Trusts are not simply just about avoiding probate. Creating a trust can give you privacy, provide ongoing financial support for loved ones, and protect you and your property if you are unable to manage your own assets. Simply put, the creation of a trust puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to your assets and your wishes as opposed to leaving this critical life decision to others, such as a Judge. READ MORE
How to Protect Your Child’s Inheritance from His or Her Untrustworthy Spouse
Parents often complete their estate plan to provide for their children and ensure their hard-earned assets, family heirlooms, or closely held businesses stay within the family. A common question is asked about protect a children’s inheritance from a spouse in the event of untrustworthiness or divorce. Thankfully, there are many ways to structure your child’s inheritance to help ensure it will remain in the family for future generations. READ MORE
Choosing a Successor Trustee
A Successor trustee steps in for you in the event of incapacity and when you die. Since they have a lot of responsibility, they should be chosen carefully. This post explains how to choose a successor trustee. READ MORE
Estate Planning: 3 Reasons We Run the Other Way
While it is easy to run the other way when it comes to your estate planning, the process to complete your estate plan is not that bad and you will find the peace of mind of the plan will outweigh any objections to get started. READ MORE
Money Isn’t Everything in Estate Planning
Money may be the most talked about wealth contained within a person’s estate, but the riches of their experience and wisdom can mean even more to family members down the line. READ MORE
How to Build Freedom From Court Interference Into Your Life Planning
Deciding on a Power of Attorney and having a fully funded Revocable Living Trust are just two of the many steps we can take together to keep your affairs free from court interference at incapacity and at death. With a solid estate plan prepared by a Trusted Advisor you can take comfort knowing that everything you’ve worked so hard to build and maintain will be passed along to only the people who matter most. READ MORE
“I Love You” Wills don’t really say “I Love You”
Say “I Love You” to your beneficiaries by doing a comprehensive estate plan. READ MORE
How You Can Build an Estate Plan that Includes Asset Protection
A customized Estate Plan can and should include Asset Protection. READ MORE
Embrace the Emotional Side of Estate Planning
When you hear the phrase “estate plan,” you might first think about paperwork. Or you may focus on some of the uncomfortable topics that estate planning entails: end-of-life decisions, incapacity, and your family’s legacy from generation to generation. Those subjects hit home for everyone. But while that could feel like a reason to avoid estate READ MORE
Not Just Death and Taxes: 4 Essential Legal Documents You Need for Incapacity Planning
Comprehensive estate planning is more than your legacy after death, avoiding probate, and saving on taxes, it must contain incapacity planning. A proper estate plan includes a plan in place to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated during your life and can no longer make decisions for yourself. What happens without an incapacity plan? READ MORE
Estate Planning for Women
While everyone is in need of estate planning, women especially need to understand estate planning and have their own plan in place. The following describes why having a estate planning portfolio, which includes a Trust, Will, Durable Power of Attorney and healthcare documentation is so important for women: Incapacity. On average women live longer than READ MORE
Naming a Guardian for your Minor Child(ren)
Parents with minor children need to name someone to raise them (a guardian) in the event both parents should die before the child becomes an adult. While the likelihood of that actually happening is slim, the consequences of not naming a guardian are great. If no guardian is named in the parent’s will, a judge—a READ MORE
An additional Two More Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
In the last two posts, we discussed why having a complete, up-to-date estate plan is so important by addressing four common estate planning mistakes – not having a plan, not naming guardians for minor children, relying on joint ownership and not having a plan for incapacity. If you haven’t read the previous post, click here. READ MORE
Two More Common Estate Planning Mistakes
If you haven’t already, read Part 1 of this series On Common Estate Planning Mistakes In our last post, we discussed why having a complete, up-to-date estate plan is so important by addressing two common estate planning mistakes – not having a plan and not naming guardians for minor children. Here, we discuss two more READ MORE
Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
From time to time, it’s good to review why having a complete, up-to-date estate plan is so important. In addition to confirming our own actions, it can provide us with valuable information to pass along to friends and family who need estate planning. Here we discuss two common mistakes: Not having a plan. Every state READ MORE