
What Is a ‘Survivorship’ Period?
Survivorship periods don’t usually surpass 60 days. If this period surpasses 120 days, it could put the tax-free estate transfer of assets to a surviving spouse at risk.

Survivorship periods don’t usually surpass 60 days. If this period surpasses 120 days, it could put the tax-free estate transfer of assets to a surviving spouse at risk.

Coronavirus stimulus checks are currently being distributed, and millions of Americans are eagerly awaiting their payment. Depending on your income, you could receive up to $1,200 (or $2,400 for married couples filing jointly), plus an additional $500 for each dependent under the age of 17.

If you have children or are expecting one, you may also want to take the three big estate planning steps that we did.

Has a loved one named you their financial power of attorney? Are you ready to take on all the responsibilities that entails? Hopefully, you won’t be called into action anytime soon, but with the coronavirus pandemic continuing, it’s something to think about.

A will and a living trust are both part of a comprehensive estate plan, that sometimes are inconsistent with one another. When there are conflicts, the trust takes precedence.

A more present sense of one’s own mortality may drive those who have not made plans before to begin the process of creating an estate plan. For those who have existing plans, are they up to date? How does the changing economic environment affect prior decisions?

One of the most fundamental choices you can make as you’re thinking about how to pass your assets on to heirs, is whether you hold assets in a revocable trust or more simply give them via a will. Both approaches have advantages, although trusts can provide significantly more benefits.

The main reason that people choose to have a living trust instead of a will, is that it avoids the probate system. Probate is the legal proceedings to decide whether a will is legal and binding. It also is the court session to decide where the property will go, if there is no will provided.

It took my husband Mike’s heart attack to force us to recognize the need for having an estate plan. It was not smart. You are smarter than that. Create an estate plan today.

Unless you are a spring breaker partying it up, you have probably given your own mortality a once-over or two during these long COVID-19 days.