Estate Planning

Substance addiction is by no means rare, impacting as many as one in seven Americans. Because of its prevalence, navigating a loved one’s addiction is actually a relatively common topic in everyday life. But you should also consider it when working on your estate planning. Whether the addiction is alcoholism, drug abuse, or behavioral like gambling, we all want our loved ones to be safe and experience a successful recovery. A properly created estate plan can help....

7 Common 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, for whatever reasons, have yet to act. So, here are seven common estate planning mistakes to avoid....

For many, passing along religious beliefs and values to the next generation is just as important as passing along financial wealth and tangible assets. Estate planning creates many opportunities to do this, including:...

Why Naming a Guardian for Your Minor Child(ren) is Extremely Important… Some might say it is the most important decision to make... 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 stranger who does not know the parents, the child, or their relatives—will decide who will raise the child without knowing whom the parent would have preferred. Anyone can ask to be considered, and the judge will select the person he/she deems most appropriate. On the other hand, if the parent names a guardian (typically via the parent’s will), the judge will usually go along with the parent’s choice....

We understand that it feels hard to get around to estate planning; it sounds about as fun as getting a root canal. However, we also understand that we all want to make sure that our loved ones are protected and receive our hard-earned assets – regardless of whether we have $10 million or $10,000. Don’t let these common roadblocks stop you from protecting yourself and your family: ...

Fun Ways To Convince Your Spouse to Get Started with Estate Planning… It's extremely important that both partners understand why they need an estate plan and what the important elements of that plan are. Here is a fun and friendly guide to some of the common objections by reluctant spouses, and what you can say to let them know that you hear them, but that you have a lot to lose and that it's time to move forward....