Preparing an estate plan means having a say in what happens to your wealth after you are gone. Through a Last Will and Testament, you can name the important people in your life who will inherit your assets.

You can also specify whether they should receive these assets immediately upon your death or over time through a trust. Looking even farther ahead, you can give your loved ones a “power of appointment,” enabling them to say where any remaining trust assets should go when they themselves are out of the picture.

With a power of appointment at their disposal, your loved ones can direct their inheritance to subsequent generations wisely and effectively.

The Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade has sent abortion-rights advocates reeling. In a 6–3 opinion, the Court ended a constitutional right that was the law of the land for nearly half a century.

The ruling could put other constitutional rights in jeopardy as well. Many in the LGBTQ community are asking, “Is same-sex marriage next?”

Receiving an inheritance can seem like winning the lottery. A financial windfall lands on your doorstep and promises to change your life for the better. But an inheritance and lottery winnings differ in many important ways, starting with the likelihood of receiving one.

You are much more likely to receive an inheritance than win the lottery, especially if you are already well off. About 20 percent of Americans inherit money at some point in their lives, but that number jumps to almost 40 percent for people in more affluent households.

Lottery winners, on the other hand, tend to be less well off, and they often have trouble managing their newfound wealth. They may also view their windfall differently.

In the next three decades, trillions of dollars is expected to transfer from Baby Boomers to their children in what’s being called the Great Wealth Transfer. For those of us whose parents are still living, it’s natural to wonder whether a share of this wealth will wind up in our bank accounts. Broaching the subject…