If you’re like most Americans, you have a rich digital life. You may bank online, invest online and certainly interact socially online. But where do those assets go after you go? And how will your loved one’s get access to them, if you haven’t left behind specific instructions and passwords?

Unfortunately, identity theft is rising even for the deceased. A couple of years ago, TIME magazine reported that over 2.5 million Americans became victims of identity theft after they died. Disposition of digital assets, like any other property, should be part of your estate plan. Here are some tips for protecting your digital assets after death:

It’s summer, when travel is the busiest and careful planning is necessary to nab the best airfare or book that awesome beach cottage before it slips away. One thing that is probably not on your travel to-do list is estate planning, but it should be so you can travel with peace of mind.It’s summer, when travel is the busiest and careful planning is necessary to nab the best airfare or book that awesome beach cottage before it slips away. One thing that is probably not on your travel to-do list is estate planning, but it should be so you can travel with peace of mind.

Here are some tips to pack away your worries before you board that flight:

When you hear the words, “trust fund,” do you conjure up images of stately mansions and party yachts?  A trust fund – or trust – is actually a great estate planning tool for many people with a wide range of incomes who want to accomplish a specific purpose with their money. Simply put, a trust […]

If you are like most Americans, you will probably be spending at least some of your vacation time this Memorial Day with older family members.  While there are few perfect times to talk with parents about their estate plan, the relaxed times you spend together on vacation can be one of them. Here are some tips […]

Inherited wealth need not be “an albatross around the neck of the children” as Sting so succinctly put it recently when asked if he was leaving his wealth to his children. His children will not see much of his millions, but not all wealthy parents feel the way he does. Many a great family fortune […]

Most of us who have a pet consider them to be a part of the family; unfortunately, the plans we may have so carefully put together to protect our loved ones do not take our pets into consideration. According to the ASPCA, only about 17% of dog and cat owners have taken the necessary legal […]

If you are like most of the parents I know, you feel guilty. It’s what parents do. Whether your guilt is about not enough time with the kids, too much time with the kids, hovering incessantly, or being too laid back, you are worried you aren’t doing the right thing by your kids in some […]

Creating an estate plan to protect your financial future and that of your family is just the first step in the estate planning process. Once those documents are executed, you will still need to review your plan annually to ensure it continues to reflect your needs and achieve your goals. Here are 5 reasons that […]

America is a nation of do-it-yourselfers, but building a deck and creating a legally valid estate plan are two entirely different things.  A less-than-perfect deck may only appear less than desirable and crack over time, but a flawed estate plan can devastate your family’s financial future or the relationships among the people you care about […]

When we think of vast family wealth, most of us know the name Cornelius Vanderbilt, the railroad and shipping scion of one of the richest families in America in the 19th century. When he died in 1877, he left a fortune of $100 million — more than the U.S. Treasury held at that time. That […]