King & Wood, P.A.

How Do I Include My Pet in My Estate Plan?

“Here are a few financial planning tips/topics, if you are considering a new pet or looking to ensure that yours is cared for should you predecease it.”

A recent survey of pet owners showed that nearly half (44%) of pet owners have prepared for the future care of their animals, in the event their pets outlive them. With traditional financial planning instruments like living trusts, life insurance, and annuities, pet owners can have peace of mind knowing their pets’ needs will be met.

Forbes’s article, “3 Financial Planning Tips For Pets Owners,” says that typically, “pet estate plans” should cover more than simply who will care for the pet, when you are no longer around. Expenses such as food, doggie day care, veterinarian bills and medication should also be considered.

20% of all respondents in the survey said they have financially planned for their pets' future care. About 38% said they added the pet's future caregiver as a beneficiary to a life insurance policy and 35% added more coverage to their life policies. 13% also recently purchased annuities naming the pet's caregiver as the beneficiary.

However, many pet owners forget about end-of-life planning. Consider an individual trust for your pet or donating funds to your local humane society or pet shelter.

One question many have before adding a new animal to the family, is whether they can afford it. The cost of an animal from a breeder can be high, so a more affordable option is to check out your local humane society or animal rescue group. Remember that the costs of food, vet bills and other supplies are just as important to think about, before making a pet a part of your family. Pets are too often returned to animal shelters, because pet parents were unable to afford to properly care for the pet.

Last, ask about pet insurance at your veterinarian. Many clinics offer plans and staff members will be able to talk to you about the right option based on the type of animal, breed, age and other criteria of your pet.

Simple steps like these will make certain your pets are cared for properly and affordably.

Reference: Forbes (January 27, 2019) “3 Financial Planning Tips For Pets Owners”

 

 

How Can I Goof Up My Estate Plan?

“…even a small mistake can create huge problems during the settlement process, and in many cases, these errors are impossible for anyone to correct.”

There are several critical errors you can make that will render an estate plan invalid. Many of these can be easily avoided, by examining your plan periodically and keeping it up to date.

Investopedia’s article, “5 Ways to Mess Up Estate Planning” gives us a list of these common issues.

Not Updating Beneficiary Designations. Be certain those to whom you intend to leave your assets are clearly named on the proper forms. Whenever there’s a life change, update your financial, retirement, and insurance accounts and policies, as well as your estate planning documents.

Forgetting Key Legal Documents. Revocable living trusts are the primary vehicle used to keep some assets from probate. However, having only trusts without a will can be a mistake—the will is the document where you designate the guardian of your minor children, if something should happen to you and/or your spouse.

Bad Recordkeeping. Leaving a mess is a headache. Your family won’t like having to spend time and effort finding, organizing and locating your assets. Draft a letter of instruction that tells your executor where everything is located, the names and contact information of your banker, broker, insurance agent, financial planner, attorney etc.. Make a list of the financial websites you use with their login information, so your accounts can be accessed.

Faulty Communication. Telling your heirs about your plans can be made easier with a simple letter of explanation that states your intentions, or even tells them why you changed your mind about something. This could help give them some closure or peace of mind, even though it has no legal authority.

Not Creating a Plan. This last one is one of the most common. There are plenty of stories of extremely wealthy people who lose most, if not all, of their estate to court fees and legal costs, because they didn’t have an estate plan.

These are just a few of the common estate planning errors that happen. For more information on how to be certain your assets will be dispersed according to your wishes, talk with a qualified estate planning attorney.

Reference: Investopedia (September 30, 2018) “5 Ways to Mess Up Estate Planning”

Why is a Will Such an Important Document?

 

“Depending on your age, you may or may not have considered a will an important document to have.”

It’s not uncommon for people to put estate planning off, since it deals with something most of us don’t like to think about: our imminent death. However, the old saying is true: we can avoid many things, except death and taxes.

The Lebanon Democrat’s recent article, “End-of-life planning beneficial no matter your age,” reports that two out of every five people older than 45 don’t have a prepared will—and they haven’t even thought about estate planning. However, even a little bit of simple planning can help make life for your family much easier when you die.

There will be less stress and fewer fights, and it can help survivors know what should be done and how to do it. However, if you die without a will, your property may be awarded to others based on the decisions of a judge and an appointed administrator—they could be complete strangers to you.

Get all of your wishes down in writing, so your family understands and can follow your instructions. This will make things much easier for your surviving family and/or beneficiaries. If you have a senior in your family, make certain that he or she has a will, especially while they are still legally competent.

Talk to an experienced estate planning attorney. You should arrive with some understanding of these basics:

• Name the individual, known as the executor, you want to administer your affairs.
• Decide who should take control of your possessions. Mapping out who gets what, can save a lot of time and anguish down the road.
• As you make out your will, also have your attorney prepare a living will—a legal document that states what actions should be taken for your health, if you’re no longer able to make decisions for yourself, due to illness or incapacity.
• Keep your original will in a safe place and be sure that others know where to find it, in case of an emergency.

Finally, be sure that you update your will as time goes by. Events such as the death of a spouse or other loved one, divorce, retirement, relocation or the addition of a family member may require changes to be made.

Reference: Lebanon Democrat (January 18, 2019) “End-of-life planning beneficial no matter your age”

How Do I Keep From Disinheriting My Kids When I Remarry?

 

“ For those who remarry and want to make sure certain assets get passed on to kids from a previous marriage, experts say it's important to do some estate planning—that is, figuring out how to legally ensure that when you die, your assets end up where you want them to.”

Roughly 17% of people remarry after the first marriage ends, and the rate of remarriage has decreased over time for all age groups except the 55-and-older group. That rate was 57% in 2013 compared to 42% in 1960. CNBC brings up some practical pointers in its recent article, “Remarried after having kids? Here are tips to avoid accidentally disinheriting them.” As the article notes, if you've remarried and want to pass on assets to your children from a previous marriage, don't overlook the importance of estate planning.

Many people don’t have even a basic will. The risk can be higher, if you have no estate planning when you remarry—your children could unintentionally be disinherited.

The older you are when you remarry, the more apt you are to be bringing assets into the marriage, such as retirement savings, life insurance, brokerage accounts, real property and family heirlooms. Estate planning helps to avoid family conflict.

If you die without a will (intestate), a judge will decide who gets what. Of course, everyone’s situation is different, and some can be more complex than others. However, here are some keys to consider, when thinking about how to make sure your heirs end up with the assets you want them to have.

Account beneficiaries. It’s easy to miss this when you remarry. Update the beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, life insurance policies and other accounts. This designation supersedes any intention stated in your will.

Your home. Remarriage frequently involves a jointly-owned home. Depending on state law and how the property is titled, your intention for your children to inherit your share of it could be thwarted.  If the house is deeded as "joint tenancy with right of survivorship" or "tenancy by the entirety," the property typically automatically belongs to the surviving spouse, regardless of what your will says. If you own the house in "tenancy in common," you can leave your share to a person other than your spouse, if you want.

Your personal property. If you want your children to get some particular items when you pass away, be as detailed as possible in your will, so there is no room for confusion.

Power of Attorney. Select someone to handle your finances, if you reach a stage where you can’t. A durable power of attorney for your finances allows that person to be in charge of paying bills and filing tax returns. A durable power of attorney over health care permits the named person important health-care decisions, if you are unable.

Living Will. This states your wishes if you’re placed on life support or suffer from a terminal condition. It helps guide your proxy's decision-making, and if you have no one named, your doctors must follow your wishes in that document.

Creating an estate plan can help ensure that your assets wind up where you want, and your wishes are carried out fully.

Reference: CNBC (January 17, 2019) “Remarried after having kids? Here are tips to avoid accidentally disinheriting them”

Why Did A Massachusetts Court Give a Wife One-Third of Her Husband’s Estate, Even Though His Will Said Otherwise?

“Relying on a decades-old inheritance law, the state’s highest court has ruled that spouses are entitled to one-third of their deceased spouse’s estate—when they are not mentioned in the spouse’s will.”

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently unanimously ruled for the second wife of a man who demanded her share of the real estate her husband had willed to his four adult children. The Boston Globe reports in the article “SJC says spouses are entitled to part of significant other’s estate when they are left out of will” that the ruling written by Justice Elspeth B. Cypher says that widow Susan Ciani was protected by the law and has the right to cancel out the estate plan her husband approved before he died. The court held that the law was clear that “the Legislature intended for the surviving spouse to have an ownership interest in the real property for life, not merely an interest in the income produced by the real property.”

The husband, Raymond Ciani, created a will in 2000 that left his estate to his first wife, Mary. Under the will, after her death, his four children were to be sole beneficiaries of the estate, which was worth an estimated $675,000. But Mary died before her husband. Raymond then married Susan in 2013 and died in 2015 without changing his will.

After her husband’s death, Susan challenged the will in court and remained in the family home. Both Susan and the children went into Probate and Family Court and agreed to sell the family home and other assets, while judges decide who gets what.

The attorney for the four children, Maria L. Remillard, said the Court has created what could become a legal problem for blended families, because the law is obscure.

“It’s a rude awakening for a lot of people,’’ Remillard said of the law and the SJC’s endorsement of it. “It isn’t until someone passes away that the parties and surviving spouses realize the impact . . . After a second marriage, the second spouse could, in fact, totally disrupt the estate plan.”

The Supreme Judicial Court’s decision allows Susan to get one-third of the value of her husband’s real estate holdings and a similar share in the estate. If both sides had not agreed to sell the family home, Susan also would have been allowed to live there for the rest of her life.

Some states adhere to community property laws that permit a spouse to keep half ownership of all property in a marriage. However, Massachusetts follows an elective share law to protect spouses against disinheritance.

The decision emphasizes the importance of keeping your estate plan up to date, especially if you have remarried.

Reference: The Boston Globe (January 8, 2019) “SJC says spouses are entitled to part of significant other’s estate when they are left out of will”

Who Will Cover My Debt When I Die?

“Will your debt continue to haunt you from beyond the grave? Find out what exactly happens to debt when you die, while you still owe.”

Did you know that we’re dying in this country with an average of $62,000 in debt? What happens to that debt?

Fox Business recently published an article that asks “What Happens to Your Debt When You Die?” As the article explains, the answer depends on a few different factors, including the type of debt, whether there was a cosigner and the value of the deceased person's estate. Let’s look at some possible outcomes:

In many cases, any debt you owe during your lifetime will have to be paid by your estate when you pass away. Creditors can make claims against your estate during the probate process. If you died with a will and named an executor, he or she will usually use the assets you left behind to pay off your debt. If you don't have enough assets, creditors are typically without recourse, if you had unsecured debt without a cosigner. However, if you had a secured loan, like a mortgage or a car loan, the debt would need to be paid for your family to keep the asset. For instance, if you leave your home to your family, they'd have to pay your mortgage to keep the house.

Creditor claims take precedence over your instructions as to what happens to your assets. If you stated in your will that your bank account is to pass to your children, but you owed money to a creditor, the money in the bank would first be used to pay the creditor, before your children could inherit.

If your estate doesn't have enough assets to satisfy your debts, creditors may seek the payment from any cosigners on the loans. Cosigners share legal responsibility for debt and will be held 100% responsible for paying the remaining balance.

One potential exception to this general rule, is for certain types of student loans. For example, a Parent PLUS loan can be dischargeable due to a student's death, and some private student loans offer a death discharge. However, it is rare. If the primary borrower on student loan debt dies, the surviving cosigner should read the loan terms to determine if he'll still be held responsible for paying it. Federal student loan debt is typically forgiven, when the borrower dies.

Creditors can also attempt to collect from co-borrowers, if you had a joint account. Therefore, if you and your spouse had a mortgage together or shared a credit card, your spouse would be expected to continue paying the bills after your death.

However, if there's no cosigner and not enough assets in the estate to pay the bills, creditors will charge off the debt because there's no way to collect. Beware that creditors may attempt to guilt family members into paying after their deceased loved one's death. However, generally there’s no requirement that you pay debt that belonged to a loved one. An exception is in states with community property laws that require spouses to pay off debt belonging to a deceased spouse using community property.

If your loved one has already passed away and you're worried about what will happen to their debts, speak to an experienced estate planning attorney.

Reference: Fox Business (December 27, 2018) “What Happens to Your Debt When You Die?”

How Can I Protect an Elder Loved One From Abuse?

“The elderly are often seen as easy targets for criminals and unscrupulous scammers alike.”

The (Lorain OH) Morning Journal’s recent article, “How to protect elder loved ones from abuse,” reports that the National Center on Elder Abuse says the 2010 census showed the largest number and proportion of people are 65 years old and older in the U.S. population with 40.3 million people, or about 13% of the population. By 2050, that number is expected to more than double to 83.7 million.

A 2010 national study found that financial abuse is the most commonly reported form of abuse followed by potential neglect, emotional mistreatment, physical mistreatment and sexual mistreatment. With financial abuse and neglect, the courts often must get involved to limit the damage and try to get the elderly person the help they need.

When looking for elder abuse in family or friends, look for changes in their circumstances. A neighbor may become more isolated or is making decisions that are potentially harmful to themselves. There’s also self-neglect, where a senior isn’t taking good care of themselves. “New people” in their lives may also be a risk. They may want to assume control over the senior’s person’s life and exclude other people who have had longstanding relationships with the person.

Financial exploitation can take many different forms. Isolation is a critical component of financial exploitation. If a senior is isolated from the people who’ve helped them make financial decisions in the past, and then a new person comes along, that individual may try to make financial decisions for their own gain.

If you think a loved one or neighbor is suffering from elder abuse, start by just talking to them. Talk to them about some of the changes you’ve seen.

There are people who are required by law to report elder abuse, and that list has recently expanded to include chiropractors, dentists, ambulance drivers, coroners and member of the clergy, among many others.

A judge can freeze a bank account and suspend powers of attorney. She can also order evaluations and require that Medicaid and Medicare applications be made for the adult. A judge can continue her orders up to six months and appoint guardians.

The best way to keep loved ones safe from this kind of elder abuse, is to make certain that important legal documents like a will and powers of attorney are done while the person is still competent, and that people they trust are named to carry out those documents.

Reference: The (Lorain OH) Morning Journal (December 26, 2018) “How to protect elder loved ones from abuse”

Here’s More Insight into Why Estate Planning is Critical

“You're never too young or too old, too rich or too poor to start estate planning.”

Fox 5 NY says in the article “Why estate planning is important regardless of your age or wealth” that this is great time to begin talking to your loved ones about estate planning, especially older relatives and parents.

The key to a successful discussion depends upon the right approach.

Try to always make suggestions, rather than demands. One great way to start the conversation with family members, is to mention what you're doing. You might say something like, “I just took care of my own estate planning. Have you done anything? Maybe we should talk about it.” That might get the conversation rolling.

Many people believe that, as they get older, they need a will. However, that’s just one piece of the puzzle: core estate planning includes a will, power of attorney, health care proxy and asset protection.

For most of us, the asset we most want to protect is our home. One of the best ways to do that is through an irrevocable trust. This trust may have tax advantages, could protect your home during a healthcare crisis and protect your home from your children's creditors.

You also need to find people you trust to help with finances and health care. A power of attorney is a legal document in which you grant a person the authority to handle finances on your behalf.

Similarly, a healthcare proxy is an individual who makes healthcare decisions, if you get sick or are in an accident and can't make decisions for yourself.

You can use one person to do both or separate individuals for each role. You can opt for a family member or a trusted friend. However, either way it should probably be a younger person, who won't be dealing with the same aging issues as you.

You should also note that your will doesn't cover everything. Make certain that any beneficiaries designated in your retirement plans or life insurance and any additional names on joint bank accounts are current. The beneficiaries you appointed by a designation form will get the money in those accounts, no matter what it says in your will.

If all of this sounds a bit complex, don't worry because an experienced estate planning or elder law attorney can help you with all of the forms and all of your questions. Just understand these three things before you visit an elder law firm: your assets, whose names are on the accounts and your wishes.

Reference: Fox 5 NY (December 12, 2018) “Why estate planning is important regardless of your age or wealth”

What Do I Need to Do To Get Financially Fit in My 30s?

“Take up the challenge and get on track for financial independence.”

Whether you’re 30 or 39, retirement will come up fast. Many people are surprised when they see how much they need to put away to keep their current standard of living in retirement.

Once you decide when you want to retire, you need to calculate how much money you’ll need and how you’ll get there. Of course, you should take advantage of company matching and various tax deductions, when saving for retirement. Don’t wait until your 40s or 50s to try to catch up. That will be painful, or worse, impossible.

Forbes’s recent article, “3 Steps To Financial Fitness In Your Thirties,” advises that when you start to accumulate wealth, be sure someone is watching your investments and that those investments are suitable for your time frames and financial goals.

Work with a fiduciary advisor you think can help improve your situation. This should be someone you trust, and most important of all, who you feel has your best interests at heart.

If you are accumulating assets, make sure they’re protected. Be certain you and your family are covered by having the correct insurance policies. Of course, in a perfect world nothing would happen. For instance, most people on disability would much rather be healthy. They’d love to be able to joke and say that having that disability insurance was a “bad investment”. However, those who are disabled and aren’t covered with a disability insurance policy, most likely wish they’d made sure they had this income protection in place.

Another form of protection is an emergency fund. If you don’t have one, start by regularly putting some amount of money into a non-retirement account. Even if it’s a small amount, something is better than nothing. If you were to be laid off, chances are that your unemployment benefits would not be enough to pay the rent or make a mortgage payment.

If you’re single, you should protect yourself—even more so than someone who has a partner to rely on. Many life insurance policies have living benefits that can protect you, if an emergency happens.  You may also be able to use cash value life insurance to partially fund your retirement.

Finally, it’s critical that you think about estate planning. You should have an estate plan, including a will, Powers of Attorney, health care power of attorney and, if you have minor children, a guardian should be named in your will.

Let’s say you’re living with someone. If something happens to either of you, the living partner will most likely will be treated as a roommate—and have no legal rights to your property. An estate plan can be prepared to provide your partner with legal protection.

Reference: Forbes (December 17, 2018) “3 Steps To Financial Fitness In Your Thirties”

How Can I Help My Favorite Organizations?

How Can I Help My Favorite Organizations?

“You can, of course, set up a charity strategy for the end of the year. You don't need to have it in place by Giving Tuesday. You can also set up regular donations throughout the year.”

You can donate any time until the end of the year to qualify for a 2018 tax write-off, if you itemize on your tax return. However, many people are scatterbrained in their approach to charitable donations and don’t donate wisely. They need a strategy.

Forbes’ recent article, “5 Giving Tips For Smart Donations,” provides five key giving tips:

1. Align Targeted Charities With Your Personal and Social Goals. Think about your key passions and see which institutions can best solve those problems. Then set out to research and understand all you can about those organizations.
2. Are Your Selected Institutions Spending Wisely? A big tip-off is whether a charity is spending a significant amount of money on administrative and marketing expenses. Take a good look at the charity’s finances. Financially healthy organizations are ones that are both financially efficient and sustainable. They have greater flexibility and freedom to achieve their charitable mission. Make certain the charity is accountable and transparent.
3. Is The Charity Effective? Find out whether the charity is making a difference. What evidence of this do they provide? Read their annual reports thoroughly and ask questions.
4. Does The Charity Have Good Leadership? Solid charities will typically have formidable leaders—perhaps even more so than in the private sector. Look for a charity that has a dynamic, proven leader at the top. The organizations with high turnover typically struggle. This creates other problems. The inability to retain quality leadership is frequently a signal of instability and a lack of organization.
5. Do Your Donations Work With Your Estate Plan? Remember that you have the flexibility to give some money now, but perhaps you’ll be able to give more later through your estate plan.

If you don’t have an estate plan, it’s also time to start working on that Charitable giving can be a productive part of your estate plan, serving to create a legacy and minimize taxes. Speak with an experienced estate planning attorney to create your will, Power of Attorney and other necessary documents.

Reference: Forbes (December 7, 2018) “5 Giving Tips For Smart Donations”