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What is Probate? Probate is the court proceeding in which a deceased person’s Will is filed with the court, and the court confirms the Will is valid and if so, formally appoints the person named in Will as the executor of the deceased person’s estate. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "DefinedTerm", "@id": "DefinedTerm", "name": "Probate", "description": "Probate is the court proceeding in which a deceased person’s Will is filed with the court, and the court confirms the

Recap A reasonable person could sit here at the end of 2021 and have a sense of Groundhog Day – like last year at this time, COVID is dominating headlines and impacting the way we live, work, travel, and socialize. On the positive side, we also have equity markets generating robust performance. In fact, in 2021, the S&P 500 returned greater than 15% for the third straight year – you have to go back to the dot-com boom in the late 90s to see such consecutive performance, and besides then, n

What Is a Beneficiary? A beneficiary is the person or entity who will receive benefits from a life insurance policy, qualified retirement plan, annuity, trust, or will upon the death of an individual. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "DefinedTerm", "@id": "DefinedTerm", "name": "Beneficiary", "description": "A beneficiary is the person or entity who will receive benefits from a life insurance policy, qualified retirement plan, annuity, trust, or will upon the death of an

What is Net Worth? Net worth is the total value of a company’s or individual’s assets, minus the liabilities, or anything that the company or individual owes. What is My Net Worth? To find your net worth, simply add together the value of all of your assets and subtract the amount you owe in liabilities. This total will give you your net worth. What is an Example of Net Worth? Calculating net worth is done by subtracting what you owe from what you own. For example, if the value of your house, ca

What is Liquidity? Liquidity is the ease and speed with which an asset or security can be bought or sold. What Does Liquidity Mean in Finance? Financial liquidity refers to how easily assets can be converted to ready cash without affecting its market price. Assets like stocks and bonds are very liquid and can be converted into cash within days. Larger assets and tangible items such as property and equipment are often not as liquid since they need to be sold before you can use and spend the cash

What Is Rate of Return? The rate of return measures the performance of an investment. Rate of return is calculated by dividing any gain or loss by an investment’s initial cost, or the percentage change of the investment’s value in a given period. Rates of return usually account for any income received from the investment in addition to any realized capital gains. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "DefinedTerm", "@id": "DefinedTerm", "name": "Rate of Return", "description"

What Are Alternative Investments? Alternative investments indicate assets that aren’t considered “conventional” investment types, like stocks, bonds, and cash. Alternative investments might include private equity, hedge funds, managed futures, real estate, commodities, and derivatives contracts. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "DefinedTerm", "@id": "DefinedTerm", "name": "Alternative Investments", "description": "Alternative investments indicate assets that aren’t consi

What is Appreciation? Appreciation means that the value of a financial asset increases over time. This increase occurs for many different reasons, including increased demand, weakened supply, or a change in inflation or interest rates. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "DefinedTerm", "@id": "DefinedTerm", "name": "Appreciation", "description": "Appreciation means that the value of a financial asset increases over time. This increase occurs for many different reasons, incl