How to Avoid Capital Gains Tax on Inherited Property (2026)
If you’re trying to figure out how to avoid paying capital gains tax on inherited property, don’t start with tax tricks. Start with the gain. In many inheritances,…
Estate Planning Archive
Previous estate-planning articles on wills, trusts, beneficiaries, probate, inheritance and family planning.
Do I Need an Estate Plan? When You Do (and When You Don’t)
“So, Michael, what happens to everything if something happens to me?” I heard versions of that question throughout nearly three decades as a financial planner. Most people were…
A/B Trust vs. Portability: 2026 Rules & 2027 Planning
An A/B trust, also called a bypass trust or credit shelter trust, can still be useful as 2026 gives way to 2027. But the reason to use one…
Living Trust Cost in 2026: What You’ll Pay & When It’s Worth It
Living trust cost is not one number. In 2026, you can spend well under $1,000 on a self-service estate plan, roughly $1,500 to $5,000 or more on a…
7 Estate Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
In my near 30 years as a financial planner, I’ve learned that estate planning means taking control of your life’s work. The final, most important act of love…
What Is a Trust? How It Works, Benefits, Types & Whether You Need One
A trust is a legal arrangement in which a trustee holds and manages property for one or more beneficiaries under rules set by the person who created the…
What Is Probate? Costs, Timeline & How to Avoid It
Probate isn’t just a “legal step.” Most people experience probate as months of waiting, thousands of dollars in legal bills, and frozen bank accounts at the worst possible…
Last Will and Testament: What It Controls, What It Doesn’t, and How to Get It Right
Your will is important, but it is not the master switch for every asset. Learn which transfers follow the will, which bypass it, and the paperwork mistakes that…
How Do You Receive Inheritance Money? Process & Timeline
How do you receive inheritance money? Start by identifying what kind of asset you inherited and who has legal authority to transfer it. A life insurance policy or…
Special Needs Trust Guide 2026: 29 FAQs Answered
A Special Needs Trust (SNT) can let money support a person with a disability without simply turning those assets into the beneficiary’s own countable resources. But the trust…
Special Needs Trust New Rules 2026: What Changed
The biggest special needs trust changes affecting families in 2026 are not really changes to the basic trust itself. They are changes to the rules around Supplemental Security…
Nuncupative Will: Is a Verbal Will Ever Valid in 2026?
A nuncupative will is an oral will. In 2026, that does not mean a spoken deathbed wish automatically controls an estate. The first question is much simpler. Does…
Contesting a Will: Success Rate, Grounds, Costs & Evidence
Contesting a will is possible, but there is no reliable national U.S. success rate. A number like “5% win” or “95% settle” sounds useful until you ask what…
Testate vs Intestate: What Happens When You Die Without a Will?
In my 25+ years as a financial planner, I’ve seen very few things cause as much preventable chaos and heartbreak as a missing will. Here’s a sobering fact…
Estate Planning Documents: What You Need and What Each One Does
Estate planning documents do different jobs, and there is no universal magic number that every adult needs. A practical starting point is to make sure your plan covers…
What to Do With Inheritance Money: What to Do First
If you just received inheritance money and have no idea what to do with it, the first move is not investing. It is not buying a house. It…