Steve Smith | Tetra Images | Getty Images Handling the estate of a deceased parent can be an emotional process for children already dealing with grief. Those emotions can become more complicated if the estate plan doesn’t unfold as expected — say, if there is an uneven split of assets among children or a previously … Read more
Kathrin Ziegler | Digitalvision | Getty Images “Sorry I am dead.” This is how Doug Boneparth, a certified financial planner, starts what he calls a “death note” to his wife, Heather. Such a document, he says, is distinct from other estate-planning cornerstones like drafting a will, which lays out one’s wishes for how to distribute … Read more
Tanya Constantine | Getty Images Once you start Social Security retirement benefits, you are generally guaranteed to receive monthly checks for life. But that will stop once you die — with some exceptions for your loved ones. A one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 may be available, provided your survivors meet certain requirements. For example, … Read more
