A client called not long ago to tell me her husband had died. We talked for a while about the funeral, and she told me she was doing about as well as anyone does in that first post-death week. Then she mentioned the yellow legal pad on her kitchen table, filled with notes about bank accounts, car titles, and a…
How to Donate Your Body to Science in Maryland: What the State Anatomy Board Requires
A woman in her seventies once told her children she’d already taken care of it. She’d added a line to her will donating her body to science, so there was nothing left for them to arrange. When she died several years later, her children learned that line meant nothing. Maryland’s whole-body donation program had never heard of her. The woman…
What Happens to Firearms During Probate in Maryland?
Most people assume firearms pass through an estate the same way other personal belongings do. In Maryland, however, firearms are subject to additional legal requirements that personal representatives must follow before they can be transferred to a beneficiary. Understanding these rules can help avoid costly mistakes and ensure the estate is administered properly. Most personal property passes through probate without…
What Happens to Frequent Flyer Miles and Rewards Points After Death in Maryland?
Two hundred thousand frequent flyer miles. A guest suite’s worth of hotel points. A stack of credit card rewards that never quite got redeemed. None of it shows up on an estate inventory the way a house or a savings account does. And under most rewards program rules, none of it may legally belong to the person who spent years…
Probate in Maryland: What Happens After Probate Begins
If probate is required, the next question is what the process actually looks like. In Maryland, probate follows a set sequence, and when you look at it step by step, the process is easy to understand. This is the second part of a simple two-part overview of the probate process in Maryland. In this post, we walk through what typically…
Probate in Maryland: A Simple Starting Point
When someone dies, one of the first things families hear is that they need to “go through probate.” Most people are not exactly sure what that means or whether it even applies to their situation. Probate exists in every state, but the process is handled differently in each one. In Maryland, it generally follows a clear structure that most estates…
Working, Timing, and Lifetime Income. How Social Security Decisions Affect Long-Term Planning
In Part 1, we explained how Social Security benefits are calculated and why the age you start benefits matters.Next, in Part 2, we discussed the rules for spouses, ex-spouses, and survivor benefits.Lastly, In Part 3, we looked at how taxes and other income can affect how much you keep. This is Part 4 of our four-part Social Security series. In…
When Social Security Becomes Taxable. How Other Income Can Change What You Keep
In Part 1, we explained how Social Security benefits are calculated.In Part 2, we discussed the rules for spouses, ex-spouses, and survivor benefits. This is Part 3 of our four-part Social Security series. Even after you understand how Social Security works, other rules can affect how much you actually receive. One of the most common surprises is that Social Security…
Marriage, Divorce, and Social Security. Rules That Can Affect Your Benefits More Than You Expect
In Part 1, we explained how Social Security benefits are calculated and why the age you choose to start benefits can make a meaningful difference. This is Part 2 of our four-part Social Security series. Marriage, divorce, and the loss of a spouse can all affect Social Security benefits, sometimes more than people expect. In estate planning, we often see…
When Should You Start Social Security? Why Timing Matters More Than Most People Realize
Social Security sounds simple. You work, you retire, and at some point you begin receiving a monthly check. In reality, the rules are more nuanced than most people expect. The age you choose to start receiving Social Security benefits can affect how much you receive each month, how long your retirement savings last, and how financially secure a surviving spouse…