The death of a spouse or family member is a vulnerable time. Going through the estate settlement process with unfamiliar professionals is scary and isolating. The foresight of establishing a relationship with a trustworthy fee-only advisor can provide a vital link of financial continuity.
When we accept a client, we see the relationship as a lifetime partnership and are committed to widows and widowers through even the worst of times. Even after the surviving spouse dies, we make ourselves available to the surviving family in aiding with the estate settlement if they desire our services.
We offer portfolio management for estate accounts waiting for distribution; aid in the paperwork required to open accounts and distribute assets; assist in making fair, even account divisions; and serve as an assistant in faithfully implementing the terms of the trust document or last will.
We also assist our clients in inheriting accounts from their departed loved ones. We help to calculate and implement inherited required minimum distributions as well as fulfill trust provisions such as net income distributions.
Inheriting a Joint Account at Charles Schwab
Before you say, “Oh, that doesn’t sound too hard,” you simply haven’t thought of the complexity.
Q&A: What Happens to an Inherited IRA RMD After a Multi-Beneficiary Trust Dissolution?
While not the most favorable RMD rules imaginable, I’m sure it is still a relief to know that you don’t need to navigate the new SECURE Act rules just because you dissolved the trust.