If you have a loved one with special needs, you know that it can be financially, physically and emotionally challenging to provide care. You work hard to provide the support he or she needs, but it is prudent to think about his or her care beyond your lifetime. It is...
Estate planning is emotional as well as financial
For people in North Carolina, preparing for the future includes an estate plan. Estate planning helps to ease the life of heirs and make a family's emotional pain after the death of a loved one far less complicated, as the distribution of assets is provided for...
Estate planning and tax liability
North Carolina residents who leave property to their loved ones may not realize how taxes can affect beneficiaries when they inherit an estate. South Dakota Congresswoman Kristi Noem has come forward to warn others about how the federal government's "death tax" has...
Digital assets as part of an estate plan
North Carolina residents should incorporate digital asset planning as part of their overall estate plan. This may make it easier for others to clean out, shut down or otherwise manage email accounts, bank accounts and other online properties. In some states such as...
An addicted child can complicate your estate plan
Every day, 142 people in the United States die from drug overdoses. This may be your greatest fear if you have an adult child who struggles with opioid addiction. The opioid crisis is so widespread that many refer to it as an epidemic. As you grow...
Cy Pres doctrine allows charitable trusts to adapt and continue
When people in North Carolina choose to form a charitable trust, they might want them to serve their purpose in perpetuity. Unlike other trusts, a charitable trust has the option of continuing its mission indefinitely. This open-ended feature on some charitable...
The importance of keeping beneficiary designations current
People in North Carolina who are creating an estate plan should make sure they remember to include beneficiary designations. These are the individuals who receive assets such as retirement accounts and life insurance policies, which do not have to go through probate....
Is DIY estate planning worth the risks?
Recently, you may have begun thinking more seriously about creating an estate plan. This desire may have stemmed from the recent birth of a child, a milestone birthday, the death of a loved one or numerous other factors. No matter the reason, creating this type of...
