SmartReads

One of the most important decisions in someone’s financial life and beyond can be whom they choose as a partner. On average, 40.1% of adults in large cities have found their partner, while another 42.5% have yet to make that decision and remain single. The balance may be inherently off, with an average of 107… read more…

Joint bank accounts are useful financial tools that can simplify the management of shared funds between two parties. When one account holder dies, what happens next depends largely on the account’s title. Often, a joint account with rights of survivorship allows the surviving owner to assume full financial control. In other situations, the deceased owner’s… read more…

When someone dies, their bank accounts do not always have to go through probate before the money becomes accessible. Many accounts pass directly to a named beneficiary through tools like payable-on-death (POD) designations or joint ownership with rights of survivorship. In other cases, small estate laws may allow heirs to claim funds using an affidavit… read more…

If you’re scrambling to compile tax documents as the filing deadline approaches, you’re not alone. A tax extension can offer welcome breathing room, but it also comes with rules and potential pitfalls that many taxpayers misunderstand. Knowing how long an extension lasts, what it does and doesn’t cover and what happens if you miss a… read more…