The estate planning checklist, ordered so nothing gets overlooked
An estate planning checklist fails when it’s unordered: beneficiary forms on a 401(k) or life policy outrank your will, whatever the will says.
Estate Planning
The key steps to fund a living trust, asset by asset
Funding a living trust takes three mechanisms, not one. FDIC trust coverage caps at $1,250,000 per owner per bank at five or more beneficiaries.
How to set up a living trust the right way, step by step
Setting up a living trust takes six steps. Your retitled bank account stays FDIC insured at $250,000 per beneficiary — but step six is where plans fail.
How to make a will and avoid the errors that void it
How to make a will comes down to the signing room: two witness signatures, an interested-witness trap, and eleven states that can forgive a mistake.
Will vs Trust and How to Find the Right Fit for Your Family
A will or trust won’t control an account with a TOD form, since the named beneficiary inherits it. See what your paperwork already decides first.
Assets Not Covered by a Will and the Hidden Rules on Who Inherits
Assets not covered by a will include POD accounts, which FDIC insures up to $250,000 per beneficiary. Here is who really inherits yours.
