Author Archives: Roger Billings

Mistakes to Avoid in Beneficiary Designations

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Roger Billings

Many conscientious estate planners, who prepare careful and complete estate plans, give little thought to beneficiary designations for retirement accounts or life insurance policies. Sandra Feingerts of the Fisher & Phillips law firm has prepared a useful list of mistakes … Continue reading →






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Plant Planning? – Pittsburgh Woman Leaves Philodendron in Her Will

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Roger Billings

Ronna Scoratow’s philodendron is 42 years old. According to the Wall Street Journal: Ms. Scoratow has no children. Her siblings don’t share her enthusiasm for indoor greenery. So last year she put a provision in her will granting $5,000 for … Continue reading →






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Adding Your Child to Your Bank Account is Not Such a Great Idea

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Roger Billings

A common means of avoiding probate is to put your child’s name on all of your accounts. This can create some serious problems, not least of which is if a creditor goes after your child’s assets and is able to … Continue reading →






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Birthdays and estate planning

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Roger Billings

You’re another year young. After all, birthdays are just a number, just a box on the calendar. Right? But sometimes birthdays start us thinking. Thinking about the past and the future, thinking about how old we are getting. Rather than … Continue reading →






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Ten Best Places to Retire?

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Roger Billings

 Bankrate has compiled a list of the ten best places to retire, with the assumption that freezing to death is not a significant concern. The top five are: 1. South Dakota 2. Colorado 3. Utah 4. North Dakota 5. Wyoming … Continue reading →






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Did She Leave a Will and If So, Where Is It?

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Roger Billings

A common question is how to find a will of a deceased relative. About.com has an explanation here of the steps to go through to find the will, including how to obtain a copy from a probate court, how to … Continue reading →






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The Trials of Inheriting a Fortune – Whitney Houston’s Heirs

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Roger Billings

The inheritance of Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, is stirring up family controversy. This from the Trials and Heirs blog: Although you should take tabloid reports with a grain of skepticism,  there can be no question that Bobbi Kristina’s marriage … Continue reading →






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