A living trust is one of the most important estate planning tools you can ever create. Done right, it can protect your estate from costly and time-consuming probate, ensuring that your hard-earned assets pass down to your loved ones according to your wishes. However,...
Estate Planning
Protect your estate plan from potential changes
There are some proposed plans afoot with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that could have major implications on the financial bequests you leave for heirs and beneficiaries. These proposed changes could even retroactively affect inheritances from 2020 onward. We...
3 ways a trust or will can be used to plan for the future (not the end)
When you pass on you will be leaving behind a large estate. Your home, vehicles, pets, plants and everything else will be left behind. You want this all to be well taken care of so you put together a will or a trust as part of your estate plans Your estate plans may...
Estate sales can lead to tax return obligations
Taxes are among the responsibilities that persist even after someone dies. As the executor or personal representative of someone's estate, you may file their last tax return to settle their income tax obligations and advise the IRS of their passing. If the estate is...
When a simple will is not enough
When making estate plans, few people think beyond having a will. However, there is more to estate planning, especially if you have specific wishes regarding how your estate should be dealt with after you are gone. While having a will is a step in the right direction,...
Does your life insurance policy go through probate?
Probate is the process used to distribute your assets after you pass away. If you put things in a will, the will does tell the family what you want to happen, but it still needs to go through probate as the assets are divided. But perhaps you have a life insurance...
Ensure your estate plans are up to date
Would you like your current estate plan to be implemented as it is? If you are not sure or have some changes in mind, you may need to overhaul your existing plans. You are the only one who can dictate how your estate will be dealt with after you are gone, and you need...
3 main benefits of an irrevocable trust
The whole idea of an irrevocable trust is giving up the total control of your assets to another party, something many would not sit pretty with. However, some benefits could come with setting up an irrevocable trust and having your assets in it. Here is why you should...
4 ways to help your heirs avoid probate
Probate is a formal process that settles a deceased person's estate under the court's supervision. In California, communal property or estates totaling $166,250 or less can avoid probate. When your estate's value exceeds the state's threshold, you can consider the...
Can you leave a spouse your assets if they’re not a U.S. citizen?
In many marriages in the San Diego area, one spouse is a U.S. citizen and one isn’t. If you’re preparing to create an estate plan, is it relevant to the inheritance you plan to leave your spouse that they aren’t a citizen? Maybe they’re somewhere in the long process...