The elephant in the room that no one talks about. This somewhat tired metaphor references an unseen but very much felt significant issue that everyone knows exists but no one wants to talk about. In estate planning it is without…
Have you tried to communicate with your family in your planning documents? Most people do not communicate with their children about what is to happen with their property when they die. Even more important, few people communicate with descendants, including…
Kansas law provides that if you are a plan participant in a retirement plan that is qualified under the internal revenue code, such as an IRA or 401(k) plan that these funds and investments are exempt from the claims of…
A small privately-owned business (a business with only a few shareholders or interest holders) is sometimes referred to as a closely-held business. The ownership is held typically by those actually involved in the business. The owners are often either family…
We actively participate with successor Trustees in conducting the Trust Administration after the death of the person who established the trust. There are a number of things we review with someone who is named as a successor Trustee before having…
Should you leave property, assets and investments to children or beneficiaries outright? When asked a question like this, we often tell our clients that we want them to understand what can be done to protect assets, and that leaving assets…
Some trusts are irrevocable at the time they are created. Some trusts start out as revocable trusts and then become irrevocable trusts. For example, a revocable living trust typically becomes irrevocable after the person or persons who established the trust…
Have you reviewed your estate planning documents recently? Have you done any estate planning? According to AARP, 81% of those 72 or older have estate planning documents. However, only 58% of the baby boomers (ages 53 to 71) have done…
When it comes to establishing wills and estate plans, older Americans outpace their younger counterparts. Still, a significant number — 19 percent of those over age 72 and 42 percent of those between 53 and 71, according to survey data — lack…
Veterans are an important class of our population and as such, it is important to know about the various benefits available to them. Many of the benefits are based on the type of service by the veteran, the health of…