I get quite a few calls from people who suspect they were mentioned (or not) in a relative’s will, and to confirm their suspicion, they want a copy of the will.
In Cook County, the clerk of court’s website has a handy search tool that tells if a will was filed in a probate estate. Click here to search for a will.
This NY Times article says that it’s important to consolidate accounts. Ideally, you should have no more than 5 accounts. Too many clients bring in long lists of assets and many don’t know what assets they have (often include CDs in banks all the way from Chicago to Crystal Lake).
Consolidation of accounts into the following pattern is ideal: One IRA, One 401k, One non-IRA brokerage account and a checking account. This makes management of the accounts easier. With fewer accounts, titling all of the assets into a living trust is easy. And your successor trustee will thank you when he or she has to take over.
The Cook County Assessor just put on its website the forms needed to apply for the 2007 homeowner’s exemption, senior exemption and senior freeze (max. income $50,000.00).
The homeowner’s exemption form must be completed by anyone who purchased a house in 2007 or thereafter. Once you file the homeowner’s exemption form, you should not have to do it again. The senior exemption and senior freeze must be filed each year.
Click here to fill out the forms online.
Click here to download and print the forms as a pdf.