On February 14, 2023, California state lottery officials named the winner of the largest lottery prize in United States history: Edwin Castro won an eye-popping $2.04 billion in a November 2022 lottery drawing, choosing a lump sum payment of $997.6 million instead of annual payments over three decades.1 A lottery player in Maine recently won […]
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Should the Trustee of My Trust Be Different during My Incapacity Than at My Death?
When you create a trust, choosing a trustee is one of the most important decisions you will make. If you create a revocable living trust—that is, a trust that you establish during your lifetime and can revoke or amend—you may opt to act as trustee for your trust, retaining the full control over and benefit […]
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Difference Between Transfer on Death and Payable on Death Designation
Adding a payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) designation to an account allows the assets (money and property) in that account to be passed to a named beneficiary when the original account holder dies. Like trusts, POD and TOD accounts bypass probate. They are also fast, easy, and usually free to set up. However, they do […]
Continue reading…Hunger Action Month
September is recognized as Hunger Action Month, originally established by Feeding America in 2008. Hunger Action Month is an annual nationwide campaign that occurs each September to raise awareness about hunger in America and inspire action. According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, are food insecure. Food insecurity is […]
Continue reading…Help Your Clients with Their Self-Care This September
September is National Self-Care Awareness Month. The purpose of this observance is to raise awareness about the importance of regular self-care. What constitutes self-care can vary widely depending on who you are speaking to. Regardless of the exact definition, taking action to engage in self-care is essential to overall emotional and physical well-being and should […]
Continue reading…Hunger Action Month
September is recognized as Hunger Action Month, originally established by Feeding America in 2008. Hunger Action Month is an annual nationwide campaign that occurs each September to raise awareness about hunger in America and inspire action. According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, are food insecure. Food insecurity is […]
Continue reading…Use National Self-Care Month to Care for Your Future
September is National Self-Care Awareness Month. The purpose of this observance is to raise awareness about the importance of regular self-care. What constitutes self-care can vary widely depending on who you are speaking to. Regardless of the exact definition, taking actions to prioritize self-care is essential to overall emotional and physical well-being and should be […]
Continue reading…Celebrating the Upcoming Holidays with an Up-to-Date Estate Plan
National Grandparents Day: Three Things to Consider Before You Make a Gift to Grandchildren As grandparents, you likely love the opportunity to shower your grandchildren with gifts. In most cases, these gifts are given on holidays and birthdays and commonly consist of an item that may have been at the top of your grandchild’s wish […]
Continue reading…Help Your Clients Celebrate the Upcoming Holidays with an Up-to-Date Estate Plan
National Grandparents Day: Three Things to Consider Before Your Clients Make a Gift to Their Grandchild Grandparents often love the opportunity to shower their grandchildren with gifts. In most cases, these gifts are given on holidays and birthdays and commonly consist of an item that may have been at the top of their grandchild’s wish […]
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Could a Testamentary Trust Be What Your Loved Ones Need?
One of the main reasons that a person creates a revocable living trust (a trust established during a person’s lifetime that they can amend or revoke) instead of relying on a will to transfer their money and property to their beneficiaries is to avoid probate. Probate is the court process during which a person’s will […]
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Bills and Services to Cancel—and Keep—When a Loved One Dies
A loved one’s passing is challenging on many different levels. In addition to the emotional difficulty of processing someone’s death, there are also the many tasks that must be dealt with, such as going through their various accounts and taking the necessary steps to cancel them or transfer ownership. Most people subscribe to multiple digital […]
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