Resources for Adults 50+
AfterVault provides a collection of useful and valuable resources, which will help adults 50+
to live the life they love.
Which Documents To Safely Store in Crisis Situations (Checklist)
In the midst of the biggest pandemic since the Spanish flu, all of us are thinking more and more about our families. We’re all hoping that those close to us will be okay. COVID 19 came like a storm and has shown us that unexpected events can upset everything in our...
Where Is My Money? Trust Accounting – You Are Entitled To Ask For It (Video)
Estate Planning Attorney Stefanie West talks about trust accounting from a beneficiary's perspective.
What You Need To Know While Creating Living Trust For Yourself
A California living trust is an authoritative archive that puts a few or the majority of your benefits in the control of trust amid your lifetime. You keep on having the capacity to utilize the advantages, for instance, you would live in and keep up a home that is...
Last Minute Estate Planning? – This Is What You Can Do (Video)
Estate Planning Attorney Stefanie West talks about last minute Estate Planning changes and what you can do when you need something changed right away, but you are very short of time. Here are the links for the sites Stefanie talks about in this video. California...
California Estate Planning Laws You Need To Know
No matter where you reside, it is necessary to have basic estate planning documents in a systematic manner like a will, medical directive and reliable power of attorney for handling the finances. Bay area California is a prosperous state and it has high real estate...
Bad Excuses For Not Making an Estate Plan: “I’m Not Rich Enough”
Those of us who deal with estate planning for a living get to hear a range of interesting excuses from those who haven’t yet created an estate plan. These excuses can range from puzzling, to frustrating, to downright bizarre. Almost none are valid in the face of...
Are All Wills The Same? (Video)
Estate Planning Attorney Stefanie West talks about the two different kinds of wills.
Pet Emergency Plan: Disaster Preparedness for Your Pets (Infographic)
There are hundreds of millions of pets in the U.S. alone. The joy they provide their owners and families is unlimited. What greater pleasure than watching your pup or kitten grow, sharing memories with it and your family? Recently we have been contacted by Mike...
Inspiring Tips For The Holidays (Video)
Estate Planning Attorney Stefanie West talks about the importance of "Giving with Warm Hands" and "Putting Pen to Paper" as two ways to give and communicate, instead of waiting until after your passing.
Guardians For Money And To Raise The Children: Differences (Video)
Estate Planning Attorney Stefanie West talks about guardianship for a child. There are two different guardianship for minors, one for the finances and one for the person. Learn why that is.
What Does It Mean To “Fund” A Trust? (Video)
Estate Planning Attorney Stefanie West talks about what it means to "fund" a trust and why it is so important to complete the paperwork to support this step, when setting up a trust.
Prince left a mess. Do you have the same problem?
Prince, Tupac Shakur, and Kurt Cobain left their vision and their life work in the hands of...well..whoever was assigned by the court after they died. Certainly not a person chosen by them to handle their legacy. Your blogs, selfies, Facebook posts, and videos...
Till Death Do Us Part? Making The Most Of Your Inheritance (Infographic)
We would like to share with you one more great infographic. Here you can find out important stats about inheritance and what could be the consequences of not making a will. We hope you would find it helpful! Don`t forget that you can safely store all...
Living Trusts vs. Wills – What’s The Difference?
Do you know the difference between a will and a trust? You’ve probably heard these terms but do you know what sets them apart and whether you need to have both? As we mentioned before, your will is a part of your estate plan. The same can be said for the trust, but...
Less Than 25% Of Australians Have An Up-To-Date Will
Not long ago we talked about the fact that only 42 percent of U.S. adults currently have estate planning documents such as a will or living trust.. The situation in Australia is quite similar with only 55% of adults having a will. In this article we’d like to...
Probate – What You Need To Know
Estate planning is a complex matter with lots of uncommon and hard to grasp words. An example is the word ‘probate’. Do you know what it is, how long it takes, and if you can avoid it? In this article we’ll share our knowledge on this topic. What is probate? Simply...
How To Protect Your Important Documents During A Natural Disaster
Unfortunately, natural disasters a part of our lives and we will usually have little to no warning before they strike. This year was no exception, with the wildfires in California destroying more than 600 homes and Hurricane Lane in Hawaii forcing people to...
Top Estate Planning Mistakes : Relying Only On A Will
In our previous article we discussed what can go wrong if you don't update your will. In this article we look at another major estate planning mistake. If you think that having a will means that your estate planning is complete, then you are wrong. On the image...
How Does Divorce Affect Your Will?
In our previous article we talked about how important it is to make sure we update our will every time an certain big life event happens. Having an outdated will can be one of the top estate planning mistakes most of us make. Marriage and divorce are two of the...
Top Estate Planning Mistakes : Having An Outdated Will
A couple of months ago we wrote an article about the top reasons to update your will (The Top 10 Reasons to Update Your Will ). As we discussed there, it is really important to update your will if there has been a major change in your life, such as giving birth,...
Standard Will vs. Estate Planning : What is the difference?
Have you ever wonder if there is a difference between a standard will and the professional estate planning. Recently we stumbled upon an image that compares the two and shows the difference. This image is created by the Duxroe Lawyers and provides a great overview...
10 Fun Facts About Estate Planning (Infographic)
This week we want to share with you some interesting facts about Estate Planing. 1. Living wills, which allow people to control their end-of-life medical treatment, are a recent estate planning mechanism. California became the first state to allow living...
Federal Estate Tax & Inheritance Tax: What You Need to Know (2018)
You might feel confident that your estate will not exceed the estate tax threshold but are you aware that that you or your beneficiaries can still end up paying an inheritance tax? In this article we’ll tell you more about federal estate tax and inheritance tax....
What happens to your LastPass and 1Password accounts when you die?
Each of your online accounts requires passoword and username or email. There are several password managment services that store your passwords in a private account. Some of these services are LastPass and 1Passwords. If you use one of them then you will be...
What happens to your PayPal account when you die?
PayPal is an „online payments system that supports online money transfers and serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods like cheques and money orders“. If you like to shop online and you use PayPal, then you will be interested in learning...
What happens to your Shutterfly account when you die?
At Shutterfly.com you can create photo books, personalize photo cards and stationery, and share photos with family and friends. If you use their services then the following information will be useful to you. Can you access the account of a deceased family member?...
What happens to your Dropbox account when you die?
Next in our list to cover is Dropbox. If you have documents or pictures stored in a Dropbox account then is a good idea to know what will happen to your account if you are no longer around. Will your family get access? You can make it easy by granting access to...
What happens to your Yahoo account when you die?
Do you have Yahoo email? Or do you use any of Yahoo services? If your answer is „yes“, then the following information will be useful for you. What are the available options if Yahoo account owner is not longer around? In these cases, Yahoo has a process in place to...
What happens to your Amazon account when you die?
There is a big chance that you have heard of Amazon.com. In 2016 Amazon had 310 million active customers and if you are one of them, we are sure you will be interested in the information below. If something happens to you, your family can close your account, but...
What happens to your Google account when you die?
We bet you use at least one of Google`s services. If your email is Gmail, your phone uses Android or your business has a company account, then knowing what will happen to your accounts if you are no longer around is essential. The Inactive Account Manager allows...
What happens to your Flickr account when you die?
Do you use Flickr? Flickr is an image hosting service and video hosting service. According to the Verge, Flickr had a total of 87 million registered members and more than 3.5 million new images uploaded daily in 2013. If you are one of the Flickr users and having...
What happens to your Pinterest account when you die?
Have you heard about Pinterest? The website which is like an online pinboard. It is mostly used for collecting visual pieces of multimedia. If you own one or two boards yourself then, it will be really useful to learn what your family or friends can do if you are...
The New AfterVault.com Has Arrived! Introducing The Second Guardian!
We're excited to announce a new release of AfterVault.com. With this update you'll have the opportunity to add a second guardian to your vaults. If your first guardian doesn't answer in time, we'll reach out to your secondary guardian. Now you also have the chance...
What happens to your LinkedIn account when you die?
LinkedIn is one of the best places to engage with your professional network, find job or recrute your next employee. The network has 500 million+ members and if you are one of them it is a good idea to know what will happen to your account if you or someone from...
What happens to your Instagram account when you die?
Last week we have discussed what happens to your Twitter account when you are no longer around. And we found out that Twitter will only leave the account of the deceased as is or close it. This week we will focus on Instagram, the app made for sharing photos and...
What happens to your Twitter account when you die?
Are you using Twitter everyday? If so it pays to know what will happen to your account when you die. Currently Twitter will only leave the account of the deceased as is or close it. You need to contact Twitter about a deceased family member's account. According to...
Digital Estate Planning Checklist : Protect Your Digital Assets
We got a question for you? Have you ever wondered about what happens to your Facebook stuff when you die? What about your Dropbox, your Twitter, your Instagram, even your PayPal… What happens to these digital assets when you are gone? We wondered the same thing,...
Estate Planning For Business Owners
Estate planning is even more essential for business owners. In fact, your business insurance might even require that you have some sort of plan in place to ensure that your business can continue even if you are gone. And by putting your affairs in order you can...
The Top 10 Reasons to Update Your Will
Recently we stumbled upon a question about when should one should update their will. We spoke with estate planning attorneys and they all agreed that if there has been a major change in your life, such as giving birth, marriage, or divorce you need to alter your...
6 out of 10 Americans Don’t Have an Estate Plan
It is never easy to start planning for the time when you won’t be around. Leaving estate planning for later is the easy path but that just means that the problem is still there, maybe until it’s too late. It’s essential to recognize the reality of life and put your...
Why People Avoid Estate Planning? (Infographic)
We found this great infographic made by Dana Law Firm and we want it to share it with you. Share you thoughts with us and let`s discuss why people avoid Estate...
Is it possible to write your own will?
Important as it is, estate planning can be confusing and complex. When you first start thinking about it, so many questions can arise. Foremost of course is ‘What do we need to do?’ For many people, the next question mark is whether or not they can write their own...
Single with no kids? Who should be your beneficiary?
If you’re single and you don`t have kids, you are not alone. Half of the adults in the U.S. are single according to the Pew Research Center. But no matter your status, one thing is for certain, you should take care of your estate planning. This is the only way you...
Is there a way to protect my digital assets if I die?
We live in a digital world where the most of our day-to-day activities are online. I communicate with my friends and family, pay my bills, shop and work online. I can’t remember the last time I printed a picture or went to the post office to send a letter. And,...
Now Is the Only Perfect Time to Talk About Estate Planning
Sitting around the table on Christmas Eve with your family is probably not the best time to start talking about your final plans. It’s the kind of conversation that could really bring down your happy family talk and cozy, festive mood. I know it would probably...
The TOP 3 Concerns of Digital Estate Planning
We all can agree that the technology boom and easy access to the Internet has dramatically changed the way we live. The days of video calls are now here. Chats have become an integral part of our lives by letting us use emoticons to express our feelings in...
Why is it so difficult to have the conversation?
Families need to come together to talk about death. Even the youngest can understand final wishes when they start learning at an early age. Why is it so difficult to have the conversation? A local preschool has a tiny, fenced-in plot with a sign that says...
PODs and TODs can save you or your family two years of waiting for money
Except for joint accounts, banks are not in a hurry to release money until probate is complete and that can be a serious hardship for those left behind especially given the expenses that come with a death. Use PODS and TODs to get the money to your family right...
Floods and Paper Documents: An Avoidable Loss
Lives and homes lost are, of course, the stories that most break our hearts when a natural disaster such as Hurricane Harvey washes away the treasured possessions of so many thousands and thousands of people. But there is also the aftermath of the disaster when the...
Estate Planning: The Adventures of Estate Sales
Estate Planning Lawyer Stefanie West talks about the difference between Estate Sales and Consignment Sales.