Recent Posts in Beneficiary Designations

• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 13-Nov-2019

  How Do You Fund a Trust?

  If you’re learning about estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorneys, and other such terms have probably come up in your research. You may have read about how some people choose to add a revocable living trust to their estate planning ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 16-Sep-2019

  How Do I Make Sure My Stepchild Has Inheritance Rights?

  In the United States, about 50 percent of all first marriages end in divorce, so not surprisingly, second marriages and blended families have become the norm. But does that mean that stepchildren enjoy the same inheritance rights as biological ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 12-Feb-2019

  Estate Planning for Singles

  I have written many articles over the years offering advice on estate planning, many of which were seemingly directed toward married individuals, though that was not the intention. Estate planning is just as important to the single individual as it ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 5-Nov-2018

  Creating an Estate Plan When You're Elderly or Ill

  Not everyone runs to an estate planning attorney’s office to draw up their estate planning documents, but everyone should. The problem is it can be hard for some people to think about dying or what will happen to their loved ones after their ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 5-Sep-2018

  Avoiding Probate with a Revocable Living Trust

  Even if you’re only slightly familiar with “ estate planning,” you’ve almost certainly heard about wills and revocable living trusts. You may not however, understand the differences between a will and a trust or the full ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 8-Aug-2018

  4 Reasons Why Beneficiaries Are Important

  Where you’re standing right now, you probably have a number of accounts with beneficiary designations. But, when was the last time you took a fresh look at those beneficiaries? If you hurriedly scribbled down your spouse or children decades ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 13-Jun-2018

  Estate Planning: Not Just for the Wealthy

  A lot of people mistakenly believe that estate planning is only for millionaires and billionaires. The truth is that everyone should have a basic estate plan, regardless of their income or assets. When you have an estate plan, it minimizes the ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 11-Oct-2017

  About Inherited Retirement Accounts

  Most of my clients have a 401(k), an IRA or a pension; therefore, I always account for such accounts when I’m helping them create a sound estate plan. If you have one or more retirement accounts, surly you want to know if your beneficiaries ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 6-Sep-2017

  Divorcing? Update That Estate Plan

  Divorce is stressful, especially when it’s a complicated divorce or minor children are involved. When spouses file for divorce, their minds are on child custody, asset and debt division, and spousal support. They’re more worried about ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 26-Sep-2016

  Which Assets are Subject to Probate?

  Some people view probate as a complicated and detailed process as far as time is concerned, but it’s often necessary in order for certain assets to be distributed to a decedent’s heirs. Probate is a legal process where a will is ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 24-Aug-2016

  Importance of Updating Beneficiary Designations

  With life being as unpredictable as it is, there is one thing that we can all count on – life is constantly changing. No matter how well you plan for life’s events, there is much that is out of your control. Things such as marriage, the ...

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• Posted By David Whittaker, Attorney at Law 3-Aug-2015

  Importance of Updating Beneficiary Designations

  Did you know that you could be making a big estate planning mistake without knowing of it? When people forget to update the beneficiary designations for their life insurance policies, employment-sponsored retirement accounts, IRAs, mutual funds and ...

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