The physical and financial health challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic gave us time to rethink our priorities and expectations. Estate planning is one area that has received a lot of attention, and for good reason. Here are three basic areas to review as you reassess your estate plan: Document review: Are the papers in [...]
Everyone wants to protect their families, even after they pass from this world. That’s the purpose of estate plans. But how do you know whether all of the elements of a good plan are in place? The first step is understanding the difference between a will and a trust: A will lays out your [...]
Attorney Laura Kohlenberg answers the question: Do I need a will?
What is a SLAT Trust? A spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT) is an irrevocable trust that authorizes the trustee to make distributions to a spouse if a need arises. It can be designed to benefit one's children, grandchildren or future generations. A lifetime gift tax and a generation-skipping tax exemption can be used to shield [...]
As a trust beneficiary, you have certain rights. However, trusts can take many forms and may be governed by unique provisions established by the creator of the trust or grantor, so details will vary. First, if you are a beneficiary, it's important to know what kind of trust you're named in. If it's a revocable trust, that [...]
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act). The SECURE Act is effective January 1, 2020 and is the most impactful legislation affecting retirement accounts in decades. The SECURE Act has several positive changes: It pushes back the age you must take required minimum distributions [...]
Our pets can feel like family sometimes and now Minnesota law lets you treat them that way. In 2016, Minnesota was the final state to add a provision to its trust code to allow for pet trusts. A pet trust allows you to leave funds for the care of your animal after you are gone. [...]
How to Avoid Probate in Minnesota Probate can be a long, contentious, frustrating and a VERY expensive process. For these reasons, most people will try to avoid probate in any way possible. So, how do you avoid probate in Minnesota? When people ask me this question I generally advise them to consider the following four options: Gifts [...]
You're ready to face the task of documenting how you will pass along your assets to your family and friends. But you're stuck: Should you use a trust or a will? Here are five considerations. Trusts avoid probate; wills don't. Probate is the legal process estates generally have to go through. It typically involves lawyers, [...]
You may be convinced that you need an estate plan, but you're fuzzy about what it covers and even how to make one. One great place to start is to determine your net worth. Determining Your Net Worth Determine your net worth as follows: add up rough estimates of the values of your assets. Assets [...]
