How Long To Keep Tax Records: Can You Ever Throw Them Away?
.How Long To Keep Tax Records: Can You Ever Throw Them Away?
Michael Keenan Sat, February 5, 2022,
Once you’ve submitted your tax return to the Internal Revenue Service each year, the last thing you probably want to think about is how to store your tax records. But making these arrangements is essential to protect yourself in the event of a future IRS audit.
The general rule is to keep your tax records for three years, but there are several important exceptions for when you might need to keep your tax records for a longer period as a taxpayer. Read on to learn how long to keep your tax records and when you can safely dispose of them.
How Long To Keep Tax Records: Can You Ever Throw Them Away?
Michael Keenan Sat, February 5, 2022,
Once you’ve submitted your tax return to the Internal Revenue Service each year, the last thing you probably want to think about is how to store your tax records. But making these arrangements is essential to protect yourself in the event of a future IRS audit.
The general rule is to keep your tax records for three years, but there are several important exceptions for when you might need to keep your tax records for a longer period as a taxpayer. Read on to learn how long to keep your tax records and when you can safely dispose of them.
Determining Expiration of the Statute of Limitations
Typically, the statute of limitations for the IRS to audit your tax return is generally three years. For an income tax return, the period of limitations is three years. But the IRS says it’s wise to keep your tax returns even longer. For example, if the IRS audits you, you’ll have the documents you need to protect yourself from an audit. The statute of limitations starts running on the later of the due date for your tax return or the date on which you file your taxes.
Special Tax Items
You’ll need to keep your records for seven years if you claim a deduction of worthless securities or bad debts. For example, if you lent a friend $10,000 under a promissory note and the friend went bankrupt, keep records to prove that it was a legitimate debt discharged in bankruptcy that was never paid.
Another special tax item is employment taxes. Keep records for employment taxes for four years from the later of the date the tax is due or the date you pay the tax.
Records Related To Property
When your tax return includes information related to property, keep those records until the statute of limitations — typically three years — runs out for the year in which you sell or otherwise dispose of the property.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://news.yahoo.com/long-keep-tax-records-ever-140014688.html
Money Isn’t Everything
.Money Isn’t Everything
Last updated on February 5, 2022 by One Frugal Girl
I type the phrase “money isn’t everything” into my keyboard. Then I stare at the words in disbelief. Is that statement true? We often think of the world in terms of black and white. Ideas are true or false, and people are good or evil, but the truth is rarely this straightforward. Most things exist in the gray space in between, and money is one of those examples.
Money Is Everything
Money isn’t everything, but money is a lot of things. I can’t live in a cozy, warm house, feed myself, or put clothes on my back without money. I also can’t pay for higher education or classes to improve my skills.
Money Isn’t Everything
Last updated on February 5, 2022 by One Frugal Girl
I type the phrase “money isn’t everything” into my keyboard. Then I stare at the words in disbelief. Is that statement true? We often think of the world in terms of black and white. Ideas are true or false, and people are good or evil, but the truth is rarely this straightforward. Most things exist in the gray space in between, and money is one of those examples.
Money Is Everything
Money isn’t everything, but money is a lot of things. I can’t live in a cozy, warm house, feed myself, or put clothes on my back without money. I also can’t pay for higher education or classes to improve my skills.
In this modern world, we cannot survive without money. Whether we like it or not, most things in life require it, and if you don’t have enough, it will feel like everything to you. It is a privilege to believe that money isn’t everything and a disservice to those who read my words to ignore that fact. Do you know people who say money isn’t everything? I’m sure most of them have plenty of money to meet their basic needs and then some.
Is Money Everything?
I shouldn’t say that money isn’t everything. Instead, I should say that money feels like everything until we reach financial safety and security. After that point, more money isn’t everything.
Before earning a six-figure salary, building an FU Fund, or becoming financially free, I held remarkably different views about my finances.
As I battled chronic pain, I felt fearful, stressed, and anxious, not to mention emotionally attached to money.
Back then, I thought money was everything. Not because it could buy me expensive goodies or extravagant vacations, but because I felt unstable and frightened without it.
The best part of reaching FI wasn’t quitting my high-paying job; it was paying my bills without worry.
Money Isn’t Everything
Of course, money can’t buy everything, and I suppose that’s a good argument for why it isn’t everything, but it does improve our lives beyond measure.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://www.onefrugalgirl.com/money-isnt-everything/
7 Things You Should Never Pay for With Cash
.7 Things You Should Never Pay for With Cash
Jennifer Taylor Wed, February 2, 2022, 7:00 AM·5 min read
Some people charge everything to a credit card to rack up rewards points, but that isn’t your style. When possible, you prefer to pay with cash. Maybe you’ve ditched the plastic as a way to curb overspending, avoid credit card fraud or simply because you prefer to shop off the grid. However, despite the many good reasons to pay with cash, it isn’t always the best choice.
Not sure what types of purchases warrant leaving the cash in your wallet? Here’s a look at seven common payments that should always be made with a different form other than cash.
7 Things You Should Never Pay for With Cash
Jennifer Taylor Wed, February 2, 2022, 7:00 AM·5 min read
Some people charge everything to a credit card to rack up rewards points, but that isn’t your style. When possible, you prefer to pay with cash. Maybe you’ve ditched the plastic as a way to curb overspending, avoid credit card fraud or simply because you prefer to shop off the grid. However, despite the many good reasons to pay with cash, it isn’t always the best choice.
Not sure what types of purchases warrant leaving the cash in your wallet? Here’s a look at seven common payments that should always be made with a different form other than cash.
Rent
Writing a check can be a hassle, so if you don’t have the option to pay your rent online, you might opt for cash. However, William Capece, CFP, director of business development at the JS Benefits Group, said doing so is unwise, because it leaves you without a paper trail.
“Too often we hear stories of landlords who evict tenants over unpaid rent, while the tenant swears to have paid,” he said. “Cash leaves no paper trail and thus no proof.” On the flip side, he said landlords should also never accept cash payments for the same reason. “This should be outlined in the renter agreement,” he said.
Car
Since interest rates are at historic lows, Capece advised against buying a car with all cash. “Utilizing a car loan helps in many ways,” he said. “Dealers make more money when customers utilize debt, so they are more likely to give you a better deal.”
Beyond that, he said paying for such a large purchase in cash limits your ability to invest. If you can swing it, he recommended financing your car purchase and using the cash as the down payment on a rental property. “Use an appreciating asset to pay for your lifestyle,” he said.
Home Maintenance and Updates
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://news.yahoo.com/7-things-never-pay-cash-120012133.html
Who Inherits When No Will or Trust Exists?
.Who Inherits When No Will or Trust Exists?
Money / Financial Planning
Determining inheritance after a person passes away with no traditional resources like a will, trust or estate can be challenging. What can make things even more complicated is the fact that many assets, such as life insurance policies and 401k balances are not distributed in a will. If there’s no financial plan in place after death, the decision of how the inheritance gets distributed lies with the state in a process known as intestate succession. This means that the deceased’s assets are disbursed in accordance with the area’s laws.
Read on to find out how intestate succession works and why it’s important to start thinking about creating a will if you haven’t already.
Who Inherits When No Will or Trust Exists?
Money / Financial Planning
Determining inheritance after a person passes away with no traditional resources like a will, trust or estate can be challenging. What can make things even more complicated is the fact that many assets, such as life insurance policies and 401k balances are not distributed in a will. If there’s no financial plan in place after death, the decision of how the inheritance gets distributed lies with the state in a process known as intestate succession. This means that the deceased’s assets are disbursed in accordance with the area’s laws.
Read on to find out how intestate succession works and why it’s important to start thinking about creating a will if you haven’t already.
Uniform Probate Code
Though laws differ from state to state, the core of intestate succession is defined in the Uniform Probate Code. This dictates the deceased’s inheritance goes to close relatives, generally defined as spouse, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and grandparents. If none of these surviving family members meet the qualifications to receive the estate, the inheritance is given directly to the state.
Division Among Relatives
If the person who’s died has a surviving spouse, the spouse can inherit the entire estate and divide it among children of the deceased, according to Law.com. The spouse must be legally married or a domestic partner to the person who has died. In some states, common law marriages are recognized as legal marriages, and therefore the common law spouse of the deceased can inherit the estate.
The surviving spouse takes between $100,000-$150,000 of the estate plus 50% of anything more than that, depending on if the spouse is also related to the children.
If there are no children, but the deceased’s parents are alive, the spouse takes the first $200,000 of the estate plus 75% of anything more than that amount. By most laws, children of the deceased are defined as direct descendants and adopted children.
If a child was conceived out of wedlock, laws dictate the child inherits only from their mother, and would need to show documentation to prove the deceased was their father to be entitled to the estate. Stepchildren and foster children are usually not eligible for inheritance. In some states, stepchildren (who have not been legally adopted) are not eligible to inherit until all direct relatives have received assets.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
Be Curious
.Be Curious
Jan 3, 2022 Guest post by Ted Lamade, Managing Director at The Carnegie Institution for Science
There is a great scene in the first season of Ted Lasso in which the show’s antagonist, Rupert Mannion, challenges Lasso to a game of darts. After seeing him make a few poor throws, Mannion is confident that it is easy money. The two play and Mannion appears to be on the verge of winning with Lasso needing two “triple 20s” and a bullseye on his final three shots. Then, just before he throws his darts, Lasso turns to Mannion and says in his Southern drawl,
“You know Rupert, guys have underestimated me my entire life. It used to really bother me, but then one day I was driving my little boy to school and saw a quote by Walt Whitman painted on a wall that said, ‘Be curious, not judgmental’. I liked that. See all those fellas who belittled me, none of them were curious. They thought they had everything figured out. So, they judged everything* and everyone*.
Be Curious
Jan 3, 2022 Guest post by Ted Lamade, Managing Director at The Carnegie Institution for Science
There is a great scene in the first season of Ted Lasso in which the show’s antagonist, Rupert Mannion, challenges Lasso to a game of darts. After seeing him make a few poor throws, Mannion is confident that it is easy money. The two play and Mannion appears to be on the verge of winning with Lasso needing two “triple 20s” and a bullseye on his final three shots. Then, just before he throws his darts, Lasso turns to Mannion and says in his Southern drawl,
“You know Rupert, guys have underestimated me my entire life. It used to really bother me, but then one day I was driving my little boy to school and saw a quote by Walt Whitman painted on a wall that said, ‘Be curious, not judgmental’. I liked that. See all those fellas who belittled me, none of them were curious. They thought they had everything figured out. So, they judged everything* and everyone*.
And then I realized that their underestimating me had nothing to do with it…..because if they were curious, they would have asked questions. Questions like, ‘Have you played a lot of darts Ted?’ Which I would have answered, ‘Yes sir. Every Sunday afternoon at a sports bar with my father from age 10 until I was 16 until he passed away’.”
Lasso proceeds to drill all three shots and wins the game (watch the scene on YouTube if you have a minute). In short, a hustler got hustled because he wasn’t curious enough. He made judgements based on incorrect assumptions and didn’t ask the right questions
Being curious is one of life’s most underappreciated qualities. It’s an admission that you don’t have it all figured out. It means you’re willing to listen and learn. Most importantly, it often differentiates the good from the great.
The Innovators
Ted Lasso is a work of fiction, but this concept of curiosity is not. Look no further than what Walter Isaacson said was the most common trait he observed in the people he wrote about in his book “The Innovators”.
“Curiosity. Pure, passionate, and playful curiosity about everything. Steve Jobs was curious about calligraphy and coding, while Da Vinci was curious about art and anatomy. They wanted to know everything about everything that was knowable. Ben Franklin wanted to know about science, the humanities and poetry. Even Einstein wanted to understand Mozart at the same time that he studied general relativity.
Curiosity leads to an interest in all sorts of disciplines, which means you can stand at the intersection of the arts and sciences, which is where creativity occurs. A wide range in curiosity allows you to see patterns exist across nature and how those patterns ripple.”
Roelof Botha of Sequoia Capital echoed a similar sentiment in a recent podcast when asked about the most important characteristic of a venture capital investor.
“The most important thing is curiosity. Are you interested in learning about new things? Are you interested in meeting new people? Are you interested in listening to their ideas about a company and how they are going to change the world? If not, or if you lose this curiosity, then you become jaded and you should probably stop being an investor.”
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
7 Mistakes To Avoid If You’re Trying To Build Long-Term Wealth
.7 Mistakes To Avoid If You’re Trying To Build Long-Term Wealth
Casey Bond Tue, January 25, 2022,
If you want to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck, retire comfortably or have a legacy to pass on to your children, there’s no get-rich-quick scheme that can guarantee you reach your goal. Instead, building long-term wealth takes a lot of patience and planning, and it’s important to know these common mistakes to avoid.
1. Not Having an Emergency Fund
When focusing on building long-term wealth, it’s easy to neglect cash reserves, said Nick Vail, a CFP with Integrity Wealth Advisors. However, failing to build an emergency fund can hurt you in the long run.
7 Mistakes To Avoid If You’re Trying To Build Long-Term Wealth
Casey Bond Tue, January 25, 2022,
If you want to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck, retire comfortably or have a legacy to pass on to your children, there’s no get-rich-quick scheme that can guarantee you reach your goal. Instead, building long-term wealth takes a lot of patience and planning, and it’s important to know these common mistakes to avoid.
1. Not Having an Emergency Fund
When focusing on building long-term wealth, it’s easy to neglect cash reserves, said Nick Vail, a CFP with Integrity Wealth Advisors. However, failing to build an emergency fund can hurt you in the long run.
“It’s like going out and investing in expensive windows and kitchen upgrades while you have cracks in your home’s foundation,” Vail said. “Without proper cash reserves, you’re likely to tap into the wealth you’re trying to build when you’re in a pinch, slowing down your progress.” So before you get too far along in your investing plan, be sure to get your basics taken care of first.
2. Ignoring the Power of Compound Interest
Saving money is great, but to really grow your wealth over time, it’s necessary to invest. In fact, money invested wisely will generally double every seven to 10 years thanks to compound returns, according to Scott Alan Turner, a CFP and consumer advocate.
“The problem is at the beginning, it’s pitifully slow,” he said. That’s because it takes just as long for $50 to double to $100 as it does $500,000 to $1,000,000. But Turner noted, you can’t get to $1,000,000 without first saving $50. “Patience grows wealth.”
3. Waiting Until You Make More Money To Start
It can be hard to set aside money for far-off goals such as retirement. Plus, many people inflate their lifestyle as their income grows. So it can be tempting to keep putting off investing until you have an even higher salary. “Bigger apartments, nicer cars, eating out at better restaurants — people never seem to make enough because they consistently blow it year after year,” Turner said.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://news.yahoo.com/7-mistakes-avoid-trying-build-193823478.html
What Is Asset Protection Planning?
.What Is Asset Protection Planning?
Rosemary Carlson Thu, January 13, 2022,
Asset protection planning is the process of building barriers around your assets, whether those assets are personal or business, to keep them safe from litigation, creditor claims, seizure and burdensome taxes. It’s a vital and completely legal component of both financial planning and estate planning. There are a number of key tools you can utilize to accomplish the goal of protecting your assets. A financial advisor can help you structure and organize your assets so that they are more likely to achieve your financial goals.
What Is Asset Protection Planning?
Rosemary Carlson Thu, January 13, 2022,
Asset protection planning is the process of building barriers around your assets, whether those assets are personal or business, to keep them safe from litigation, creditor claims, seizure and burdensome taxes. It’s a vital and completely legal component of both financial planning and estate planning. There are a number of key tools you can utilize to accomplish the goal of protecting your assets. A financial advisor can help you structure and organize your assets so that they are more likely to achieve your financial goals.
What Is Asset Protection Planning?
Contrary to what many people think, asset protection planning is not just for the wealthy. The estates of anyone, in any income group, can be sued or suffer from hefty taxation. These strategies can mitigate the effect of creditor claims and other issues on your wealth.
If you want and need to protect your assets, you have to be proactive. It’s too late to employ asset protection strategies after a child is hurt on your property and the child’s parents sue you or you are at fault in a serious car accident. You want to set up an asset protection plan before any of these things happen to you.
While many people can benefit from setting up an asset protection plan, not everyone can. If you have a lot of debt and few assets and you are subject to a lawsuit, it may be better to take bankruptcy than set up an asset protection plan. That’s because it’s only worth it if you have significant assets, though some events cannot be protected against. These include tax liens, mechanics liens, alimony judgments and child support claims.
Who Should Have an Asset Protection Plan?
Anyone can put an asset protection plan into place. A plan benefits the following people the most:
While even those with a modest net worth should at least consider asset protection, it’s especially important for anyone with a significant amount of assets.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/asset-protection-planning-190756416.html
Why You Should Put Your House in a Living Trust
.Why You Should Put Your House in a Living Trust
Virginia Duan Mon, January 10, 2022
Part of being a responsible homeowner is having a proper estate plan in place. After all, considering the home is generally the largest asset most people own, it's prudent to ensure this asset is passed to the people you wish to leave it to. Just as you protect your finances from debt or use home security to protect your belongings, estate planning with a living trust can be a way to provide your loved ones with a legacy and inheritance.
For instance, do you know what will happen to your house if you and/or a co-owner were to die? Did you know that even if your will gives the kids your house, it can be held up for a long time thanks to probate law? Also, if you're in an LGBTQ+ family or have special needs, there are often unique circumstances to consider and account for while estate planning.
Why You Should Put Your House in a Living Trust
Virginia Duan Mon, January 10, 2022
Part of being a responsible homeowner is having a proper estate plan in place. After all, considering the home is generally the largest asset most people own, it's prudent to ensure this asset is passed to the people you wish to leave it to. Just as you protect your finances from debt or use home security to protect your belongings, estate planning with a living trust can be a way to provide your loved ones with a legacy and inheritance.
For instance, do you know what will happen to your house if you and/or a co-owner were to die? Did you know that even if your will gives the kids your house, it can be held up for a long time thanks to probate law? Also, if you're in an LGBTQ+ family or have special needs, there are often unique circumstances to consider and account for while estate planning.
Read on for the benefits of putting your home in a living trust—and what common mistakes to avoid.
John Bessler
What Is A Living Trust?
Like a will, a living trust is a legal document that can be a vital tool for planning and distributing your assets to loved ones. Active as soon as it is created, a living trust assigns a trustee to manage certain assets—such as your house—on behalf of the future beneficiary. It can be either revocable or irrevocable.
A revocable trust means you can change the terms or control of the assets in the trust at any time. This is great for flexibility, but your assets still count as part of your estate when you die. An irrevocable trust allows your assets to no longer be counted as part of your estate, but you sacrifice some rights to control your trust and the assets held in it.
Portia M. Wood, a California-based generational wealth planning attorney, explains that the kind of trust you use depends on your unique situation. "It's based on three things: your family structure, your asset levels, and your goals," she says, "and then understanding exactly how your trust works as it relates to those three things."
How Much Does A Living Trust Cost?
Well, that depends. Generally, the up-front costs for a living trust will be more expensive than setting up a will or doing nothing at all. As with much of estate planning, costs for setting up a living trust vary by state and region—as well as complexity and customization.
"The savings do not occur until later," says California attorney Jonathan C. Watts. "And a wealthy family with a complicated estate can expect to pay much more than a young person who just bought her first house."
Why Your House Should Be In A Living Trust Versus A Will
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/why-put-house-living-trust-111837037.html
Bonds – The Ultimate Guide
.Bonds – The Ultimate Guide: What Is A Bond, How Bonds Work, And Why They’re In The News So Much!
November 15, 2021
Have you noticed that bonds are all the rage all of a sudden? Sure, when it comes to stocks, all the hoopla makes sense. They’re all over the place from one minute to the next! But bonds are the slow-moving cousin of stocks. So why all this interest?
Well, bonds are pretty fascinating once you start to understand them and today you’ll learn just how deep the bonds rabbit hole goes.
We’ll learn what bonds are, how to invest in bonds, types of bonds including savings bonds, why and when you might want to invest in bonds, and how well do bonds perform.
Bonds – The Ultimate Guide: What Is A Bond, How Bonds Work, And Why They’re In The News So Much!
November 15, 2021
Have you noticed that bonds are all the rage all of a sudden? Sure, when it comes to stocks, all the hoopla makes sense. They’re all over the place from one minute to the next! But bonds are the slow-moving cousin of stocks. So why all this interest?
Well, bonds are pretty fascinating once you start to understand them and today you’ll learn just how deep the bonds rabbit hole goes.
We’ll learn what bonds are, how to invest in bonds, types of bonds including savings bonds, why and when you might want to invest in bonds, and how well do bonds perform.
What is a bond?
Bonds are called “fixed income instruments” but that’s economics jargon. In real-people terms bonds are loans given to other people, but unlike a loan you would give a friend, bonds are nicely packaged up so that they can be traded around easily.
They have well spelled-out terms, like payback dates, payback value, terms in case the borrower goes bankrupt and interest payments.
Since they are nicely packaged and well spelled out, these bonds can be traded to bond experts or even traded around on the stock market by the click of a button.
Also unlike a loan you might give to a friend, these loans are usually given out by huge companies or governments who are willing to go through the effort of making them. Then since these entities are very large the loans are usually quite a bit safer than one you might give to a friend.
Bond Definition
A bond is a chunk of debt issued by a company or government to individual investors. Bonds return the full principal and a fixed interest amount called a coupon to the investor at the end of the bond’s maturity, or as regular payouts called dividends.
How to invest in bonds?
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
If You Have This Much Money, You Should Have a Financial Advisor
.If You Have This Much Money, You Should Have a Financial Advisor
Patrick Villanova Wed, January 5, 2022,
A couple meets with their financial advisor. A recent survey found that those with more than $1.2 million in household assets report significantly higher levels of happiness when working with a financial advisor compared to those without an advisor.
Money can’t buy happiness directly, but it seems like paying a financial advisor sure can help.
A new survey found people with more than $1.2 million in household assets report higher levels of happiness when working with a financial advisor compared to those who don’t have an advisor. The finding is part of Herbers & Company’s inaugural Consumer Financial Behaviors Study, which polled 1,000 consumers across the U.S.
If You Have This Much Money, You Should Have a Financial Advisor
Patrick Villanova Wed, January 5, 2022,
A couple meets with their financial advisor. A recent survey found that those with more than $1.2 million in household assets report significantly higher levels of happiness when working with a financial advisor compared to those without an advisor.
Money can’t buy happiness directly, but it seems like paying a financial advisor sure can help.
A new survey found people with more than $1.2 million in household assets report higher levels of happiness when working with a financial advisor compared to those who don’t have an advisor. The finding is part of Herbers & Company’s inaugural Consumer Financial Behaviors Study, which polled 1,000 consumers across the U.S.
A financial advisor can help you manage assets and plan for retirement. Find a trusted advisor today.
“As individuals move past $1.2 million of assets, those who work with financial advisors rapidly increase in happiness, while those without advisors rapidly become less happy,” wrote Sonya Lutter, the certified financial planner (CFP) and licensed therapist who authored the study.
Herbers & Company is a consultancy firm that specializes in helping independent financial advisory firms grow their businesses.
How Happiness is Measured
A recent survey found that those with more than $1.2 million in household assets report significantly higher levels of happiness when working with a financial advisor compared to those without an advisor.
A recent survey found that those with more than $1.2 million in household assets report significantly higher levels of happiness when working with a financial advisor compared to those without an advisor.
To quantify a respondent’s level of happiness, the survey presented each consumer with a list of 43 questions concerning his or her daily behaviors and interactions. The survey also pinpointed four core principles of happiness – fulfillment, intention, impact and gratefulness – and gauged how much respondents identify with each.
All participants in the survey have at least $250,000 in household assets.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://news.yahoo.com/much-money-financial-advisor-215030637.html
11 Steps to Writing a Will
.11 Steps to Writing a Will
Emma Kerr Tue, January 4, 2022, 10:54 AM
Most people should have a will, but it's rarely the most significant estate planning document an individual holds.
Many of a typical household's assets, such as retirement accounts, can be transferred outside of a will by naming beneficiaries, and documents such as the financial and medical powers of attorney can be more powerful in determining the outcome of an estate.
Still, having a poorly written or out-of-date will can be costly and derail an otherwise well-planned estate. Wills are also particularly important for individuals with dependent children; the will serves as the best means to name guardians for children in the event of the death of both parents.
11 Steps to Writing a Will
Emma Kerr Tue, January 4, 2022, 10:54 AM
Most people should have a will, but it's rarely the most significant estate planning document an individual holds.
Many of a typical household's assets, such as retirement accounts, can be transferred outside of a will by naming beneficiaries, and documents such as the financial and medical powers of attorney can be more powerful in determining the outcome of an estate.
Still, having a poorly written or out-of-date will can be costly and derail an otherwise well-planned estate. Wills are also particularly important for individuals with dependent children; the will serves as the best means to name guardians for children in the event of the death of both parents.
Experts typically advise individuals to get the basic estate planning documents in order around the time they are married or buy a home, for example, and revisit the will regularly with special emphasis on this process around the time of retirement. Get started and complete your will in 10 simple steps:
1. Find an Estate Planning Attorney or Use a Do-it-Yourself Software Program
Individuals or families with relatively simple financial situations may be able to use an online, reputable software program to complete their wills. Some software programs to consider include:
-- Quicken WillMaker & Trust -- Fabric -- LegalZoom
Many situations, however, will require an estate planning attorney.
"There are so many rules that come into play," says Patrick M. Simasko, an elder law attorney in Mount Clemens, Michigan. "They can't make it to the lawyer or they go onto LegalZoom, which is great, and they prepare their own documents, go to a website, download the will or they download trusts or different forms. But they don't know how to fill them out right, sign them right, notarize them right, so they don't mean anything."
Hiring an attorney to create basic estate planning documents may cost a few thousand dollars, while an online software program can cost $100 or less. However, experts warn that improperly prepared documents can be costly down the road.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here: