Cari’s Tips: Beware of Unequal Contributions When Purchasing a House

Cari Rincker Estate Planning Leave a Comment

At a time of record home unaffordability, more people are teaming up with friends and relatives to realize the home ownership dream. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), more than 75 percent of homes on the market now are too expensive for middle-income buyers. Just five years ago, this same income group could afford half of all available …

Share this Article

Have an Etsy Store? Make Sure It Is Properly Protected

Cari Rincker Business Law, Estate Planning 2 Comments

The online marketplace Etsy has gone from a niche craft seller to one of the largest commerce companies in the world. Etsy has millions of active sellers worldwide, most of whom are based in the United States. Many Etsy sellers rely on the site as a primary or secondary income stream. Collectively, they contribute billions of dollars per year to …

Share this Article

Have You Thought Through Your Retirement Plans?

Cari Rincker Estate Planning 1 Comment

Beginning your retirement is a great milestone that is worth celebrating. You have put in many years of hard work, and you are now able to focus your energy on the next phase of your life. However, before you begin this next chapter, you need to make sure that you have fully thought through this exciting change in your life. …

Share this Article

Investment and Distribution Trustees: Why Would I Need Both?

Cari Rincker Estate Planning Leave a Comment

When creating a trust, it is common to name yourself as the initial trustee who is responsible for all aspects of administering the trust. However, when considering who will take over when you can no longer act (either because of illness or death), it is sometimes helpful to divide the responsibilities between two or more successor trustees. For example, you …

Share this Article

Three Things You Must Do to Protect Your Family if You Are Recently Unemployed

Cari Rincker Estate Planning Leave a Comment

If you have recently lost your job, you are not alone! Inflation has skyrocketed in the United States over the past couple of years. Some smaller businesses have not been able to survive the increased expenses, putting employees out of work, while many larger companies have laid off employees to reduce their costs. If you are dealing with a job …

Share this Article

Ask Cari: How a Community Property Trust Could Save You Money in Taxes

Cari Rincker Estate Planning 1 Comment

When it comes to your family’s legacy, every dollar you can save from taxation counts. One way to keep your accounts and property out of the hands of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is to form a community property trust. How Does a Community Property Trust Work? Community property trusts can save you money on taxes by adjusting, or “stepping …

Share this Article

Important Milestones You Can Incorporate in Your Estate Plan

Cari Rincker Estate Planning 4 Comments

Life is full of contingencies. While some outcomes are relatively certain, other events are more difficult to predict. This uncertainty can create estate planning challenges. Because life changes quickly and sometimes unexpectedly, your estate plan needs to be flexible. You can make changes to your estate plan when you are still alive, but when you pass away, your plan is …

Share this Article

Does the Guardian for My Child Have to Be a United States Citizen?

Cari Rincker Estate Planning Leave a Comment

One of the more uncomfortable aspects of estate planning is deciding what will happen to your child if both you and the child’s other legal parent were to die unexpectedly. While the odds of this happening are low, the consequences of not naming a legal guardian in your will or a separate document can be significant, since a court would …

Share this Article

Ask Cari: What Is the Effect of an Unrecorded Deed?

Cari Rincker Estate Planning Leave a Comment

A deed is a legal document used to transfer real property ownership rights from one person or entity (the grantor) to another (the grantee). In many cases, this transfer occurs due to the property being sold, with the seller transferring the property to the buyer. Typically, a deed is recorded with the local county recorder of deeds. Recording the deed …

Share this Article

Are You Single with a Minor Child? If So, You Need a Plan

Cari Rincker Estate Planning 2 Comments

You have a minor child who depends on you for their survival, so you need to make sure that they will be cared for if you are ever unable to care for them. By creating an estate plan, you can address your minor child’s care and custody and provide instructions about how your money and property should be used for …

Share this Article

Ask Cari: Things You Can Do to Help Prove You Are Mentally Competent When Executing Your Estate Plan

Cari Rincker Estate Planning Leave a Comment

Although we would all like to believe that our family and loved ones will honor our wishes as expressed in our estate plan, contests are more common than you might think. Sometimes, a family member does not receive what they thought they would after a loved one passes away. To try to get what they think they are entitled to, …

Share this Article

Legal Perils of Gifts and Joint Ownership between Unmarried Couples

Cari Rincker Estate Planning Leave a Comment

Cohabitation without marriage is becoming more common in the United States. Among eighteen- to forty-four-year-olds, the percentage of adults who have lived with an unmarried partner at some point is now higher than the percentage of adults who have been married. When you live with a romantic partner, it may feel as though you share everything. And to some extent, …

Share this Article