What Happens When You Inherit a House? The Great Wealth Transfer Is Hitting Home

The largest transfer of wealth in history is not coming. It is here. Cerulli Associates projects about $124 trillion changing hands through 2048, with trillions already moving every year and the pace accelerating toward a peak in the mid-2030s. Visa's economists put boomer holdings at more than $93

What Happens to Your Family's Home If You Die Without Life Insurance?

A while back, a woman I will call Rachel lost her husband, Paul, to cancer. (Her name and his have been changed here, out of respect for their privacy.) They had two kids and a home and the same mortgage most families carry. What they also had, because Paul set it up before he ever got sick, was a l

How Much Life Insurance Does a Homeowner Need?

How Much Life Insurance Does a Homeowner with a Family Actually Need? My wife's friend lost her husband unexpectedly. He had a $1,000,000 life insurance policy. That policy is not going to take care of their family for the rest of their lives. But it gave his wife something that most people in that

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Tapping Your Home Equity

You've been building equity for years. Maybe you're finally looking at a kitchen remodel, a high-interest debt you want to eliminate, or an investment opportunity that needs capital. And your home is sitting there with $80,000, $120,000, maybe more in equity. So the question becomes: should you tap