Common Estate Planning Terms There are certain common estate planning terms that you should be familiar with as you embark on your estate planning journey. Below you will find a categorical list of these common estate planning terms. General Estate Planning Terms Estate An estate is the total value of assets and debts that a person leaves behind at their death. Fiduciary Fiduciary refers to an individual who has the legal duty to act [...]

Medicaid Trust A Medicaid trust is a useful tool for Medicaid planning. A Medicaid trust is an irrevocable trust that must follow certain guidelines to be valid. In this article, we will go over the basics of Medicaid trusts. Qualifying for Medicaid Each state has its own Medicaid systems in place. Arizona’s Medicaid program is known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (ACHHS). However, the Medicaid program in Arizona that offers long [...]

More Celebrity Estate Planning Mistakes Many enjoy reading celebrity estate planning mistakes because they have a hard time believing people with so much money and so many resources available to them can make such mistakes. But their mistakes can be simple, practical ones. We should be aware of these and learn from them. In this article, we will go over some more recent celebrity estate planning mistakes and what we can learn from them. [...]

Beneficiary Deeds-Advantages and Disadvantages Beneficiary deeds are a type of estate planning document. Like any estate planning document, there are both advantages and disadvantages to using one. What works best differs from person to person, depending on their situation. In this article, we will go over the advantages and disadvantages of using a beneficiary deed. How Beneficiary Deeds Work A beneficiary deed, also called a transfer on death deed (TOD), is an estate planning [...]

AB Trusts AB trusts were originally created with the main purpose of helping to reduce estate taxes. In this article, we will go over how AB trusts work, additional benefits they offer, as well as drawbacks you should be aware of. Original Purpose AB trusts got their start under old estate tax laws. In the past, each spouse had their own estate tax exemption. Typically, the first spouse to pass would not use their exemption. [...]