| Dent Coulson Elder Law | St. Louis, Metro East and Effingham

Common Estate Planning Mistake #16: Failing to plan for digital assets and passwords

We live in a digital age. Our bank accounts; investment accounts; credit card accounts; accounts with Amazon, Joss & Main and all the other online stores, have digital access and passwords. And, if you haven’t planned for your digital assets and your passwords, there’s a hole in your estate plan. Don’t assume that unless it […]

Common Estate Planning Mistake #15: Using the wrong assets to fund charitable gifts and bequests

Making charitable gifts or bequests to religious or other non-profit organizations is a generous gesture and an excellent way of making a difference. But, there can be a right way to do it and a not so right way to do it, in terms of getting the most of your donation while still preserving your assets. In this […]

Common Estate Planning Mistake #14: Failing to account for the possibility of outliving your named beneficiaries

We see a lot of situations in which people who are developing an Estate Plan have the idea, “Okay, I want it to go to my children in equal shares.” This sounds like a simple, reasonable and fair request. But, potential problems can arise when they haven’t addressed, “Well, what happens if you outlive one of […]

Common Estate Planning Mistake #13: Failing to make proper provisions for special needs family members

Special Needs family members require and deserve special provisions made for them in a family estate plan. Unfortunately, it is very common for people to either make provisions for them in an incorrect or incomplete way, or worse yet, not provide for them at all. In this Estate Planning Minute, Wes Coulson, Illinois Elder Law attorney, […]

Common Estate Planning Mistake #12: Failing to fund a Living Trust

Unfortunately, all too often, the common mistake we see in estate planning is the failure to fund a living trust. Funding is the step in transferring ownership of assets into the living trust. It’s not enough to simply have a living trust, if you fail to fund a living trust you risk losing those assets. In this Estate […]