What You Should Know About DNR Orders

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What You Should Know About DNR Orders

A Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order is used to instruct care providers who receive a patient not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or various other life-saving procedures to restart a heart or breathing. Examples include external chest compressions, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, electric shock, heart injections and various other CPR methods. These orders are typically established by […]

Tips for Deciding What to Do With Your Digital Assets

We are living much more of our lives in the digital world than ever before. This means by the time you die, you will have likely amassed a collection of digital assets. Like other types of assets, you can control what happens to them with your estate plan. If you care about these digital assets, […]

Why Do So Many People Procrastinate With Their Estate Planning?

Most people when asked will agree that estate planning is important, and something they should do for themselves. However, there are many people who have not made any real progress on developing an estate plan, which puts them at risk of dying intestate and having their assets distributed according to state law. Here are a […]

The Role of a Successor Trustee

As part of establishing a revocable living trust, you should name a successor trustee. This is the person who will come in to manage and administer your trust for you upon your passing, or upon your incapacitation or unavailability to handle your affairs. Your trustee should be someone you can trust to manage your affairs, […]

How You Can Create an Estate Plan That Reflects Your Values

While you prepare your estate plan, you may find it important to do so in such a manner that is consistent with your faith and values. In fact, passing on these values to the next generation may be just as important to you as the wealth and assets you will be distributing. Here are some […]

Why You Should Devise a House in Your Estate Plan Rather Than Gifting While You’re Alive

As you age, you may consider giving your home outright to an adult child, or adding them to the deed. However, this typically is not your smartest move if you wish to transfer ownership of the property. While transferring your house to your children while you’re alive helps them avoid probate, gifting a house can […]

Estate Planning is Critical for People in Early Stages of Dementia

Dementia is a disease characterized by memory deterioration, changes in personality and generally worsened cognitive function. The number of people in the United States with dementia has been on the rise in recent years, particularly as the baby boomer generation advances in their senior years. Dementia can be a debilitating disease, and at a certain […]

Funeral Costs Can Be Deducted from Estate Taxes

Only estates worth more than the federal estate tax exemption are required to file a federal estate tax returns. For this reason, most can’t claim estate tax deductions. Estates that are subject to the federal estate tax, however, can use various deductions, including funeral expenses, to reduce the estate’s overall taxable income. Funeral expenses are […]

The Pros and Cons of Transfer on Death Accounts

The Transfer on Death (TOD) account or a Pay on Death (POD) account is a type of account often used for estate planning purposes due to its ability to bypass the probate process. Any assets placed in the account pass on directly to the beneficiary named by the owner of the account. Here’s a quick […]

“Per Stirpes” Designations

“Per stirpes” is a method of distributing shares of an estate where the share of a deceased named beneficiary is divided among a person’s descendants. How it works Per stirpes translates to “by branch” in Latin. In a will, there may be the following language: “I leave [insert possession] to my descendants, per stirpes.” For […]