The estate of a late Proctor & Gamble employee is embroiled in a legal battle over his retirement account nearly a decade after his death—with his ex-girlfriend from 35 years ago. Jeffrey Rolison ...

A recent federal court case, Proctor & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company v. Estate of Rolison, No. 3:17-CV-00762 (M.D. Pa. April 29, 2024) ("Rolison"), serves as an important reminder of the need ...

Most parties know the importance of saving original wills. They are executed with great formality, notarized, and regarded as the final work in distribution of property. What many, if not most, people ...

What is a beneficiary? Perhaps the clearest definition comes from the Insurance Information Institute which states, “A beneficiary is a person or entity you name in a life insurance policy... What is ...

One of the biggest myths and misconceptions of estate planning is that a will controls the disposition of all one’s assets at death. This is not the case. Failing to distinguish the difference between ...

When administering an employee benefit plan, it is critically important to provide clear and specific instructions as to how a participant can designate a beneficiary. A recent federal district court ...

For most Americans, their retirement plan savings accounts are likely one of their largest and most important assets. And yet many do not give these accounts the attention they deserve when it comes ...

In the recent case of Schaddelee as Cotrustee of Ronald Schaddelee Irrevocable Trust v. Deleon as Cotrustee of Ronald Schaddelee Irrevocable Trust, 2023 WL 4143639 (Mich Ct App Jun 22, 2023) ...

Some financial products like life insurance or tax-advantaged retirement accounts require you to name one or more beneficiaries. However, that’s not the case with many assets. For instance, you can ...

In the complex world of estate planning, one critical element often flies under the radar: beneficiary designations. These seemingly simple lines on financial documents can make or break your intended ...

The one small form that could undo your entire nest egg.

Q. Let’s say a brother has a will naming his other brother and sister, but his bank account is payable upon death to just to the brother, not the sister. Is the bank account part of the estate? What ...