Power of Attorney

I recently had a discussion with a client about whether it was better to resolve a problem by seeking appointment as guardian for someone, or asking that person to do a Durable Power of Attorney. As with so many things, the answer is "it depends".

TrustCommon People UnitedOctober 17, 2014Trust, durable power of attorney, guardian

Transfer-on-Death

Here's another common question from clients or other advisors: Is it a good idea to have a transfer-on-death designation for assets? This will start to sound like a broken record, but it depends upon the situation.

TrustCommon People UnitedOctober 10, 2014Trust, assets, transfer-on-death, TOD, Estate Planning, POD

So You Want a Trust, Part 3: Trusts and Taxes

If you are contemplating a revocable or "living" trust as part of your estate plan, you should make sure that you aware of the tax consequences of the creation and funding of that trust.

TrustCommon People UnitedOctober 6, 2014Trust, living trust, gift taxes, income taxes, estate taxes, Estate Planning

So You Want a Trust, Part 2: Common Situations When Trusts Work Well

As we have noted before, with Indiana's unsupervised estate administration there are many instances when a trust does not offer a benefit to a client. Nevertheless, there remain several areas in which the trust does offer a comparative advantage.

TrustCommon People UnitedOctober 3, 2014Trust, Estate Planning

So You Want a Trust, Part 1

Revocable trusts are popular substitutes for wills, intended to provide non-probate distribution of people's estates after their deaths, allowing them to retain control and use of their assets during their lifetimes.

TrustCommon People UnitedOctober 2, 2014Trust, will, Estate Planning, property transfers