The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE ACT) is intended to help people save for retirement. Most significant are the changes to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), which could help many older Americans save even more for retirement. But there are also some benefits that have been lost. That said, the SECURE Act will…

Is now a good time to update my estate plan? The answer is more than likely, yes. Knowing when to update your estate plan is probably not something that is at the top of your list. It’s been a few years since you completed your estate plan. That binder is sitting quietly in your closet,…

Since Kobe Bryant’s tragic passing earlier this year, his wife recently realized their infant daughter was not included in his trust. In the Bryant family trust case, and others we’ve experienced, more than likely the omission was an accident. Assuming it was an accident, what are the steps you, as the living spouse or child,…

“Why wouldn’t they just form a living trust and put their house in it? After all, once that is done, their house is safe because the trust provides asset protection.” Unfortunately, this is a common misconception regarding how trusts work and the protections a trust can provide. Before covering some details about the differences between…

The story always starts the same, “there was supposed to be money, but we don’t know what happened.” For a vast majority of inheritance disputes, compelling the trustee to provide the beneficiaries with an accounting of the trust assets is a vital and mandatory first step. But before jumping in with an accounting of the…