SUE AND BOB CLIENT ESTATE PLAN BENEFICIARIES Following First Death: The deceased spouse’s assets managed in a trust for surviving spouse’s needs. Surviving spouse owns and controls surviving spouse’s assets. Following Second Death: Gifts of $100,000 made to each of 5 grandchildren, a gift of $100,000 made to First Lutheran Church, with all remaining assets […]
Broaching political topics at Thanksgiving with your family may not lead to great holiday cheer. In comparison, a discussion centered around your own death—that is, your estate plan—may be far more palatable. In this month’s advisory update, I provide a few general recommendations about what information that you and your clients could share with your […]
Minnesota Vikings fans know that no lead against the Green Bay Packers is safe. The Vikings nearly blew their 28-0 lead this past weekend, prevailing by a score of 31-29. Bragging rights over the rival Packers will certainly be short-lived, as the Vikings and Packers will play again on December 29th. As the holder of […]
My family recently purchased a new vehicle. To organize all the variables factoring into our decision, my wife Heather created a spreadsheet. The variables included fuel efficiency, trunk size, headroom, and cost. While my two sons lobbied extensively for a larger, sportier vehicle, Heather and I were not quite ready to “Die With Zero,” and […]
On January 15, 2024, Iowa Republicans kick off the 2024 political season by voting for a Republican candidate for President. In honor of the Iowa Caucus, in this month’s update I offer my thoughts on how to choose a candidate. But rather than offering any opinions or endorsements for any political candidates, in this month’s […]
Do I need a revocable trust? While a revocable trust has become a common estate planning strategy, it is also the subject of much confusion. The late Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christiansen taught that businesses must precisely distill the objective that customers are hiring the service or product to accomplish; that is, what Christiansen […]
Can’t we just e-sign our Wills? Clients are surprised to learn that under Minnesota law, a Will must be signed on physical paper, in ink, and in the physical presence of two witnesses. Since many legal contracts can now be signed by electronic signature, Will signing formalities might seem to be stuck in the 1950’s. […]
It’s open enrollment season, which means that our law firm, like your company, has recently received notice of its 2023 health insurance coverage options. Having reviewed our firm’s coverage costs, well, let’s hope that 2023 brings good health, and few medical appointments, for my family as well as for yours. As occasioned by this upbeat […]
Buy One, Get One Free. Who doesn’t like a good deal? Whether two-for-one amusement park tickets, sports tickets or my favorite, BOGO children’s meals, we appreciate “two for the price of one” deals. In this month’s update, I share why we recommend that married residents of the State of Minnesota create two trusts—in some respects, […]
While recently helping my third-grade daughter with her math assignments, I had to “google” the exact definition of a “prime number.” If your memory is better than mine, you will recall that a prime number is any number that cannot be made by multiplying two other whole numbers. Just as prime numbers cannot be divided […]