By Tim Barkley. March 2026. Q: My spouse just died. What do I need to think about? A: I’m so sorry to hear. You need to contact his life insurance and retirement benefits administrators, and claim any benefits due you, including rolling over his 401(k) or IRA to a...
By Tim Barkley. November 2025. Q: I signed my will in another state. I wrote it out by hand. There are no witnesses, but it is notarized. Is it valid here? A: A valid Maryland will must be in writing, intended to be a will, signed by the “testator” (the person making...
By Tim Barkley. October 2025. Q: My will and powers of attorney are 30 years old. Do they need to be redrafted? A: Your documents don’t need to be redrafted just because of their age, but their might be other changes to the law, terminology, technology or societal...
December 2024 Q: I have established 529 plans for my grandchildren and have purchased life insurance policies on their lives. Is there anything else I need to do? A: Yes! You should do two things. First, since you’re the custodian of the 529 plans and owner of the...
November 2024 Q: Who are all these people mentioned in my documents? A: Allow me to clarify: Fiduciary – person who acts in a position of trust over another person or that person’s assets – everyone below is a particular kind of fiduciary. Trustee – fiduciary...
