Articles on Estates

Displaying all articles

The fate of a person’s debts after they die depends in part on what they owned. MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images Plus

What happens to debt when someone dies?

Whether or not there’s a will, the results are the same.
Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, pose for a photo in 1986 in Los Angeles. Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Gene Hackman had a will, but the public may never find out who inherits his $80M fortune

The drama playing out over the late actor’s assets offers valuable lessons for anyone leaving an estate – large or small – to their loved ones or a favorite charity.

Top contributors