Check out our blog posts for Estate Planning tips, resources, and recent developments
Estate Planning Meets FAFSA: Smart Strategies for Asset Ownership
The 2025-26 FAFSA introduces sweeping changes that revolutionize how families apply for college financial aid. While these updates streamline the application process, they also create new considerations for estate planning.
4 Common Mistakes Made On Life Insurance Beneficiary Designations
Investing in life insurance is a foundational part of estate planning, and when done right it’s a primary way to say “I love you” to your loved ones after you are gone. However, when naming your policy’s beneficiaries, several mistakes can lead to potentially dire consequences for the people you’re investing to protect and support.
How to Manage Your Digital Accounts After Death — Part 1
If you have preferences about what happens to your digital footprint after your death, you need to take action. Otherwise, your online legacy will be determined for you—and not by you. If you have any online accounts, such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Apple, or Amazon, you have a digital legacy, and that legacy is yours to preserve or lose.
What to Know If You’re Asked to Serve as a Trustee
If a family member or friend has asked you to serve as trustee for their trust either during their life, or upon their death, it’s a big honor—this means they consider you among the most honest, reliable, and responsible people they know.
Year-End Charitable Giving Strategies: How to Build Your Legacy and Support the Causes You Love
The desire to make a difference doesn't end when we're gone. For many people, incorporating charitable giving into their estate plan provides a way to support causes they care about while creating a lasting legacy.
Understanding Asset Ownership: Estate Planning Questions Answered Part 1
Understanding Asset Ownership: Estate Planning Questions Answered - Part 1
Protecting your assets and ensuring they are passed on to your loved ones without complications starts with understanding account ownership and management. This two-part series explores the essential aspects of asset ownership, addressing key questions to help you make informed decisions.
5 Ways to Pay for Your Funeral that Won’t Leave Your Family with the Bill
With the cost of a funeral averaging between $7,000 and $12,000 and steadily increasing each year, at the very least your estate plan should include enough money to cover this final expense. And if you are thinking of simply setting aside money in your will to cover your funeral expenses, you should seriously reconsider, as paying for your funeral through your will can create unnecessary burdens for your loved ones.
Trusts & Taxes: What You Need To Know
People often come to us curious — or confused — about the role trusts play in saving on taxes. Given how frequently this issue comes up, here we’ve explained the tax implications associated with different types of trusts in order to clarify this issue.
3 Reasons Why Single Folks With No Children Need An Estate Plan
These days, more and more young people are delaying—if not totally foregoing—a life that involves marriage and parenting. While most adults don’t take estate planning as seriously as they should, if you are single with no children, you might think that there’s really no need for you to worry about creating an estate plan. But this is a huge mistake. In fact, it can be even MORE important to have an estate plan if you are single and child-free.
Our Top 3 Tips for Every New Homeowner
Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! Whether this is your first home or you are upgrading or downsizing from your current home, a real estate purchase is a big event in your life. When major life events occur, it is important that you have a plan in place to ensure that you are properly prepared for the future. Below are a few things to consider now that you finally have the keys to your new home.
What You Need to Know About Collecting Life Insurance Proceeds
If you're looking to collect life insurance proceeds as the policy’s beneficiary, the process is fairly simple. However, during the emotional period immediately following a loved one’s death, it can feel as if your entire world is falling apart, so it’s helpful to understand exactly what steps you need to take to access the insurance funds as quickly and easily as possible.
What Your “Last Will & Testament” Will (and Will Not) Do—Part 2
August is “National Make-A-Will Month,” and if you have already prepared your will, congratulations—too few Americans have taken this key first step in the estate planning process.
What Your “Last Will & Testament” Will (and Will Not) Do - Part 1
August is “National Make-A-Will Month,” and if you have already prepared your will, congratulations—too few Americans have taken this key first step in the estate planning process.
Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up-to-Date?
While you almost surely understand the importance of creating an estate plan, you may not know that keeping your plan current is every bit as important as creating a plan to begin with.
Revocable Living Trust Or Irrevocable Trust: Which One Is Right For You?
You’ve probably heard you need a trust to keep your family out of court and maybe out of conflict in the event of your death or incapacity. But you may need clarification about whether you need a revocable living or irrevocable trust. More and more, we are seeing people come our way asking for a irrevocable trust, and so this article is designed to help you learn the difference and then get into an “eyes wide open” conversation about the right kind of trust for you and your loved ones.
Married in Massachusetts? A Joint Revocable Living Trust May Be Your Best Option
When younger clients are juggling multiple RLTs, realty trusts, and ILITs with no idea why, it’s often a sign that they have a cookie cutter estate plan that doesn’t serve them. In my experience, an overly complicated estate plan can result in a failure to fund properly, and can create a probate time bomb that families won’t even learn about until it’s too late.
Why Putting Your Family Home in a Trust is a Smart Move - Part 2
If you are like many homeowners, your home is likely your family’s most valuable and treasured asset. In light of this, you want to plan wisely to ensure your home will pass to your heirs in the most efficient and safe manner possible when you die or in the event you become incapacitated by illness or injury.
Why Putting Your Family Home in a Trust is a Smart Move - Part 1
If you are like many homeowners, your home is likely your family’s most valuable and treasured asset. In light of this, you want to plan wisely to ensure your home will pass to your heirs in the most efficient and safe manner possible when you die or in the event you become incapacitated by illness or injury.
Estate Planning: A Gift of Peace and Power for Every Mother
Here’s a Mother's Day gift that keeps on giving: the peace of mind and power that comes with thoughtful estate planning. Estate planning helps you protect yourself, your children and your financial stability so you’re prepared for anything. That’s the best gift a mom can get.
What Happens To Your Social Media Accounts?
Ever wondered what happens to your social media accounts after you pass away? Each social media platform has its own rules, so understanding these options is essential for managing your digital accounts responsibly.