Bott & Associates, Ltd.

Fans of murder mysteries may assume that distributing a will is simple. There is one copy, which the decedent’s lawyer keeps on file, and after a death all heirs are brought in to hear the lawyer read the will aloud.…

The Child Tax Credit is for individuals who claim a child as a dependent if the child meets certain conditions.  The CTC was created in 1997 and has been expanded several times since, most recently in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic…

There’s a key aspect of creating an estate plan that you shouldn’t gloss over: choosing whom to carry out the wishes outlined in your will. This person will essentially be making important decisions on your behalf. Select someone who’s trustworthy,…

There is no one way to invest in the stock market. There are different strategies for making money, two of which are active and passive investing. They require different skills and behavior and deliver different results. Before investing or hiring…

Payable-on-death accounts are a type of bank account that, at the owner’s death, lets the money remaining pass directly to the beneficiaries named by the account owner. They offer an easy way to keep money out of probate. What is…

It’s not always the easiest of conversations, but long-term care can be an expensive necessity that comes toward the end of life. If you or a loved one is struggling to pay for assisted living, there are options that can…

Thinking about passing assets on to your next generation? Your parents are aging and passing away; your own children are reaching adulthood. You realize that you need to focus on wealth- transfer plans. This may appear to be a complex…

In theory, parents can get as specific as they want, deciding which children and grandchildren should get the fancy lamp from the living room or the painting of the ship in the dining room. But unless they’re items of great…

History and anthropology tell us that cultures past and present deal with their departed in interesting ways, such as the Vikings being launched out on ships-turned-crematoriums. Today, environmental concerns are pushing us to explore new options: Your body in soil…