Estate Planning Inventory. Estate Planning Inventory and sometimes called an Estate Planning Checklist is an essential tool. Do you have an estate plan, which may include a trust, a will, a power of attorney, and healthcare directive? When was the last time you...
Estate Planning Articles
Pet Trust. Do You Need a Trust for Spike or Kiwi?
Why Pet Owners Should Consider a Pet Trust. Pet trust. Creating an estate plan is about protecting what’s important to you. Most estate planning conversations focus on the spouse, the children, and in some cases the grandkids. If you are like me, a devoted parent of...
Effective estate planning. Allen Iverson.
Effective estate planning takes into account many things. It’s not just about how your assets are treated when you die, it’s about protecting your assets during your lifetime. Trust instruments are an important vehicle in the effective estate planning toolkit. A...
Special Needs Child or Grandchild
All children are a blessing. From the day they are born, you begin making plans to ensure their future. What will their interests be? What job will they have? Who will they marry? While these are common concerns for most families, this concern is heightened when that...
Do You Need to Update Your Estate Plan?
Absolutely! And Here’s Why You Should Update Your Estate Plan.It’s not realistic to think that a document you created years ago is still valid, especially in light of your life changes and changes in the law. I'll use the Brown family as an example of why you should...
Wills and Trusts –They are Important
With over 600,000 people dead from CoVID related issues, having an estate plan is more important than ever. While most people have heard of wills and trusts, very few really understand the difference. And, very few understand the importance of having them. It's...
The Estate Planning Tool Kit for Unmarried Partners
6 Essential Documents Every Unmarried Couple Needs Having an estate plan is important for everyone, but it’s indispensable for unmarried partners. Suppose you’re in a committed, long-term relationship and become incapacitated or even pass away. In that case, most...
Estate Documents – Time to Update?
Are your estate documents stale? Are they still protecting you? Estate Documents and Income Tax?Make sure your estate documents are current. With the growing estate tax exclusion amount, this tax has been effectively repealed for about 99.8% of the country. ...
Annuity Tax Rules: A Great Tool.
Annuity Tax Rules Have Never Been Better. Nonqualified deferred annuities (NQDAs) are an important financial tool for many clients. That being said, they do not offer the same tax-free death benefits as life insurance. Nor do they offer the tax-advantaged...