Meet Shelby Bruce, Estate Planning/Probate & Trust Paralegal

Shelby has been a Paralegal with Triplett & Carothers since May 2022. She assists clients in all aspects of trust and estate administration from start to finish. She is known for her unswerving attention to detail in all legal matters. On top of handling probate matters, Shelby also assists Rosalyn Carothers with estate planning. In… read more

Decluttering the Muddle of Multiple Retirement Accounts

Streamlining and consolidating multiple old retirement accounts can help you organize your retirement finances. Most employees move around these days, typically switching jobs 12 times over the course of their careers and spending about four years on average with each employer. It is no wonder that some of them amass a jumble of retirement accounts,… read more

Appraising the Situation: Why the Home Appraisal Matters

During an appraisal, an appraiser will visit the home you are buying or the home you currently own. This professional’s goal is to determine how much the home is worth. Appraisers consider several factors when determining a property’s value, including the number of bedrooms and bathrooms; the home’s size, age and style; and the neighborhood… read more

Prepare for the TCJA Sunset — If You Can

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act largely winds down at the end of 2025. Maybe. Many of its provisions are political, so much depends on who’s in the White House and who has control of the House and Senate at that time. Before you start planning, glean some understanding of what the TCJA does and… read more

Garage Sales: Clean Life, Clean Finances

Garage sales can be ubiquitous in some communities, as a driveway is suddenly populated with a fondue set that hasn’t been used in 20 years, an old power drill that still works, furniture exiled thanks to a major redecoration, and books that have been crowded off shelves. The owners make money from the sales and… read more

Inherited IRA Rules Altered by the SECURE Act

If you find yourself in a position where you recently inherited an IRA, you might feel as though you’re at a crossroads filled with many planning tasks pertaining to estates, finances and taxes. According to IRS regulations instituted in 2020 (with significant updates later), the majority of beneficiaries who inherit IRAs must withdraw their portion… read more

What Doesn’t Your Credit Score Take Into Account?

FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850, with most lenders considering a score of 800 or higher to be excellent. The most important factor in determining your credit score is your payment history. Certain monthly payments — such as those for your mortgage; auto, student or personal loans; and your credit card payments —… read more

Office Expansion Accommodates Growing Firm-Team-Client Base

We are excited to share that our office expansion is nearly complete; we have nearly doubled our space in our Louisville location to accommodate our growing firm, our expanding professional team and our active client base. Looking back … when we moved into this space in 2018, we purchased the first floor and leased the… read more

Do You Know Your Debt-to-Income Ratio?

Applying for a mortgage? Your debt-to-income ratio is a key number. Lenders care about how much money you spend each month on your credit cards, student loans and auto loans. The less of a financial burden your monthly debts are, the more likely you are to not miss any mortgage payments. What exactly is your… read more

Why Are There So Many Credit Scores?

Most lenders today rely on your FICO credit score to determine whether to approve your application for a mortgage and when assigning an interest rate to your loan. Generally, the higher your FICO score, the lower your interest rate. Most lenders consider a FICO score of 800 or more to be excellent. You can expect… read more