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A survey of pet owners and found nearly half (44%) of pet owners have prepared for the future care of their animals should their pets outlive them. Utilizing traditional financial planning instruments such as living trusts, life insurance and annuities, pet owners are able to have peace of mind knowing that their pets’ needs will…

When people hear the words “estate planning,” many think it’s just writing a will. Estate planning is about more than writing a will. It is also about taking care of yourself while you are alive should you become incapacitated and unable to make your own decisions. The following is a list of must have documents…

Kaiser Health News reports that most Americans avoid making important end-of-life decisions, called Advance Care Planning, because it can be uncomfortable and the paperwork confusing. Rebecca Sudore, a geriatrician at the University of California-San Francisco, created prepareforyourcare.org, which provides step-by-step instructions and video stories to help people navigate the care they want at the end…

Probate is the legal process for transferring property after someone dies. In most cases the process follows the instructions in the will but occasionally other factors may arise, but basically, property is transferred, debts paid and assets distributed. But even though it’s a pretty straightforward process, you should still prepare for probate to make sure…

Leaving this life and leaving loose ends can create a nightmare scenario for your heirs. If you haven’t taken the time to organize your assets that is exactly what can happen. With that in mind, here are five estate planning essentials you will need to make your passing as stress free for you heirs as…

Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin left no will or any estate plan which could open heirs to high estate taxes an create legal squabbles. Her four sons have filed a document listing themselves as interested parties for her estate. Her niece has requested the court to appoint her as executor of the estate which has…

A recent Realtor.com story talks about how the late comedian Jackie Gleason’s two “UFO houses” in Peekskill, NY are on the market for $12 million. The current owner, a retired orthodontist, bought the 8.5-acre property in Peekskill, NY, in 1976 for $150,000—roughly equivalent to $660,000 today. The property was listed this month for $12 million.…

Toys R US shuttered it last door in June an according to financial experts, that is to blame for the lousy July report. The economy added 157k jobs but the expectation was 190k. Th miss correlated with the amount of jobs lost at “Toys.” Reports earlier in the year said the loss was estimated at…

Shopping mall retailer Brookstone has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. After 40 years in business, the company will be closing all 101 of its mall stores. It will however keep its e-commerce site and airport locations open. This is the second time Brookstone has filed for bankruptcy. They first filed in 2014 and soon after…

Your estate may not be worth a lot. But if you don’t leave a will, New York State decides where and to whom your stuff goes. Here’s how NY State puts it. When a person dies without leaving a Last Will and Testament, it’s said that they died intestate. When a person dies intestate, that…