Our Blog - Surety Matters

  Revocable trusts, sometimes referred to as “living trusts,” can accomplish a lot, and therefore often play a foundational role in estate plans. Assets placed in revocable trusts by-pass the public process of probate, ensuring…
Read Moreabout Pros and Cons of Revocable Trusts 

  While it’s important for every adult to have an estate plan, those who own businesses need to go even further, integrating personal estate planning with a succession plan that details how a business will…
Read Moreabout Questions for Business Owners

  Leaving loved ones from the next generation even a little better off is a goal shared by all working parents. Analysis of inheritance trends reveals that most are indeed managing to pass some level…
Read Moreabout Inheritance: How Much?

  When a home with an outstanding mortgage is gifted as part of an estate plan, the debt does not just evaporate upon the death of the owner. Even so, family homes are often the…
Read Moreabout Inheriting A Home–and The Mortgage

  Adding adult children to accounts (aka “joint tenancy”) is one way to allow assets to pass on to them expediently, without going through the public process of probate, upon your death. Joint tenancy is…
Read Moreabout Joint Accounts and Probate?

  Revocable trusts are the most common type of trust. Setting up a revocable trust is relatively easy, allows for flexibility and helps with a number of estate planning goals. Part of the appeal, as…
Read Moreabout Why Are Revocable Trusts So Handy?

  Expert legal help is a good idea during estate planning, while navigating probate as a personal representative, or when serving as a trustee. Here are examples of the legal processes attorneys can guide you…
Read Moreabout Getting Help: Estate, Probate and Trust Administration

  Just as the title expresses, the role of executor is to carry out the intentions of the testator (aka person creating a will), so generally, executors do not volunteer their own discretion while fulfilling…
Read Moreabout Should The Executor of a Will Use Discretion?

  If you’ve made an estate plan, good for you: you’re ahead of many people in gifting your family (and yourself) with peace of mind. However, keep in mind, estate planning is not a “once…
Read Moreabout Updating Estate Plans: A Checklist