Why Every Adult Needs A Living Will
When it comes to estate planning and wills, you have a variety of options for legal documents. The most common of these options is a “last will and testament,” which is also known simply as a “will.” But you may have also heard people talk about a “living will” and...
4 Common Mistakes Made On Life Insurance Beneficiary Designations
Investing in life insurance is a foundational part of estate planning, and when done right it’s a primary way to say “I love you” to your loved ones after you are gone. However, when naming your policy’s beneficiaries, several mistakes can lead to potentially dire...
The Basics of Hospice Care and How to Avoid Providers Involved in Medicare Fraud
When faced with a terminal illness or condition, more people than ever are choosing hospice care over starting or continuing expensive medical treatments. Hospice care is for patients who choose not to undergo specific treatments or when they are no longer effective....
Will The Coming Wealth Transfer Be A Blessing Or A Curse For Your Family?
Whether it’s called “The Great Wealth Transfer,” “The Silver Tsunami,” or some other catchy sounding name, it’s a fact that a tremendous amount of wealth will pass from Baby Boomers to younger generations in the next few decades. In fact, it’s said to be the largest...
4 Year-End Tax-Saving Strategies For 2022
Although the end of the year can be a hectic time, it’s also the deadline for your family to implement a number of key tax-savings strategies. By taking action now, you can significantly reduce your tax bill due in April, but with just a few weeks left in 2022, you...
How To Manage Your Digital Accounts After Your Death—Part 1
If you have preferences about what happens to your digital accounts after your death, you need to take action. Otherwise, your online legacy will be determined for you—and not by you. If you have any online accounts, such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,...
How to Manage Your Digital Accounts After Your Death—Part 2
If you have preferences about what happens to your digital accounts and footprint after your death, you need to take action. Otherwise, your online legacy will be determined for you—and not by you. If you have any online accounts, such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram,...
How To Manage Your Digital Accounts After Your Death—Part 3
If you have preferences about what happens to your digital footprint after your death, you need to take action. Otherwise, your online legacy will be determined for you—and not by you. If you have any online accounts, such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,...
7 Issues to Consider When Purchasing Disability Insurance
If you earn a good living now, but you worry about not having enough money for a future time when you cannot work due to illness or injury, disability insurance is your answer. However, you need to make sure you are getting an insurance policy that will meet your...
How Will A Recession Affect Your Family?
As you’ve surely heard by now, we’re in the midst of great economic shifts. The collapse of the crypto market, the roller coaster that is the stock market, rising interest rates, dropping home values, and inflation through the roof—it’s enough to make you sick. And it...
Trusts & Taxes: What You Need To Know
People often come to us curious — or confused — about the role trusts play in saving on taxes. Given how frequently this issue comes up, here we’re going to explain the tax implications associated with different types of trusts in order to clarify this issue. Of...
Why You Need a Trust – Even if You Aren’t Rich
When you hear the words, “trust fund,” do you conjure up images of stately mansions and party yachts? A trust fund - or trust - is actually a great estate planning tool for many people with a wide range of incomes who want to accomplish a specific purpose with their...
Use Estate Planning to Avoid Adult Guardianship—and Elder Abuse: Part 2
In the first part of this series, we discussed how some professional adult guardians have used their powers to abuse the seniors placed under their care. Here, we’ll discuss how seniors can use estate planning to avoid the potential abuse and other negative...
Use Estate Planning to Avoid Adult Guardianship—and Elder Abuse
Elder abuse can take a wide variety of forms, but we think the worst of the worst is caused by unscrupulous adult guardians appointed by a court to care for seniors who are no longer able to care for themselves. And though you may not want to believe such a thing...
3 Critical Considerations For How To Save For Your Child’s (or Grandchild’s) College Education – Part 2
If you have started to save for your child or grandchild’s college education, it’s worth considering whether to use a 529 plan, an education savings account, or an irrevocable trust. Last week, in part one of this series, we discussed 529 plans and education savings...
3 Critical Considerations For How To Save For Your Child’s (or Grandchild’s) College Education—Part 1
If you have started to save for your child or grandchild’s college education, it’s worth considering whether to use a 529 plan, an education savings account, or an Irrevocable Trust. Here’s what we think you should consider as you decide: First, consider whether you...
4 Essential Strategies For Protecting Your Family’s Assets
You might think that only the super wealthy need to worry about asset protection planning. But the truth is that if you don’t have millions, you may be at even greater risk. For instance, if you are a multi-millionaire, a $50,000 judgment against you might not be that...
Protect Your Family From Wealth’s Dark Side With a Lifetime Asset Protection Trust
When you create your estate plan, the idea that one of your adult children would ever use their inheritance to bankroll a cult is probably something you’d never dream of, much less anticipate. A lifetime asset protection trust may not be at the top of your mind. Yet...
Estate Planning For A Child With Special Needs: What Parents Need To Know
Estate planning is an obvious concern for all parents, but if you have a child with special needs, it’s crucial that you are aware of the unique considerations that go into planning for a child who may be dependent on you at some level for their lifetime. If your...
If You’ve Been Asked To Serve As Trustee, Here’s What You Should Know
If a family member or friend has asked you to serve as trustee for their trust either during their life, or upon their death, it’s a big honor—this means they consider you among the most honest, reliable, and responsible people they know. That said, serving as a...
Don’t Let Your Kids Leave Home Without Signing These 3 Documents
As we head into summer, many parents will see their children graduate high school and prepare to leave home to attend college or pursue other life goals. This can be an exciting and emotional time, and with so much going on, estate planning for your kids probably...
How Naming Guardians For Your Kids In Your Will Can Leave Them At Risk
If you are a mom or dad with children under the age of 18 at home, your number-one estate planning priority should be naming guardians by selecting and legally documenting both long and short-term guardians for your kids. Guardians are the people legally named to care...
Probate: What It Is & How To Avoid It—Part 2
Unless you’ve created an estate plan that works to keep your family out of court, when you die (or become incapacitated) many of your assets must go through probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be...
Probate: What It Is & How To Avoid It—Part 1
Unless you’ve created a proper estate plan, when you die many of your assets must first pass through the court process known as probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be time-consuming, costly, and open...