On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act), which became effective on January 1, 2020. The Act is the most impactful legislation affecting retirement accounts in decades. It will have a positive impact for many older Americans but could have negative tax consequences for many beneficiaries of their retirement accounts. READ MORE
7 Events That Necessitate a Review of Your Estate Plan
Even if you put a totally solid estate plan in place, it can end up proving worthless if it’s not properly updated. Estate planning is not a one-and-done type of deal: It should continuously evolve along with your life circumstances. READ MORE
Productivity Tips for the New Year
Are you feeling bogged down in a swamp of clutter, deadlines, and incomplete tasks? As we draw closer to the end of the year, make it your goal to do a few simple things over the course of a day or two that will result in increased productivity and peace of mind for 2020. READ MORE
4 Tips For Discussing Estate Planning With Your Family This Holiday Season
The holidays offer an opportunity to visit with loved ones you rarely see and get caught up on what’s been happening in everyone’s life. And though it might not seem like it, the holidays can also be a good time to discuss estate planning. In fact, with everyone you love, from the youngest to the oldest, gathered together under one roof, the holidays provide the ideal opportunity to talk about planning. READ MORE
Buyer Beware: The Hidden Dangers of DIY Estate Planning—Part 2
Online planning documents may appear to save you time and money, but keep in mind, just because you created “legal” documents doesn’t mean they will actually work when you (or most importantly, the people you love) need them. Without a thorough understanding of how the legal process works and impacts family dynamics upon your death or incapacity, you’ll likely make serious mistakes when creating a DIY plan. READ MORE
Buyer Beware: The Hidden Dangers of DIY Estate Planning – Part 1
In this way, relying on DIY planning documents is one of the most dangerous choices you can make. In the end, such generic forms could end up costing your family even more money and heartache than if you’d never gotten around to doing any planning at all. At least with no plan at all, planning would likely remain at the front of your mind, where it rightfully belongs, until it’s handled properly. READ MORE
Your 5 Tax Year-End Estate Planning To-Do List
2020 is fast approaching. As we all prepare for the holidays and a new year, it is important that we wrap up any loose strings. Before entering into the new year, here are some things that need to be on your end of year checklist. READ MORE
Estate Planning Awareness Week: The Importance to You and Your Family of Having an Estate Plan
In 2008, Congress recognized the need for the public to understand the importance and benefits of estate planning by passing House Resolution 1499, which designated the third week of October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. READ MORE
Myths We Tell Ourselves About Estate Planning
Estate planning can be a very difficult process to start without the right guidance. Making the decision to move forward with the planning requires us to face our mortality and this thought can stop many people right in their tracks. Others talk themselves out of seeing a qualified attorney to put together an estate plan based on some of the following common myths: READ MORE
Pet Trusts Offer Protection for Your Furry Family Member
The best way to ensure your animal companions are properly taken care of in the event of your death or incapacity is to create a pet trust. READ MORE
Why A Will Is Not A Suitable Option For Protecting Your Pet
In order to be completely confident that your pet is properly taken care of and the money you leave for its care is used exactly as intended, ask me to to help you create a pet trust. READ MORE
The Real Cost To Your Family: Not Updating Your Estate Plan
This is the final article in a series discussing the real costs to your family for failed estate planning. This article continues the discussion of the most common and costly planning mistakes encountered. Here, I discuss how not updating your estate plan will likely result in a failed estate plan. READ MORE
The Real Cost To Your Family: Relying On A Will Alone
This is the third post on the discussion of the true costs and consequences of failed estate planning. The series highlights a few of the most common—and costly—planning mistakes we encounter with clients. This article discusses why having a will alone may result in your family suffering by having to go to court when you are gone. READ MORE
The Real Cost To Your Family: Having No Estate Plan At All
This is a continuation of the discussion of the true costs and consequences of failed estate planning. Here I discuss a few of the most common—and costly—planning mistakes I encounter with clients. If this article exposes any potential gaps or weak spots in your plan, meet with me to learn how to properly address them. READ MORE
The Real Cost To Your Family: Not Planning For Incapacity
Planning that’s focused solely on who gets what when you die is ignoring the fact that death isn’t the only thing you must prepare for. You must also consider that at some point before your eventual death, you could be incapacitated by accident or illness. READ MORE