Is Your Estate Plan A Trojan Horse?
On January 31st this year, the Chinese celebrate the Year of the Horse. Which got me thinking about famous horses: Black Beauty, Secretariat, Trigger, Sea Biscuit, Silver, the Budweiser Clydesdales, Man O’ War, Pokey, and even the Trojan Horse. That famous tale, expertly depicted in the Brad Pitt film Troy, recounts how the Greeks hid […]
What’s In Your Attic?
The popularity of television shows such as Antique Roadshow, where people find treasures in their attics and basements and get them appraised, has spawned a craze that has resulted in people getting items appraised free at walk-in events at a variety of locations. But these kinds of appraisals, called “verbal approximations of value,” provide only […]
Three Ways To Make Life Easier For Your Family
1. Create an Estate Plan An estate plan can include a last will and testament, powers of attorney, as well as other important documents which can make life easier for your family, not only when you die, but also while you are still alive! None of us wants to think about our own mortality but […]
Do You Need a Trust?
Trusts are an important estate planning tool for many individuals but may not be right for every estate plan. Trusts are complex legal documents and should only be prepared by a lawyer who practices in this specific area of law. There are many different kinds of trusts and they are established for a variety […]
Childless Couples Plan For Their Last Years
More and more aging baby boomers who have never had children are now wondering who is going to care for them in their final years. A study by AARP showed that 12 percent of women ages 80 to 84 were childless in 2010. That number is expected to grow to 16 percent by 2016. At […]
Three Reasons You Need An Estate Plan
Sometimes when people think about an estate plan, they think of only a last will and testament, but an estate plan is much more than a will. Especially since all of an individual’s assets can sometimes be distributed without a will. More important are the other documents that comprise an estate plan such as a […]
Talk About Money Before Heading To The Altar
With wedding bells in your future, you may think that discussing money with your future spouse is gauche. It isn’t. Talking about finances may be nearly as important as talking about the reception or honeymoon. Maybe more important. According to an article on cnbc.com, talking about finances — budgets, insurance, savings and so forth — […]
How to Preserve the Vacation Home for Your Family
Estate planning is about more than passing on assets, it is about passing on a legacy, and a way of life. As a recent article explains, one way parents can pass on their way of life is to preserve the family vacation home for their children. There are two common concerns parents face when determining […]
To Tell or Not to Tell: Shedding Some Light on Your Estate Plan
I recently had a client (I’ll call James) share his story with me. James and his family watched his father become very ill. At a certain point, the doctors told his family they had to make a decision about whether to leave dad on life support or choose to end life-sustaining measures. James and his […]
Prevention is the Best Medicine & Why You Should Consider a Corporate Trustee
Revocable living trusts are a powerful and commonly used estate planning tool. Whenever a trust is created, there is also an accompanying position created called the trustee. The trustee is a person or entity appointed within the trust document that is responsible for the administration and management of the trust. The trustmaker usually […]