Transfer-On-Death Accounts: A Useful Estate Planning Tool

March 13, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

What Is a TOD Account? When considering how to pass your assets on to the next generation or other beneficiaries, you have many options. One tool in your estate planning toolkit is the transfer-on-death account. Transfer-on-death (TOD) accounts allow account owners...

A military dad sits a table with his daughter on his lap. She is touching the tip of his nose with her finger and while he is holding a blue iPad.

Funding a Special Needs Trust With a Survivor Benefit Plan

An estimated 20 percent of military-connected children have special needs, according to the National Institutes of Health. With a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), military members can provide for their children with disabilities while helping them maintain access to other benefits.

Proper Retirement Planning Avoids Underestimating Care Costs

February 27, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Our Blog, Senior Living, Wills & Trusts

It can be easy to underestimate the amount of money we will need for health care and long-term care after we retire. Not knowing exactly what care we will need and with the costs of all types of care rising,...

Estate Planning in the Face of Natural Disasters

February 20, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog

Every year, the United States experiences a large number of floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters, and the frequency and intensity of these events appears to be increasing. The recent Los Angeles wildfires are a stark reminder of...

Love Your Pet Day: Estate Planning and Your Companion Animal

February 13, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

Having a pet comes with many benefits. Pets may offer companionship and loyalty, while quality time with your pet can decrease your stress levels. They can teach your children about responsibility and emotional skills. Their presence can also encourage you...

Estate Planning for a Vacation Home

February 6, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Wills & Trusts

If you are fortunate enough to own a vacation home, you need to figure out what will happen to it after you are gone. Many people in this situation hope to keep vacation homes in the family. Guaranteeing that can...

Deducting Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums in 2025

January 30, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Our Blog, Senior Living, Wills & Trusts

The population of older adults in the United States has been growing steadily in recent years. According to the U.S. Census, the number of Americans who are age 65 and older grew more than 9 percent in just three years,...

Avoiding 4 Main Obstacles to Digital-Era Estate Planning

January 22, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

Identifying the digital property you own and managing it is more necessary than ever. From smart home devices to online investments and bank accounts, we’ve gone way beyond using the internet to email family and social media to connect with friends. In...

What Makes a ‘Good’ Nursing Home? 10 Points to Consider

January 16, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Our Blog, Senior Living

If you are looking for a nursing home for yourself or a loved one, you want to choose a good facility. But what makes a nursing home good? Though good can be hard to define, some qualities are key to...

IRS Announces 2025 Gift and Estate Tax Exemptions

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released its tax inflation adjustment figures for tax year 2025. Annual Gift Tax Exclusion Effective January 1, 2025, you will be able to make individual gifts of up to $19,000 in the calendar year (an increase...