The Child Tax Credit for 2021

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…

How to Pick an Executor

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,…

How Payable-on-Death Accounts Compare with Trusts

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…

5 Options to Pay for Assisted Living

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…

How to Transfer Wealth to the Next Generation

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…

A Fresh Look at Distributing Inherited Assets

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…

Final Wishes: Alternatives to Burial

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…

Wills 101

A will outlines the distribution of your assets following your death, similarly to a trust. If you have a trust, a will is only necessary in the case of any children who are still underage. Guardianship of these minor children…

4 Tips for Planning for Your Post-Retirement Future

With age, the focus often turns from planning for the purchase of a bigger home to planning to have enough income to live well after retirement. Many factors contribute to this calculation, but following are four common considerations: Do I…