Littman Krooks

With careful planning and review, your retirement savings can provide for your loved ones after your death. By taking a few simple actions, you can ensure that your benefits are awarded to the right person and will protect your family.

Making arrangements for the distribution of your retirement assets after your death is relatively simple. When you start a new job or open a retirement account, you’ll be required to fill out beneficiary forms that designate whom you want to collect on your savings. Unfortunately, it’s fairly easy to forget about these forms as the years pass by, and many people inadvertently leave their retirement assets to an unintended individual, such as a divorced spouse, rather than the current spouse or their children.

You can make sure that your retirement benefits go to the appropriate person by doing the following:

1) Make sure that you review your beneficiary designation forms every 2-5 years or whenever you experience a major life event, such as the death of a spouse, a second marriage, or the birth or adoption of a child.

2) Name contingent beneficiaries so that your family will be provided for if the primary beneficiary pre-deceases you. While you may think that naming your spouse as your primary beneficiary is enough, you can never be too careful with the assets that will help support your family.

3) Do not rely on your will to take care of your retirement assets. A will does not control the disposition of any asset that has a named beneficiary (including life insurance, pensions, trusts, and retirement accounts). Any named beneficiaries on your retirement account, therefore, will override any beneficiaries named in your will. If you wish to leave your retirement assets to a trust, you should seek the advice of an estate planning attorney.

4) If you’ve made the choice to name minor children as beneficiaries, you need to make sure you name a guardian for them and a trustee for their assets. Your retirement funds may be used to provide for the kids if anything happens to you, but minors are not legally allowed to control assets. They will need someone to manage their inheritance for them until they come of age.

Following these simple steps will ensure that your retirement assets work together with your overall estate plan. An estate planning attorney can help guide you through the process of making the proper designations and incorporating your retirement benefits into your estate plan.

To learn more about New York elder law, New York estate planning, visit http://www.elderlawnewyork.com

Probate is the process by which a court determines the authenticity of a decedent’s last will and testament. The executor’s job is to carry out the decedent’s wishes as set forth in the will. While probate sounds like a simple process, it almost never is. Even in the best of circumstances, there are procedures that must be followed strictly, and the probate process can take anywhere from months to years. Creating a good will can help shorten the probate process; however, even with a will, there are elements outside your control.

The executor must complete the following steps as part of the probate process:

• making an inventory of all the decedent’s assets (this can be a difficult task if good records were not kept);
• holding the assets while the estate is administered;
• selling and/or liquidating assets for distribution or payment of taxes;
• paying all valid debts of the estate;
• notifying all beneficiaries of their inheritance;
• preparing tax returns and paying taxes; and
• distributing the estate assets as directed in the will.

The probate process can be further complicated if beneficiaries cannot be located or if a beneficiary contests the will. Going through all of these steps on your own can be difficult. An experienced estate law attorney can guide you through the probate process by helping you file the appropriate court documents and protecting the inheritance of beneficiaries.

Bernard Krooks is a New York Elder Law and New York Estate Planning lawyer with offices in White Plains, Fishkill, and New York, New York. To learn more, visit Littmankrooks.com.

Because their home is their largest asset and their greatest source of equity, many choose to take out a home-equity loan. However, a home-equity loan may not be a sound option, since the money must be paid back, with interest. Luckily, there is another option available to seniors. A reverse mortgage allows them to gain equity without adding financial pressure to their lives.

A reverse mortgage is an easy way of accessing your home equity without creating monthly payments. The money received from a reverse mortgage does not have to be paid back during a person’s lifetime. Instead of making payments, as with a normal home-equity loan, the cash flow is reversed and the senior will receive payments from the bank.

Not everyone will qualify for a reverse mortgage. One of the major eligibility requirements is that the person applying for the mortgage be at least 62 years old and occupy the home as the principal residence for the majority of the year. The loan only becomes due when the last borrower permanently leaves the home.

What makes these types of mortgages so attractive is the fact that they are not credit-based. Therefore, income and credit history are not necessary for the person to obtain the mortgage. Another major benefit of a reverse mortgage is that the proceeds are tax-free and can be received in a number of ways. You can choose to receive the proceeds as a lump sum, in fixed monthly payments for as long as you live in the mortgaged property, as a line of credit, or through a combination of these options. These proceeds can be used for any of the following purposes:

• daily living expenses
• paying-off existing debts
• home repairs and improvements
• medical bills and prescription drugs
• education
• travel
• long-term care and/or long-term care insurance
• financial and estate tax plans
• gifts and trusts
• purchasing life insurance

While there are many benefits to this process, there are certain drawbacks that seniors should consider carefully before choosing this option. If, for example, the senior who takes out the reverse mortgage is not entirely competent, his power of attorney or guardian may be able to access the funds received from the reverse mortgage. Seniors considering a reverse mortgage should contact an elder law attorney who can guide them through the process.

Bernard Krooks is a New York Elder Law and New York Estate Planning lawyer with offices in White Plains, Fishkill, and New York, New York. To learn more, visit Littmankrooks.com.