You probably assume that if something happened to you, the other parent would step in and everything would work itself out. In many families, that's true. But not always. Real life is messy. Parents separate. Relationships become contentious. Custody disputes drag on for years. And when a tragedy occurs in the middle of all of that, children can end up in legal limbo while adults and courts scramble to figure out what happens next. A recent Michigan case shows exactly how com

Retirement accounts follow different rules from other assets you may own. After you die, the people you love most may face unexpected tax burdens if you don’t understand how the rules work.

You trust your spouse completely. But if you're in a blended family and your estate plan simply says "everything goes to my spouse," your own children could end up with nothing - not because anyone meant harm, but because ownership changes everything.