Dear Liz: Is naming a beneficiary for a nonretirement, “payable on death” account as effective as putting the account in a living trust? It seems easier than doing all the paperwork each time I open ...

Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and ...

This article is intended for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. For guidance on your personal situation, please contact a lawyer. When you work hard your entire life to accumulate ...

This article is intended for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. For guidance on your personal situation, please contact a lawyer. Throughout my life, I've always heard that it's better ...

Planning for when you become old and/or incapacitated is not the merriest thing you’ll ever do, but it’s an important part of any long-term financial strategy. One option is to set up a living ...

If the goal is to help children bypass probate, a living trust is only part of the strategy, not a catchall bucket for every asset. Some accounts and policies already have built-in ways to sidestep ...

Living trusts allow you to avoid the probate process, which can be expensive and lengthy. A will is easier to set up and maintain than a living trust. Living trusts may make more sense for public ...