Investment Account.

[almedadrtuten]

What is the name of your state? GEORGIA

My wife and I had a joint account in the Merrill Lynch Investment firm. She also had a private account in the same firm. She died, unexpectedly in April, before we could transfer her private account into our joint account which we had planned to do. I need some advice on how to have that done without having to have an attorney which I cannot afford. She left everything to me, her surviving spouse, in her will. Thank you.What is the name of your state?

 

[almedadrtuten]

What is the name of your state? GEORGIA

My wife and I had a joint account in the Merrill Lynch Investment firm. She also had a private account in the same firm. She died, unexpectedly in April, before we could transfer her private account into our joint account which we had planned to do. I need some advice on how to have that done without having to have an attorney which I cannot afford. She left everything to me, her surviving spouse, in her will. Thank you. What is the name of your state? The name of my state is Georgia.

 

[pojo2]

Call the firm and ask them what you need to do to either closein the account or to change it to your name and they can tell you in less time than it took me to type this out!

 

[Dandy Don]

How much is in the private account?

There is no way that probate can be avoided, but you can check at your county courthouse probate court to see if there are special simplified procedures for a smaller estate and what the minimum dollar value is to qualify to be a smaller estate. Find out what the official executor fee for your state is (it is most likely a percentage rate of less than 6%) by getting a quote from more than one attorney so that you will not be overcharged.

All you really need to do is to file to become her executor (or hire an attorney to do so), and soon after filing the executor will receive a document called letters testamentary, and the executor needs to provide a certified copy of the letters testamentary to the brokerage firm so they can then issue a check to the estate.

DANDY DON IN OKLAHOMA ([email protected])