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Handling the Estate of a Love One
The death of a spouse/partner, parent, child or anyone you’re close to can be very difficult. If your loved one has recently died, please accept my sympathies for your loss. Or maybe you’re just getting organized before a death occurs. In either case, I hope that this article will prove helpful to you. Unfortunately, there […]
Probate
Probate is simply the administration of a deceased person’s estate. Probate involves paying debts (including taxes) and then distributing the remaining assets. (There are also related tasks such as closing accounts, liquidating assets and so forth.) Last month’s article talked about being an executor and how to minimize your personal risk. This month we’ll discuss […]
Executor Liability
An executor (in Colorado, the term is personal representative) is responsible for settling an estate. Basically, this involves paying debts (including taxes) and then distributing the remaining assets. (There are also related tasks such as closing accounts, liquidating assets and so forth.) Typically, an executor is a family member, an attorney, a CPA or an […]
Preparing for Incapacity
First of all, Happy New Year! I hope that 2022 will be a safe, healthy and prosperous year for everyone. This month I’d like to talk with you about incapacity – that is, how to manage things when you are unable to act for yourself. The pandemic has certainly reminded us that we can become […]
How to Title Your Assets
Asset titling is often overlooked and can be one of the most important elements of an estate plan. If asset titling has not been correctly coordinated with your estate plan, your plan may not turn out as you intended. Most of us would like to specify how the assets we accumulated over our lifetime are […]
Document Retention
Who hasn’t wondered how long we should keep various documents? Keep them too long and it becomes unwieldy and makes it hard to find what you want. Don’t keep them long enough and you may not be able to respond to the tax man or some other authority. Is an electronic copy good enough or […]
How to Recognize and Address Cognitive Impairment
Many of us have experienced our own “senior moments.” Where are the car keys? Why did I come into this room? What’s the name of that person? Most of these memory lapses are a normal part of life and are very manageable. On the other hand, cognitive impairment can progress to a point where it’s […]
Common Issues Found in Estate Planning Documents
You don’t have to be a skilled estate planning lawyer to spot an issue that should be addressed in your estate planning documents. Here are some common areas you can review for potential changes. No Documents Hopefully none of you are in this situation, but if you are please begin your estate planning soon. Indeed, […]
Financial Preparation for the Loss of a Spouse
You can lose your spouse in a number of unpredictable ways. Certainly death is a certainty at some point, but incapacitation and divorce are other examples of the loss of a spouse. The effect of such a loss on you is magnified if your spouse handled many of your financial matters on his or her […]
Is a Backdoor Roth IRA Right for You?
First of all, what is a Backdoor Roth IRA? It’s merely a way to contribute to a Roth IRA when your income exceeds the contribution limit of $183,000 (for a couple filing jointly). The Backdoor Roth IRA procedure removes this restriction. It involves a simple two-step process. First you contribute up to $5,500 to a […]