Bankruptcy Basics

Bankruptcy is a set of legally-defined ways for individuals or businesses to settle debts without full payment, by following rules that govern their assets and financial actions for a period of time. There are two broad types, liquidation and reorganization. Under...

Understanding Wills and Trusts

A will is a written document that defines how your assets will be distributed after you die. Trusts are legal arrangements that involve a separate legal entity to hold and distribute assets — during your life, after your life, or both. As an alternative to...

Probate Basics

The legal distribution of assets and property left by someone who has died is called ‘probate.’ It is a process of law, involving government and courts, that ensures proper and legal distribution of their assets. Even if the deceased person had a legal...

Common Types of Power of Attorney

Imagine a board game player telling a friend ‘roll for me, but don’t sell anything’. Would the friend continue to roll when the player returned? Probably not. In game terms, they were granting a limited, temporary power to act on their behalf. These...

Foreclosure Defense

In a foreclosure, a lender takes legal possession of collateralized property from a borrower who has not met the financial conditions of the loan. Foreclosure defense is the term for legal strategies to stall or stop foreclosure. Foreclosure defense strategies may...

What Is A Short Sale?

When a lender releases an existing mortgage for a payoff that is less or ‘short’ of the total amount due, the transaction is called a ‘short sale.’ Lenders sometimes accept short sales as an alternative to repossession and foreclosure, which...