Estate Plans

A new study in the United Kingdom provides insight into new thinking about the social justice of estate, inheritance or “death” taxes. Income inequality and wealth concentration are more than just media headlines describing the latest protest movement. These terms are seemingly everywhere today: from the work of economist Thomas Pikkety, to the Occupy Wall…

Boxer Muhammad Ali’s family may be the next ones in the estate fight ring. Muhammad Ali, who passed away last year after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease, has been frequently dubbed “the greatest fighter of all time.” While Ali can no longer fight, his family still can and it appears they are going to,…

A coffin no longer has to have a basic rectangular shape. The standard rectangular coffin no longer has to be the norm due to the focus of a business in Ghana, according to the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog in “The First Family of Custom Coffins.” A family in Ghana is in the business…

An ongoing crisis with wills and estate plans plagues China. A particularly difficult estate planning issue in China was reported recently by USA Today in “Chinese don’t have wills — and now it’s a big problem.” Not too long ago, the Communist Party in China had strict rules about the accumulation of wealth and passing…

Received an inheritance? It may create more problems than it solves. A person or family could actually end up with less wealth after an inheritance, according to Chase News & Stories reports in “How to make sure your inheritance is a boon, not a bust.” An inheritance doesn’t always grow a family’s wealth. The biggest…

So you’ve got your will written and your plans in place do you? You’ve taken the proper steps to make sure that your family and your estate is protected should the unexpected happen or for when the inevitable actually occurs? But when was the last time you’ve taken a look at your estate plan and…