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Estate Planning Attorney Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Other Charges

A Wisconsin estate planning attorney who faced 33 federal charges stemming from fraudulent activity and stealing her wealthy clients’ money has reached a deal and will plead guilty to five of the charges. Wisconsin attorney Sarah E.K. Laux ran two… Read More
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Why People Do Not Have Estate Plans

A recent survey reveals something that we already know: most Americans do not have estate plans. However, the survey also reveals the reason why people do not get estate plans is because they feel they lack the financial know-how to even get started.… Read More
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Is the Family Business a Part of Your Estate Plan?

Family business contributes to over 70 percent of global productions, but owners of them don't update their estate planning. It's estimated that over 50 percent of family business owners didn't update their estate planning documents fo… Read More
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MSU Alum Leaves Millions to School

Montana State University announced on Thursday that the late Bill Wurst, a 1959 alumnus in electrical engineering, has left $4 million to the MSU College of Engineering as a gift from his estate. The gift will be used as matching funds for the univer… Read More
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Can You Do Estate Planning for Your Farm?

Succession planning is one of the most important aspects of passing on a farm to future generations, but having a conversation about it is not always easy. Jolene Brown, an Iowa farmer and professional speaker, and Nelson Schoon, certified financial… Read More
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Using A Revocable Trust as the Primary Method for Disposing of Your Estate

If you haven't considered using a revocable trust rather than a will as your main estate planning document, you could be making a critical mistake. A recent MoneyWatch article, “5 reasons you need a trust, not a will,” lists five reasons for… Read More
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Who Pays the Bills If I’m Not Around?

Who pays the bills in your house? If your house is like most, there is probably one person who handles most of the financial matters. Would you or your spouse be prepared to assume the role of managing the household finances if something happened to… Read More
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Can I Survive Financially if I Live to be 100?

How long will you live? It’s a key question in retirement planning. If you’re healthy and your family tree has branches with staying power, you may figure that you have decades ahead. If your parents died early of natural causes, you may assume a… Read More
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Don’t Forget Estate Planning for Your Family Business

Skilled estate planning is essential to the tax-efficient transfer of the family business across the generations. While the majority of family business owners have estate plans, the majority of these plans can be considered dated. Family businesses a… Read More
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Come on, Kids! Start Estate Planning!

If you think estate planning is for only the elderly or wealthy individuals, think again. Everyone has collected some stuff, what professionals like to call assets, possessions, investments — and don’t forget the liabilities (debt), like student… Read More
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