Your estate plan is an important set of documents that help protect you and your loved ones if you are incapacitated or pass away. The estate plan will go over several important factors including: Your will Your beneficiaries Your wishes Guardianships for your...
Estate Planning
Can you leave an inheritance for the grandkids but not your kids?
You will invest roughly two decades of time and tens of thousands of dollars to raise your children. They will benefit from your attention and from the income you earn throughout your professional career. Once they move on to start a family of their own, you may no...
How does a DNR fit into your estate planning?
A Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order will keep you from being resuscitated and placed on life support if that is the only way to keep you alive. There are cases in which medical intervention is still possible, but not everyone wants to utilize these options. If you add a...
How can powers of attorney help if you become incapacitated?
There are two main types of power of attorney you should consider when creating your estate plan. A health care power of attorney permits someone to make medical decisions on your behalf. Not so much deciding what drugs or treatment you need, but explaining to the...
Is your retirement account enough to cover long-term care costs?
For decades, you have deposited a small portion of your weekly paycheck into a retirement account. You expect a combination of those savings and Social Security retirement benefits to ensure your comfort in your golden years. While you may have tried to save...
Is it time to update your will?
Your will was written when you first got married. When it was completed, it was tucked in a drawer and forgotten. Since then, there have been many changes in your life. Now you are in your 50s and find yourself thinking about that will again. Updating your will is...
What if you change your mind about a trust?
As you go through life, you may want to change your estate plan. Yet, not everything is changeable. Irrevocable trusts, as the name suggests, cannot be revoked. In other words, you cannot change them. So, why would you bother using one of these when you could just...
How to talk to elderly relatives about estate planning
Even if you have a close relationship with your parents, approaching them about estate planning is not easy for you or them. As an independent person, you will have great respect for the assistance they gave you in getting where you are today. This largely stems from...
The risks you take when you print a will at home
The internet has made it easier than ever before to access information and educate yourself on a wide variety of topics. For example, you can access the Minnesota legal code online, as well as all sorts of pre-made legal documents. If you have started thinking about...
Incorporate Swedish death cleaning into your estate plan
St. Paul has strong roots in the Swedish culture extending back many generations. The Swedes brought countless cultural traditions with them when they crossed oceans to get to their new home here in America. One of those quaint customs your own ancestors likely took...