Author name: Emily Mansoor

Remember Your First Line of Defense: Insurance The modern insurance market dates to seventeenth-century London, where merchants reeling from the Great Fire of London started pooling funds to cover fire losses. Today, this same basic concept—pooling risk to protect individuals and businesses from catastrophic loss—underpins nearly every sector of the global economy. The US insurance […]

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, there were more than 670,000 divorces1 and more than 2 million marriages in 2022. Divorce is a common life event that many Americans face during their lifetime. Some states have laws that automatically end an ex-spouse’s appointment as decision-maker in their spouse’s estate plan with the

Consider the following story: Beth’s divorce from her husband was recently finalized. The most valuable things she owns are her employer-sponsored retirement plan and her life insurance policy. She has opted to use the beneficiary designations as her only form of estate planning and updated the primary beneficiary designations to name her two minor children. She does not want her ex-husband to

When it comes to protecting your unmarried partner, there are several options to consider. Depending on the value of your money and property, your desired level of protection from your partner’s creditors, and other factors unique to your situation, one or more of these strategies may be beneficial. A word of caution: regardless of what

Do not let constant political and financial speculation prevent you from making tax-free annual exclusion, medical-payment, and educational gifts to or for the benefit of your loved ones. Make Annual Exclusion Gifts Annual exclusion gifts are transfers of money or property in an amount or value that does not exceed the annual gift tax exclusion.

Americans often prefer to stay busy. When we are not working, many of us turn to hobbies to keep us engaged and productive. We spend hours each day on our hobbies and leisure activities. Over the course of a lifetime, this time adds up to a significant investment. Our hobbies, passion projects, and pursuits may

Comprehensive estate planning involves more than just planning for your legacy after your death, avoiding probate, and reducing taxes. Good estate planning also appoints people to make legal, financial, and medical decisions for you if you are alive but unable to make those decisions for yourself (in other words, if you are incapacitated). What happens

Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! Whether this is your first home or you are upgrading or downsizing from your current home, the purchase of a home is a big event in your life. When major life events occur, it is important that you have a plan in place to ensure that you

Myth: I do not have enough money and property to worry about estate planning. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As a farmer or rancher, you definitely have enough assets to worry about estate planning. Your land, equipment, and animals or crops are all considered assets you own and need to plan for. Given

Farming and ranching is more than just a livelihood; it is about preserving a legacy and a way of life. Unfortunately, many farmers and ranchers fail to create a comprehensive estate plan—or any estate plan at all. Without a proper estate plan, the family farm or ranch, passed down for generations, can end up being