Estate Planning

Bank of America refused to honor a Florida man's power of attorney and paid a stiff price, but the case also raises the issue of the proper use of joint bank accounts in estate planning.

Wills and trusts are foundational estate planning tools. While each is used to distribute your hard-earned assets to your loved ones, they do so in different ways. Each also has its own distinct uses and advantages.

A trust protector is someone who is appointed to watch over a trust that will be in effect for a long time and ensure that it is not adversely affected by any changes in the law or circumstances.

One important reason to have a will is to be able to name your executor (also called a personal representative). An executor is the person responsible for managing the administration of your estate after you die.

No parents want their children to fight among themselves after they are gone. Sadly, conflicts often arise, especially when a parent has gifted or loaned money to one child and not others.

When someone dies, they leave behind memories of them, and lots of other things as well. This book deals with those other things -- how to clear out an estate and avoid family squabbles over heirlooms.

While joint accounts can be useful in certain circumstances, they can have dire consequences if not used properly. Adding a loved one to a bank account can expose you to their creditors and affect Medicaid planning.

Medicaid 101

What would you do if both your parents asked you to assist them with their suicides within the same year? A decade after the fact, a son recounts how he fulfilled his parents' wishes.

When creating an estate plan, an important decision is whom to name as your fiduciary, which is a fancy legal term for the person who will take care of your property if you are unable to do it yourself.