Estate

Effective estate management enables you to manage your affairs during your lifetime and control the distribution of your wealth after death. An effective estate strategy can spell out your healthcare wishes and ensure that they're carried out – even if you are unable to communicate. It can even designate someone to manage your financial affairs should you be unable to do so.

Comparing Mortgage Terms

Compare different mortgage term lengths side by side to find the option that fits your budget.

A Primer on Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts

Irrevocable life insurance trusts can be important tools that may accomplish a number of estate objectives.

A Living Trust Primer

Living trusts are popular, but their appropriateness will depend upon your individual needs and objectives.

• Articles

  Intellectual Property Rocks in a New Digital Era

  Intellectual property ownership and its implications for ordinary people and estates.

  Test Your Estate Strategy Knowledge

  Estate management can help ensure that your assets are transferred according to your wishes while managing tax issues.

  Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs)

  Explaining Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) and their benefit to estate strategy.

  A Brief History of Estate Taxes

  Federal estate taxes have long since been a lucrative source of funding for the federal government.

  Will Power

  Preparing for the eventual distribution of your assets may not sound enticing. But a will puts the power in your hands.

  Understanding the Alternate Valuation Date

  Executors can value the estate on the date of death, or on its six-month anniversary —the “Alternate Valuation Date."

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• Calculators

  Comparing Mortgage Terms

  Compare different mortgage term lengths side by side to find the option that fits your budget.

  View all calculators