Estate Planning

In the United States, the divorce rate has hovered around 50 percent for some time now. Consequently, blended families that result from second (or subsequent) marriages have all but become the norm in the U.S. While estate planning is important for anyone with a family, it takes on heightened importance if you are part of a blended family. The Indianapolis estate planning lawyers at Frank & Kraft explain why you might need a QTIP trust if you remarry and create a blended family. Estate … [Read more...] about Why You Might Need a QTIP Trust If You Remarry

For many people, philanthropy is an important part of their everyday life. If you are one of those people, your charity does not have to end when you are gone. On the contrary, with careful planning, your charitable gifting can continue long past the time of your death. The Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft explain how to incorporate charitable gifting strategies and tools into your estate plan. Philanthropy in Your Daily Life Are you someone for whom philanthropy … [Read more...] about Charitable Gifting Options

If you have an estate plan in place already, you are ahead of the curve in the United States. Surveys indicate that despite understanding how important estate planning is, over half of all Americans do not have a plan. While you deserve to pat yourself on the back for putting together your initial estate plan, do not make the mistake of thinking that you can forget about the issue of estate planning from here on out. On the contrary, your initial estate plan needs to be reviewed and revised … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons to Review Your Estate Plan

Thinking about your own funeral may not be something you want to do; however, it may be something you need to do, both for your sake and for the sake of your loved ones. When you do take the time to contemplate your funeral and burial, purchasing a pre-paid funeral contract may sound like an easy solution to an uncomfortable task. An Indianapolis estate planning attorney at Frank & Kraft explains why a pre-paid funeral contract may not be the right option for you. Do I Need to … [Read more...] about Is a Pre-Paid Funeral Contract Right for Me?

Having an estate plan in place is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself and to your loved ones. Having never worked on an estate plan before, however, you may feel a little intimidated about your upcoming appointment. To help put you at ease, and to make the most out of your appointment, the Indianapolis estate planning lawyers at Frank & Kraft offer you the following tips on preparing for your upcoming consultation. Define your goals –  when you think about estate planning, … [Read more...] about Preparing for Your First Meeting with an Estate Planning Attorney

Estate planning can be a daunting process the first-time around for many people. Ideally, your estate plan should incorporate a wide range of goals and objectives into one comprehensive plan. That plan may utilize numerous estate planning tools and strategies, all of which can seem overwhelming. To help you feel more at ease with getting started on your estate plan, Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft offer the following top 10 tips for estate planning. Define your … [Read more...] about Top 10 Tips for Estate Planning

Collectively, the documents that make up your comprehensive estate plan will likely be among the most important documents you ever create during your lifetime. Given how important they are, once they are prepared and ready to be utilized when necessary, what should you do with them? The Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft explain why your safety deposit box is not the safest place for your estate planning documents. Common Estate Planning Documents Your estate plan … [Read more...] about Your Safety Deposit Box Is Not the Safest Place for Your Estate Planning Documents

If you are like the average person, you recognize the need to have a comprehensive estate plan in place, but beyond that estate planning remains somewhat of a mystery.  Estate planning encompasses much more than just deciding how your estate will be distributed after you are gone. Likewise, an estate planning attorney can do much more for you than you probably realize. The Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft explain 10 things about estate planning that you might not … [Read more...] about Estate Planning – 10 Things You Might Not Already Know

If you are a grandparent, you may wish to include your grandchildren in your estate plan. Doing so, however, can be tricky and may cause you a certain amount of internal conflict. To help you decide how to handle gifting to your grandchildren, the Indianapolis estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft offers top tips for gifting to your grandchildren. Do not wait until you are gone.  If your long-term plan is to pass down a portion of your estate to your grandchildren, make why not … [Read more...] about Tips for Gifting to Grandchildren

You have probably watched or heard an advertisement on television or radio for reverse mortgages. These ads are hard to miss as they seem to be everywhere, and they make a reverse mortgage sound very attractive for senior citizens living on a modest fixed income. Is a reverse mortgage as good an idea as the ads make them sound? The Carmel estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft explain how a reverse mortgage works. What Is a Reverse Mortgage?  For seniors who have equity … [Read more...] about Should I Agree to a Reverse Mortgage?