It was a pleasure to be interviewed for this Syngenta Thrive article speaking on an issue near and dear to my heart- farm succession and estate planning. You can read more articles in the Thrive magazine here.
Assisted Reproductive Technology and the Real Impact on Estate Planning
According to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2 percent of all infants born in the United States (83,946 in 2019) were conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART).[1] ART is defined by the CDC as all fertility treatments in which both eggs and embryos are handled. It can involve many procedures, the most well-known …
Have You Thought Through Your Retirement Plans?
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. …
Right of Occupancy Trust: A Trust to Protect Your Home and Your Loved Ones
Estate planning is about protecting you and your loved ones. Sometimes this can be a difficult endeavor when there is a loved one who may require additional support at your death. While you may want to give as much as possible to this individual, you may not want to do so at the expense of others you care about. A …
Seven Reasons for Considering a Family Office
A family office provides management services to a family whose businesses and wealth have become too complex and significant to manage by themselves. A family office often combines investment, legal, and tax services along with lifestyle and administrative services, such as making travel arrangements or coordinating the use of the family’s private aircraft. In addition to supporting and simplifying a …
The Pros and Cons of Probate
In estate planning circles, the word “probate” often carries a negative connotation. Indeed, for many people—especially those with valuable accounts and property—financial planners recommend trying to keep accounts and property out of probate whenever possible. That being said, the probate system was ultimately established to protect the deceased’s accounts and property as well as their family, and in some cases, …
Important Issues to Address Before You Leave on Vacation
Getting ready to embark on your next great adventure? Before you zip up the last suitcase, here are five issues you need to address to protect yourself and your loved ones. Do you have a foundational estate plan? Has it been reviewed? An estate plan is a set of instructions memorialized in legal documents that explains to your trusted decision …
Three Steps You Can Take Now to Protect Your Artistic Legacy
Although your death is probably a long way off, it is important that you have a plan to ensure that your affairs are settled in the way that you want. An estate plan crafted by an experienced estate planning attorney is a legally enforceable set of documents that allows you to name who will have the authority to make decisions …
Harmless Error Statute—A Saving Grace
When somebody dies without a legally recognized will, their money and property are typically subject to default state rules that determine who will receive it. To assert control over who will receive their money and property and who will wind up their affairs, many people choose to have a will prepared. In order for a will to carry out the …
Things to Consider Before Accepting Your Inheritance
The news that you will be receiving an inheritance is often bittersweet because it means that somebody close to you has passed away. But you might also have mixed emotions about your inheritance for reasons that have to do with the actual accounts or property you are inheriting. On the one hand, you might not want to reject your inheritance …
Batman: The Masked Philanthropist
Among the superheroes, Batman is unique because he has no superpowers. Although he is trained in the martial arts and possesses a range of high-tech gadgetry that allows him to fight crime, Batman is entirely human. He does not have genetic mutations, X-ray vision, overpowering physical strength, flying ability, genius-level intellect, or any other god-like powers. But Bruce Wayne does …
Three Things You Need to Know about Cryptocurrency and Your Estate Plan
Cryptocurrency’s popularity has rapidly increased in recent years, with more people buying and selling it. Here are three things you need to know about cryptocurrency in relation to your estate plan. Beware of the Tax Consequences Transferring your cryptocurrency to other people, either during life or at your death, could have income, estate, and gift tax consequences that are important …