by Steve King | Jul 17, 2026 | Did you know?, estate planning, retirement
Did you know that your Will usually doesn’t control who receives your retirement accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.) when you die? Distributions from those accounts are controlled by a beneficiary designation form that you file with the company holding that account, not by...
by Steve King | Mar 7, 2022 | Did you know?, probate
Originally posted 1/8/2018 and updated 3/7/2022 Do you know what happens to your bills when you die? In Washington, when you die, your creditors don’t give up their right to be paid, but they can’t make the beneficiaries under your will (or your heirs at law if you...
by Steve King | Mar 1, 2022 | Did you know?, estate planning
Originally posted 1/16/2018 and updated 3/1/2022 Did you know that Washington state has its own estate tax, and that it starts at a much lower dollar threshold than the federal tax? Your “estate” is essentially the property you own when you die, and an estate tax is...
by Steve King | Feb 28, 2022 | Did you know?, medicaid
Originally posted 2/1/2018 and updated 2/28/22 Do you know how much you can own and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care? Because Medicaid is a needs-based program, there are limits on how much you can own and still qualify for long term care (e.g., nursing...
by Steve King | Feb 15, 2022 | Did you know?, estate planning
Originally posted 12/12/2017 and revised 2/15/2022 Did you know what makes a durable power of attorney “durable”? Powers of attorney fall into two general categories: powers of attorney and durable powers of attorney. If you execute a non-durable power of attorney,...
by Steve King | Feb 1, 2022 | Did you know?, gifts, medicaid
Originally posted on 12/26/2017 and revised 2/1/2022 Did you know that making a gift does not necessarily disqualify you from getting Medicaid for the next five years? Medicaid is a needs-based program, which means that your income and assets must be below a certain...
