529 savings plans are a common choice for college savings, but they have another use that’s typically overlooked: estate planning. 529 plans have tax-deferred contributions, tax-free withdrawals (for qualified expenses,) and their contributions can be deducted from your taxable income. These features, plus the ability to change beneficiaries at any time, make 529 plans one […]
What Happens to Your Estate if You don’t have a Will?
It might be grim to think about your own death, but when it comes to estate planning, procrastinating can be a very costly mistake. Look at Zappos’ founder Tony Hsieh, who died last year. Despite a net worth of $840 million, Hsieh didn’t have a plan in place for his estate. Following his death, his […]
How to Establish a Trust for Your Family
If a trust conjures up images of mansions, private jets and ivy league schools in your mind, you’re not alone. Most people associate trusts with extreme wealth. You might be surprised to learn a trust is actually quite practical and useful for families earning a more average income, too. Here are some trust basics you […]
Getting Up to Date with Your Estate Plan
Summer is the one time of the year when there isn’t anything major going on when it comes to finances – tax season is done, and open enrollment and end-of-year planning is still months away. That’s why the summer is the perfect time to get up to date on some of those tasks that can […]
How to Organize Your Estate
No one wants to think about losing a loved one, and it can be a very difficult time. One way to make it a little easier is to be as organized as possible. I’m going to run through a few things that you should take inventory of. Your Estate Plan Location of your original estate […]