Wills

Latest Stories

Remarriage and Estate Planning

By Penn Mutual | February 27, 2018

Marrying again later in life may mean untangling some sticky financial issues, particularly where an estate plan is concerned. If remarriage is on the horizon, here are the most important things to keep in mind as you join forces—and finances—with your soon-to-be spouse.

How to Choose the Right Executor for Your Estate

By Margaret Muldoon | January 16, 2018

When it comes to estate planning, many people view choosing an Executor (also referred to as Personal Representative) as the easiest part of the process. However, when planning your Will, choosing the right Executor can be one of the most important decisions you’ll make.

My Experience in Writing a Will

By Jay Perlman | October 17, 2017

I just went through the process of meeting with attorneys to draw up a Will and deal with all the issues of my impending demise. Or, maybe my demise is not so impending, but I think it still makes sense to be prepared.

Estate Planning for Blended Families

By Margaret Muldoon | October 18, 2016

I wrote a while ago about the changing composition of the American family, using characters and family relations in the TV network series Modern Family to illustrate how complex a family can be for estate planning. Today I’d like to follow up and talk more in-depth about the estate planning challenges of blended families.

Your Will is Just the First Step in Estate Planning

By Margaret Muldoon | August 30, 2016

If you are one of the 45 percent of people who have written a Will, congratulations! But it’s not enough just to have a Will in place. You also want to review the ownership of your assets to ensure everything aligns with your Will. There are a lot of moving parts that need to be considered so that your wishes are met.

10 Tips to Ensure Your Beneficiary Designations Square with Your Estate Plan

By Penn Mutual | February 3, 2015

Estate planning uses many tools to transfer assets to beneficiaries and heirs. However, there is one area of estate planning that is often overlooked: the disposition of many assets following an individual’s death may be directed not by Will, trust, or other planning document – but by contractual beneficiary designation.