How do I find my father’s trust dated 1969 that is the beneficiary of a term life policy?
My father passed away recently. Most of his estate is under a trust that we know about. However, there is a term life policy he owned that has as its beneficiary a trust in my father’s name, under indenture, dated 1969. My mother and their current estate lawyer have no clue about this trust or […]
Can we legally move any of my elderly terminally ill father’s money, before he has to start paying out of pocket for 24/7 care?
My dad never did a will, and never wanted to talk about it when brought up, but he wanted his money to go to his children. My brother’s name is on his accounts, so can any of that money be gifted to us, before the nursing home takes it all, and he’s flat broke within […]
Can children of divorced parents trade quitclaim deeds on respective parent’s houses upon their death.
Both adult children are 50/50 beneficiaries of divorced parent’s houses. Both adult children are living in either the mom’s or dad’s house. The mom where my sis lives just died. Sis wants to stay there. The houses are the same in value. Can we trade our quick claims to the houses so she stays at […]
How can I change my name of a deed since I got married?
My deed needs to be updated to reflect my last name due to marriage in my revocable trust. ANSWER BY MARGARET CROSS-BELIVEAU: Your name change does not affect the ownership rights. At the time of the sale or transfer out of your revocable trust, the new deed with state your new name and your former […]
Making The Most of Restricted Stock and RSUs
Restricted stock and restricted stock units (RSUs) are two alternative forms of employee compensation. They’re a way for a company to incentivize employees with equity in the company. Restricted stock is typically granted as a type of bonus or added compensation, using a vesting schedule. You receive partial ownership of the shares and may be […]
Do disable citizens have to pay real estate tax?
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: My mom passed away. She left me a condominium. I’m receiving SSDI. Do I have to pay real estate tax on the property I inherited? ANSWER BY MARGARET CROSS-BELIVEAU: You can check with the town assessor’s office to see if you qualify for an exemption. Generally, those are granted to people who are […]
Why wouldn’t I be included, for any inheritance or possessions my Step-Dad had when he passed away on Feb 18,2020?
My Step-Dad passed away, and he was still living with my Mom . They lived together for 40+ years. About their 35th year, the did a fast marriage thru a Magistrate judge, and afterwards, they divorced, mom and Dad both told me it was because of how much the Ins. Premium went up in cost, […]
I own two rental properties and wondered if there would be any advantage to putting my adult daughter on the deed with me?
Asked in Massachusetts Does the fact that my daughter is on the deed make it easier for her to sell the property when I die? ANSWER BY MARGARET CROSS-BELIVEAU: Yes, adding a child onto a deed will avoid having the asset go through probate. However, it does comes with risks. What if your daughter predeceases […]
Including Life Settlements in Your Estate Plan
If you have a life insurance policy you no longer need, you may be able to sell it for significantly more than its cash surrender value (CSV). A life settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy to a third party. The sale can provide the policy holder with more than the CSV and […]
Hired a lawyer to add to the deed of the house, lawyer got us a letters of authority for personal representative
Asked from Boston, Massachusetts: Dad died in 2020, mom was not on the mortgage or deed. Dad did not have a will, or look over this information before passing. We went to a lawyer asking to be added to the deed, so my mom could sell the house. (She’s been paying the mortgage for almost […]