Who wants to live to be 100? That depends on who you ask. Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: The odds of reaching that milestone are rising, along with the length of retirement and the number of life changes that come with it. Life expectancy gains in the US ...

Actor Val Kilmer’s passing in April 2025 highlights estate planning issues that can affect almost anyone. Although Kilmer was a celebrity, these issues—including managing real estate in more than one state, deciding what happens with digital assets, and using charitable gifts to leave a legacy and help reduce estate taxes—are ...

Born into an impoverished Houston household in 1949, George Foreman lived a rags-to-riches tale of pure Americana: Olympic gold medalist, heavyweight boxing champion, ordained minister, global pitchman, and father to a dozen children. At the time of his death on March 21, 2025, his estate was estimated to be valued ...

Regis Philbin, the Guinness World Record holder for the most hours on US television, was a familiar face in millions of homes for decades. By the time he retired from his show Live with Regis and Kelly in 2011, he had spent more than 16,740 hours in front of the ...

Signed into law on July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has made a sweeping change to the federal estate and gift tax landscape—one that significantly impacts families with substantial assets and those looking to create a legacy. Here’s what you need to know, and what you ...

In a modern world marked by information overload, overflowing inboxes, nonstop notifications, and the constant pressure to accumulate more stuff, minimalism offers a compelling counternarrative. Born from the mid-twentieth century artistic rebellion and revived in the 2010s on the back of increased digital clutter, climate anxiety, and economic strain, minimalism ...

As the federal estate tax exemption has ballooned from $5 million in 2011 to $13.99 million today, the need for estate tax planning has drastically decreased. However, with a top marginal income tax rate of 37 percent, the focus of estate planning has shifted to a new frontier: income tax ...

The irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) has long been a staple of estate planning. This tool is designed to hold life insurance policies and remove the death benefit proceeds from an individual’s taxable estate (meaning that the value is not subject to estate tax) while also providing liquidity to cover ...

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 market, the ...

There are more ways to create wealth today than ever before. Whether you are working a traditional nine-to-five job and investing in the stock market, a full-time investor taking advantage of online trading platforms and international markets, running an online business that you hope becomes your main income source, or ...

Retirement is supposed to be a carefree period of enjoyment and fulfillment. However, retirement has become a daunting prospect for many Americans, full of anxiety and financial uncertainty. Longer lives and rising costs make the idea of retiring in one’s 60s increasingly unrealistic. But very few people, even those who ...

If you are recently married or have been married for a while and have acquired additional money or property (or plan to), you have options regarding how your assets can be owned. Although joint ownership seems easy and convenient, it may not always work as well as you think it ...

Your wedding day was absolutely perfect. You and your spouse went on your honeymoon and had the time of your lives. Now you are back and can breathe a sigh of relief as the years ahead unfold before your eyes. Well, not so fast. With your honeymoon over, there are ...

Now is the perfect time to start working on an estate plan. As newlyweds, you are likely in the process of deciding which of your accounts and property (your assets) to combine and how to turn two households into one. You may also be setting up new bank accounts and ...

The term estate may bring to mind mansions, vast fortunes, and a level of wealth that many people do not possess. This misconception may lead to the false impression that estate planning is only for the rich and famous, discouraging those with more modest means from seeking professional guidance. If ...