Joint and Survivorship Accounts

Joint and Survivorship Accounts

- in Legal, March/April 2017, Money

Pros, Cons and Everything In Between

The Scoop on Joint and Survivorship Accounts

 

 

 

 

The Goal for Most People? Avoid Probate.

One method:

Joint and Survivorship accounts

Got it. How does that work?

Two people set it up

When one dies, the other owns it

Good for spouses

 

So what can go wrong?

Multiple owners—who gets what?

Parents leave to one child, not others

Creditors of one owner can attach the account

Divorce of one owner

Lawsuits

 

What is better for non-spouses?

Payable on Death to Child

Transfer on Death to Child

Transfer on Death to Child or by Naming the Child the Beneficiary

About the author

Laurie G. Steiner is a member of the law firm of Solomon, Steiner & Peck. She is a certified elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation and the Ohio State Bar Association. She practices in the area of elder law, Medicaid, VA and disability planning, and estate and trust planning and administration. She can be reached at 216-765-0123 or at http://www.ssandplaw.com/

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