Legislation allowing Mississippians to place their assets in a trust for up to 360 years passed the state House and is now pending before Gov. Phil Bryant. How long should a trust really last? According to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Mississippi’s House Judiciary Chair Mark Barker said many states…
Roos said it’s important that people plan ahead and put “someone in charge of these digital assets and giving the family the opportunity to take over accounts if something were to happen, so they can control the information so it doesn’t get into the wrong hands.” Have you heard the…
The viewers of this high-end PBS costume drama, which takes place about a century ago, could very likely be your clients' demographic. Look at who's a top corporate sponsor: Viking River Cruises, which told The New York Times that “our demographic is affluent Baby Boomers 55+.” It's a big group:…
Whether you want to provide for your family after your death or you just want to ensure that the process is as easy as possible for your family, estate planning is the easiest way to accomplish your goals. What exactly is estate planning? Are you unsure of where to begin?…
Have you thought about dying lately? Most of us don't. Make sure you do some estate planning today before things get complicated. End-of-life planning is not a fun topic to think about. Nobody wants to think about passing away, but is that going to change the inevitable? Not a chance.…
Accounting for the possibility of your own and your loved one’s eventual mental incapacity is a key part of any estate plan. If your loved one appears to be showing signs of diminishing mental acuity, ask if he or she has the proper documents in place. If so, find out…
People who own as little as three acres and engage in agricultural practices such as hay harvesting, bee keeping, chicken raising, and designating land for grazing animals may find themselves rewarded by localities with an enormous discount of up to 95 percent on property taxes. This tax break — available…
Until Feb. 20, when Missouri state authorities intervened to help Yvette James get control of her father's remains, James was stuck in a nightmare of red tape. All she wanted was to rightfully fulfill her father’s burial wishes, something she should have legally been allowed to do from the get-go.…
As Mary Todd Lincoln’s character in “The Widow Lincoln” faces dozens of unpaid bills for home furnishings, clothes and jewelry, she asks, “How will I ever pay these debts? I am nothing. I am no one.” On top of moving out of the White House, mothering her sons and moving…
Failure to do so — or to alert all relevant parties to the changes — could result in certain assets and benefits unintentionally going to your former spouse or his or her family upon your death. A MarketWatch article, titled “Just divorced? Don’t forget to separate your estate plans,” shares…