An alternative approach to income and inheritance in blended families Published by Investment Executive September 15, 2026 Spousal trusts are often the default solution in blended-family estate planning because they can provide income to a surviving spouse while limiting access to capital and preserving the remaining wealth for children from a prior relationship. However, that apparent balance can mask an underlying tension. The spouse needs income during life; the children a

Using settlement annuities to safeguard inheritance and navigate the 21-year rule Published by Investment Executive November 13, 2025 Every couple of weeks, I get a call someone who has lost a parent and has been appointed executor of the estate. They explain to me that one of the estate beneficiaries — typically a sibling — struggles with a spending problem, a history of addiction, a mental health challenge, a cognitive disability or is in an abusive relationship. Sometimes

Ensure an equitable estate distribution among beneficiaries who received earlier gifts and advances Published by Investment Executive February 28, 2024 A hotchpot clause is a legal provision often found in a will that aims to ensure a fair distribution of assets among beneficiaries (usually residual) by considering any advances or gifts made to the beneficiaries during the testator’s lifetime. I created a tagline to help with the estate distribution calculation when a will in