Navigating the world of estate planning can be complex, but understanding the concept of a living trust is essential for anyone looking to manage their assets effectively. Creating a living trust can inevitably become a major part of planning your estate, but it’s not always the best path to take.…
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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides various benefits and services to eligible veterans and their dependents. These benefits are distributed to beneficiaries for several reasons, primarily to support and enhance the well-being of individuals who have served in the United States military. When these funds cannot be managed by…
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Trusts and conservatorships are both versatile tools in estate planning. Both have their uses, depending on your circumstances, and both can be used in conjunction with one another, or as alternatives to each other. Which is right for your situation (or that of someone you know)? It helps to understand…
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Trusts manage the distribution of your assets after death. They are generally controlled by a trustee—a person selected by you to hold the property and manage it for your beneficiaries. There are many types of trusts you can set up, some of the most notable and commonly used being revocable…
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Being a conservator for a friend or loved one is an important job. While it’s not the most complex thing in the world, there are still a lot of mistakes a person can make that will make their job as a conservator harder, not to mention put a strain on…
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As technology has advanced over the years, and generations who have been steeped in it become older, the issue of how to handle digital assets in an estate impacts more people than ever. Estate planning is important, and how to handle everything from property and other tangible, real-world assets is…
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People create trusts for many reasons. Sometimes they want to protect their assets later in life. Sometimes they want to ensure they are properly distributed to their beneficiaries after they pass away. At other times, trusts are used to gradually distribute assets to them over time, providing a type of…
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All Minnesota conservatorships are required to file an accounting every year. These are meant to allow the courts to keep track of the assets and spending of a conservatorship and to ensure that the assets are being properly managed by the conservators in charge of managing them. While the way…
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Special administrators are used in times of need when an estate needs to be preserved and protected before a personal representative can be found and appointed. If no personal representative has been appointed, it can take time to get the right individual into the position, including getting approval by the…
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No matter what state you live in, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration require all Representative Payees—those appointed to receive benefits for someone who is unable to manage their money—to obtain a surety bond in order to fulfill their duties. Representative payee bonds generally need to…
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