By Lisa A. Tyler
National Escrow Administrator

This newsletter is regularly shared with FNF's customers who are, in large part, real estate agents. The National Association of REALTORS® has designated September as safety awareness month. In light of that, we are sharing our
"7 safety tips for brand new agents" story. We hope this month's edition makes it into the hands of new real estate agents — or even seasoned real estate agents — to provide them with tips to make sure they make it home safely every day to their friends and family. 

Providing for your children in the event you die prematurely takes more than picking someone to raise them. Parents should also consider what will happen to any money or property their children inherit. Often, that planning includes the creation of a life estate. A life estate gives the ownership of the estate to someone else in the future. The owner retains the right to live and use the property as long as they are alive. In short, they have given away the future ownership. In a case where the kids have the future ownership, then they own that remainder interest. Unlike a will, this cannot be changed by the parents in the future without a court proceeding. Read about a fake court proceeding detected by a closing coordinator in the story titled, "LIFE estate." 

Ransomware can be difficult to stop and is clearly on the rise due to the opportunity of large profits to cybercriminals. Organizations must invest in detection and mitigation measures. It is essential to have systems in place to prevent and detect any potentially malicious activity. Organizations must also regularly educate their staff on detecting and avoiding potential ransomware threats and attacks. Read this month's latest ransomware article titled, "RANSOMWARE prevention," to discover tips to protect against a ransomware attack.