A DOZEN DOCUMENTS YOU NEED BEFORE YOU DIE It is no longer enough to just sign some papers establishing an estate plan. You also have to make your heirs aware of your estate plan and advise them where the documents can be located. Also some of the country’s largest insurers are failing to pay out

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ESTATE PLANNING FOR SECOND MARRIAGES In our world of ever-changing laws, estate planning has become increasingly complex. This is especially true in the context of second marriages. Children from a prior marriage, strained family relationships and rights and restrictions imposed by law illustrate why the complexity of estate planning for second marriages is never simple.

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When was the last time your reviewed the beneficiary designation form from your retirement plan, IRA, life insurance policies or annuities? If your answer is typical, you don’t remember. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision should motivate some people to move this overlooked step higher on their priority list. This particular ruling involved a 401(k)

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Postpone making any changes in your life – i.e., selling your house for one year. Give yourself some time to regain emotional equilibrium; do not do anything “out of character”. Collect the documentation needed to settle your spouse’s estate. This includes bank statements, current tax information, insurance policies, investment records, property deeds, and the will.

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