Tuesday Tips: The Ins and Outs of Joint Tenancy

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension

As I mentioned several weeks ago, with all the developments surrounding COVID-19, Dr. Marsha Goetting wanted to be able to continue her estate planning programming in a virtual format.  As a result, MSU Extension has a series of 30-minute webinars on a variety of topics, called Tuesday Tips.  This week’s tip is on the ins and outs of joint tenancy.

Webinars have been broadcast every Tuesday at 11 a.m. and will continue to be through the month of May.  It is suggested that you log on 5 to 10 minutes early each week, so you have time to make sure your sound and video are working properly.


The schedule, including a list of topics, and links to join each webinar, can be found by googling MSU Extension Tuesday tips.  One week ahead of time, the link to join each webinar will be posted next to upcoming topic, along with a link to helpful resources, such as relevant MontGuides.  Once on the schedule page go to the webinar schedule link on the left side of the page and you will also find instructions for joining the webinars using a computer or a smart phone.  If you are unable to attend the live webinars, you can view the recorded versions on the Tuesday Tips website.  However, joining the webinars live will allow you to ask Dr. Goetting questions about the topic in real time.

Back to the topic at hand, the following are several comments overheard at a local café: “My property is held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, I don’t need a will.  Right?”  Another comment overheard, “When I remarried, I placed my property in joint tenancy with my new wife.  I can write a will to leave the property to my kids.  Right?”  Last comment, “I added my daughter’s name to my checking account.  That was the right thing to do, Right?” Listen in to hear Marsha’s response.  Hint: she says, “Probably WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!”


To further prepare for the webinar, I would encourage you to check out the MSU Extension MontGuide, titled, “How to Transfer Real Property Owned in a Joint Tenancy or in a Life Estate Without Probate.”  Visit www.msuextension.org and click on the publications link at the top of the page to download the MontGuide.  You might find questions from reading the publication that Marsha can answer during the webinar on Tuesday!

Tuesday Tips Webinar Series: Dying Without a Will

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension

With our shelter-in-place order and all of the recent developments surrounding COVID-19, Dr. Marsha Goetting wanted to be able to continue her estate planning programming in a virtual format.  As a result, MSU Extension has planned a series of 30-minute webinars on a variety of topics, called Tuesday Tips.  The first one starts tomorrow, April 7th, at 11 a.m. and is about dying without a will.

This series, hosted by Dr. Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension’s Family Economics Specialist, will focus on a variety of topics such as wills, beneficiaries, trusts, Montana medical savings accounts, and more.  Webinars will be broadcast every Tuesday at 11 a.m., beginning April 7th.  It is suggested that you log on 5 to 10 minutes early each week, so you have time to make sure your sound and video are working properly.

The schedule, including a list of topics, and links to join each webinar, can be found by googling MSU Extension Tuesday tips.  One week ahead of time, the link to join each webinar will be posted next to upcoming topic, along with a link to helpful resources, such as relevant MontGuides.  Once on the schedule page go to the webinar schedule link on the left side of the page and you will also find instructions for joining the webinars using a computer or a smart phone.  If you are unable to attend the live webinars, you can view the recorded versions on the Tuesday Tips website.  However, joining the webinars live will allow you to ask Dr. Goetting questions about the topic in real time.

Resources for the Dying Without a Will presentation include MontGuides such as a Glossary of Estate Planning Terms, Dying Without a Will in Montana, Montana Common Law Marriage and Estate Planning and Estate Planning in Montana: Getting Started.  All of these MontGuides can be downloaded from the MSU Extension website or can be found on Dr. Goettting’s Tuesday Tips website under the April 7^th link in the Webinar Schedule tab.  

As a heads-up for next week, the topic on April 14^th will be Beneficiaries 101.  It will answer questions like, what’s a POD?  What’s a TOD?  What beneficiary designations can be placed on U.S. Savings Bonds?  Are your beneficiary designations on life insurance, IRAs and other retirement accounts up-to-date?  How can you leave your real property to beneficiaries without it going through a costly probate?