My mother died recently, and my sister removed a few valuable items from her house, claiming that Mom had promised them to her. That might be, but there's no record of it. What should my siblings and I do?
By law, everything that belonged to your mother -- especially things of value -- should be inventoried and appraised before dispersal. If there is no record of your mother's wishes, and others in the family want the same things, the executor must negotiate a settlement among all of you -- even if by drawing straws -- to ensure that each heir gets equivalent value.
I own a small business, and I had to terminate an employee for well-documented poor performance. Now he's threatening to sue me. My lawyer says the claim is baseless and I'm likely to win. But he says paying him off will cost much less than fighting a suit. I'm tempted to take his advice. What do you think?
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Ah, the classic choice between principle and pragmatism. Settling the claim would reward a bad employee and encourage others to make spurious claims. If your company were publicly owned, you might need to take the lawyer's advice. But it's your company and your money. I hope you choose the more ethical option, even if it's more expensive.
Got a money-and-ethics question you'd like answered in this column? Write editor in chief Knight Kiplinger at ethics@kiplinger.com.
See Knight Kiplinger's previous Money and Ethics column
Do I Have to Report My Fender Bender?
And read other recent articles by Knight:
Eight Keys to Financial Security
Better Options for CEO Pay
-
Amazon Resale: Where Amazon Prime Returns Become Your Online BargainsFeature Amazon Resale products may have some imperfections, but that often leads to wildly discounted prices.
-
457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2026Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits in 2026. That's good news for state and local government employees.
-
Medicare Basics: 12 Things You Need to KnowMedicare There's Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, Medigap plans, Medicare Advantage plans and so on. We sort out the confusion about signing up for Medicare — and much more.
-
The Seven Worst Assets to Leave Your Kids or Grandkidsinheritance Leaving these assets to your loved ones may be more trouble than it’s worth. Here's how to avoid adding to their grief after you're gone.
-
SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2026SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $70,000 in 2025, and up to $72,000 in 2026.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
-
SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2026simple IRA For 2026, the SIMPLE IRA contribution limit rises to $17,000, with a $4,000 catch-up for those 50 and over, totaling $21,000.
-
457 Contribution Limits for 2024retirement plans State and local government workers can contribute more to their 457 plans in 2024 than in 2023.
