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Friday, April 18th
TOPS specializes in distributing office products and organizational solutions with locations throughout the US. They own a family of brands including Oxford, Cardinal, Pendaflex, Quality Park, Adams, and others.
More than just binders and notebooks
Most people know of TOPS' organizational products like binders, notebooks, envelopes, index cards, folders, and more. Some may not realize that their range of products also includes legal forms for estate planning, family law, real estate, and businesses.
Confusing mix of products
TOPS' website is nothing special. Maybe this is just what you expect when you're shopping for office-like supplies. How exciting can it really be? The problem is that TOPS has so many options for different products that it may be confusing to find what you need. Their website could be much more straightforward, so it definitely lacks user-friendliness. For example, if you search for a living trust, 76 options will pop up. Most of them have the same display photo and product name, so it's hard to know what you need.
Too complicated
For this review, we looked into the "Living Trust Kit, Forms and Instructions.” This is an ebook that comes with beneficiary worksheets and living trust forms. The kit also includes a beneficiary questionnaire and the option to download multiple manuals and state-specific forms. Already we are exhausted at the thought of going through the work to create a living trust here. It's so much easier to go to a site where you can specify your state and have them take you straight through the process. You're less likely to mess up and it saves so much time.
Can't buy just one
The cost to purchase TOPS' living trust kit is $82.51. However, the real kicker is that you can't actually buy just one. For whatever reason, TOPS only allows you to purchase these kits in quantities of 24. So if for some reason you're this far into our review and still feel inclined to make a living trust through TOPS, you'll be forking out a whopping $1,980.24. Crazy, right? This is likely for companies who buy these forms in bulk and then turn around and resell them to other customers. Of course there are other living trust products from TOPS, but we have no good advice on how to sort through it all to find what works for you.
No reviews
We weren't able to find a Better Business Bureau rating for TOPS. In addition, they rarely have customer reviews on their products or elsewhere. We can't imagine that many people are turning to them for legal forms. Their bread and butter is office supplies and there probably aren't people rushing to leave reviews about the quality of the paper they are using.
Look elsewhere
Overall, TOPS is not the best in the business of selling legal forms. There are companies who have simplified that process at an inexpensive price, so we definitely recommend turning to them instead. TOPS has earned our lowest rating for making a living trust.
While making a living trust may not be on the top of your to-do list, it should be. Not to be confused with a living will, a living trust allows you to manage and distribute your assets both during your lifetime and after you pass away. It goes into effect as soon as it is signed and can give you and your loved ones peace of mind knowing that no one will have to worry about going through a probate process.
Creating a living trust online has seen a significant surge in popularity over the last few years due to several reasons. In addition to being both convenient and inexpensive, online living trusts are easily accessible when needed. In fact, this method of estate planning has revolutionized the way individuals protect their assets and plan for the distribution of their wealth after their passing.
Online living trusts let you create these legal documents from the comfort of your own home, eliminating the need for multiple visits to attorneys' offices and streamlining the entire process.
Another reason people are drawn to online living trust services is the cost factor. Traditional estate planning services can be prohibitively expensive, often with high attorney fees and administrative costs. By contrast, online living trusts provide an affordable alternative, letting you create a legally binding document at a fraction of the cost.
Regardless of your income status, it's important to save your family both time and money by getting things in order with a living trust. Not only will you be able to choose who distributes your property in the event that you become disabled or die, but you'll remain in complete control of all your assets in the meantime.
Another reason to take this legal step is to avoid bank issues, not have to wait on a judge, and protect your own privacy while ensuring that your assets are legally accounted for.
We'll be the first to acknowledge that end-of-life affairs are not fun to think about, let alone spend time taking care of. However, getting it over with will provide immeasurable relief for you and your loved ones and it's much easier than you'd think. There are fantastic online platforms that will walk you through all the steps to creating a living trust without spending hundreds of dollars. Real lawyers will verify the validity of your documents and ensure they meet all necessary legal requirements for a fraction of the cost you might find elsewhere.
Many online legal services have round-the-clock access to customer service agents who will make sure you're taken care of and confident with the process of creating your living trust. When deciding which company to use, take the following things into consideration:
Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the best companies to help you create a living trust. We hope this information helps you take care of your end-of-life affairs without any stress or hassle!
Select any 2 Living Trust Services to compare them head to head