You want your spouse to be cared for and your children to receive the inheritance you intend for them. But “everything to my spouse, then to the kids” may not accomplish both. Here are the decisions that can help your blended family turn loving intentions into a clear plan. Read more…
Your life insurance beneficiary form may say “spouse,” but your trust may tell a different story. For Alabama families, the right choice depends on who needs the money, who will manage it, and what should happen if a child inherits. Read more…
You and your spouse built one life, one family, and often one estate plan. But if you die in the same accident—or only days apart—the order of death can change who inherits, which documents control, and whether assets pass through two estates instead of one. Here is why your plan should answer that question before your family ever has to. Read more…
Your child is a doctor, lawyer, founder, or other successful professional. Leaving their inheritance outright often feels like the respectful choice, but their success brings risks that direct ownership does not protect against. Here’s when an inheritance trust for adult children can protect what you built without treating a capable adult like a child. Read more…
You saved for retirement because you wanted to provide security for yourself and the people you love. But if your trust is named as the beneficiary of your IRA, current withdrawal and tax rules may affect how much protection—and how much money—your family actually receives. Here is what families with retirement accounts should review in 2026. Read more…
You did it. You made a will. That matters more than you know. But here’s what most families don’t realize until it’s too late: making a will is the first step in protecting your family, not the last. Here’s the checklist that comes next. Read more…
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, died in 2025. One year later, his widow alleges $1.2 million in unfulfilled premarital obligations: a life insurance policy never purchased, a Roth IRA never funded, and anniversary payments never made. A nine-year-old daughter is at the center of the dispute. Here’s what more thorough follow-through on the planning could have helped prevent.
August is Make-A-Will Month, and if you’ve been meaning to get your affairs in order, this is your reminder. But before you assume that getting a will means your family is protected, there’s something most people don’t know about what a will actually does and doesn’t do. Read more…
You’ve heard the phrase: “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” The same logic applies to estate planning. According to Caring.com, only 24 percent of Americans have a will. For some of the people you love most, you may be the only person in their life who will ever bring this up. Here’s how to do it without making it weird, and what to tell them about what real planning looks like.
August is National Make a Will Month, which means this is exactly the right time.
The federal government is depositing $1,000 into savings accounts for every baby born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028. The account is called a Trump Account, contributions opened July 4, 2026, and most families have not yet taken the step to claim it. Here is what it is, how to open one, and what it means for your family’s plan. Read more…
