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In response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb declared a statewide public health emergency on March 6, 2020. On March 23, Governor Holcomb issued a "shelter-in-place" order (Executive Order 20-08) urging Indiana residents to stay home unless travel is essential. For most people, this simply means to stay home unless traveling to work,...

No one likes to think about it, but tragedy can strike a young family. That’s why life insurance is important. If one parent dies, life insurance funds provide for the ongoing care of the surviving children. If both parents die, the money provides for their children through young adulthood. In most cases, term life insurance...

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 became law on December 20, 2019. It's designed to prevent older Americans from outliving their assets. The new law will have an impact on estate plans involving IRA accounts, however. An estate planning strategy called a "stretch IRA" allows IRA account holders to...

Not everyone can afford to buy a house, either due to limited income or a poor credit rating. Indiana residents dealing with financial constraints may have other options, however. A process dubbed rent-to-own may be the best option, according to The Street, a personal finance publication. Rent-to-own agreements only apply to tenants who have already rented...

When it comes to estate planning, determining how to manage your health care in the latter years of your life, and your money and property after death, the keyword is planning. The goal is to refine an estate plan into details that protect your assets in retirement and benefit loved ones when you’re gone, according...

Think of a living trust as a short cut for loved ones when you’re gone. Establishing a living trust in Indiana is a way to let heirs avoid the deliberations of probate court and claim assets left to them by the deceased, according to finance.yahoo.com. In contrast, the absence of a living trust when someone dies...

Estate planning can be difficult in the best of situations. If you have a special needs trust for a child, this planning can get to be even more complex. Unfortunately, many people fail to plan properly – and they pay the price. A recent article in Kiplinger details how a special needs trust for a...

There are several legal complications associated with getting divorced and those involving personal finances can cause a great deal of stress between divorcing spouses. By planning ahead, however, you can avoid losing certain assets, including your retirement. USA Today offers several ways you can safeguard your assets in the event of a divorce. Post-divorce budget Knowing...

Make no mistake about it: trusts aren't only for the wealthy. Anyone can benefit from having a trust. Unfortunately, many people fail to see the benefit of estate planning until it's too late. For those who do recognize the benefits, last wills are often established in order to pass property and assets along to a...

If you’re like many single parents in Indiana, estate planning may be one of the last things on your mind. You have a myriad of obligations you regularly meet and may have little time to consider your estate planning options. Even then, estate planning can seem complex and overwhelming. An article by financial magazine Kiplinger...