
Many people have tens of thousands–even hundreds of thousands–of dollars in their IRAs. If you have an asset that large, shouldn’t you devote more effort to planning for its ultimate disposition?
Ethan Huizenga
February 26, 2020
High Five: Geckos and Trust Administration
Geckos are amazing and resilient creatures. They can climb up vertical surfaces. Some geckos can fly. If you cut off a gecko’s tail, they’ll grow it back. These five tips for making an estate or trust administration go smoothly create the acronym ‘GECKO’. So, keeping the amazing lizard in mind, read on for some helpful advice on how to ease the process of estate or trust administration. [Read More]
Ethan Huizenga
February 21, 2020
Not a Billionaire? Trusts Can Still Be Beneficial
Even if your asset base doesn’t measure up to the Bill Gates standard, you may consider using trusts in estate planning. This is because they can help your heirs in many different ways.
Ethan Huizenga
February 20, 2020
High Five: 5 Differences between Wills & Trusts
The most common question I get asked in our Mutual Interview is, “What’s the difference between a will and a trust?” The answer is based on the way each gets treated while you’re living and after you die. Whether you choose one or the other depends on your goals for your plan. [Read More]
Ethan Huizenga
February 19, 2020
Dad’s Will and Trust at Odds?
A will and a trust are separate legal documents that typically share a common goal of facilitating a unified estate plan. While these two items ideally work in tandem, since they are separate documents, they sometimes run in conflict with one another–either accidentally or intentionally.
Ethan Huizenga
February 17, 2020
Some Estate Planning Actions for 2020
This time of the year is a great time to revisit your estate plan, so you can ensure your legacy is protected for years to come.
Ethan Huizenga
February 13, 2020