For over a quarter of a century, the National Safety Council has recognized June as National Safety Month. An objective of National Safety Month is to raise public awareness of the top safety and health risks in the United States. One of the lesser known but considerable risks Americans Continue reading
Newsletter Category: Client Focused Newsletter
Two Essential Things to Add to Your Moving Checklist
The month of May means not only the end of the school year and the beginning of summer but also the beginning of the busiest moving season of the year. That’s why May is National Moving Month. There is a lot to think about when moving: along with organizing and packing up all of your Continue reading
In Honor of Earth Day, Consider Some Eco-Friendly Burial Options
When it comes to death and what to do with a deceased’s remains, most people think of only two options: burial or cremation. However, these options are not particularly environmentally friendly. Burial, which is arguably the worst option from an environmental standpoint, uses an estimated Continue reading
Using a Standby Supplemental Needs Trust to Protect Your Loved Ones
We all plan for “just-in-case” scenarios. When packing for our week-long vacation, we throw in a rain jacket even though the weather forecast is sunny—just in case. When planning for the future, it is also important to consider what will happen just in case one of your loved ones Continue reading
Estate Planning Lessons We Learned from US Presidents
February 21 is the day on which we celebrate several US presidents who made noteworthy contributions to our country. As with any discussion that involves politics, a discussion about US presidents risks generating a variety of opinions about which reasonable minds can disagree. However, Continue reading
Three Steps to Prioritize Your Happiness and the Happiness of Your Loved Ones
Not only is January the first month of a new year, it is also a time when many celebrate Hunt for Happiness Week (January 16-22, 2022). Happiness is something that humanity, in large part, has spent a tremendous amount of effort pursuing throughout history. Early on, happiness likely Continue reading
Why You Might Not Want to Name Your Advisor as a Beneficiary
Imagine the following scenario: For years, you have worked with a valued professional advisor who has become a close friend, maybe even closer than some of your family members. You know her family, attend church with her, and know her to be a model citizen who contributes significant Continue reading
What to Do If You Are in a Fender Bender and How It Might Affect Your Estate Planning
In the words of George R. R. Martin’s fictional characters from the noble house Stark, “Winter is coming.”
Along with this change of seasons comes a change in driving conditions in much of North America—slippery roads, rain, snow, less sunlight during the morning and evening commutes, Continue reading
Estate Planning Awareness Week: Don’t Fall Victim to These Common Myths
Next week is Estate Planning Awareness Week (October 18–24, 2021). To that end, this month’s newsletter is geared toward helping you become aware of and better understand common estate planning myths. Left unaddressed, these myths can create serious trouble for your loved ones, often Continue reading
Preparing for the Reduction in the Estate Tax Exemption
In late May of this year, the U.S. Treasury released a publication detailing a number of the proposed tax code changes that the Biden administration would like to usher through Congress in an ambitious effort to modernize the US tax system to meet its citizens’ needs. While reasonable Continue reading
Did You Choose More Than One Successor Trustee?
When selecting a successor trustee for a trust, it is common for the individual who creates the trust (the trustmaker) to choose one person to serve as a successor trustee at a time. Some attorneys routinely recommend that only a single successor trustee be appointed to avoid the Continue reading
Planning to Receive an Inheritance
When we think of estate planning, we often think about preparing our accounts and property to go to our loved ones in a tax-efficient way, protected from probate, disgruntled heirs, beneficiaries’ creditors, divorcing spouses, bankruptcy, and the poor spending habits of children or Continue reading
How to Responsibly Leave an Inheritance to Your Grandchildren
Estate planning attorneys frequently hear from their clients, “I’d like to leave something to my grandchildren. What’s the best way to do that?”
Naturally, grandparents love their grandchildren and want them to succeed in life. And when grandparents are in the twilight of their lives, Continue reading
President Biden’s First One Hundred Days: Looking Back and Planning Ahead
This year has been unprecedented from a political perspective in many ways. President Joe Biden stepped into office facing huge obstacles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an economy battered by the pandemic, a crumbling national infrastructure in dire need of repair, an ongoing immigration Continue reading
The Pros and Cons of Powers of Appointments
An often misunderstood but common estate planning tool that can appear in estate planning documents is the power of appointment. Not to be confused with a power of attorney (the document that allows you to delegate certain powers to an agent to act on your behalf while you are still Continue reading
The Trust Protector: Your Guardian Angel
What Is a Trust Protector?
Traditionally, the three roles that must be filled when setting up a trust are the settlor (also called a grantor, trustor, or trustmaker), the trustee, and the beneficiary. All three roles are necessary to create a trust that functions properly. Although Continue reading
Creating a Treasure Map: The Benefits of Preparing an Inventory before Death
If you have already done your estate planning, you have taken a significant step toward ensuring that your loved ones will know how to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated or die. However, simply having a will or a trust and related estate planning documents is often not Continue reading
Is Your Estate Plan Incapacity Proof?
For most people, it is perfectly natural to think about estate planning only in terms of planning for death. While planning for your death is very important, if that is all you plan for, your planning can quickly become woefully inadequate. As medical knowledge and technology have Continue reading
Getting Ready for 2021
This year is quickly coming to a close. For many of us, December 31 cannot come soon enough, as 2020 has been anything but a walk in the park.
The first quarter of 2020 brought a worldwide pandemic. Not only did this raise concerns about everyone’s health and safety, but it also fundamentally Continue reading
Clarification to November 2020 Client Newsletter
In our efforts to quickly provide you with the most up to date information on the potential tax ramifications stemming from these unique election events, we did not include the 2018 update of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) limiting Section 1031 like-kind exchanges to real property.
Under Continue reading
Election Update: Planning under the Biden Administration
After several days of counting ballots, Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the 2020 Presidential election by many major news outlets. Although we await the official certification of the election by each state, an official concession by President Trump, and the outcome of several Continue reading
Protecting Your Significant Other’s Future
October is a popular month for couples to tie the knot in the United States. While wedding planning most often includes tuxedos, dresses, rehearsal dinners, and guest lists, an often overlooked part of pending nuptials is estate planning.
For young couples beginning a life together Continue reading
Protect Your Family from Lawsuits with a Domestic Asset Protection Trust
Conversations with family, friends, and colleagues can sometimes wander into the topic of lawsuits, divorces, bankruptcies, and other threats that put one’s property at risk of loss to a creditor. Such conversations often leave people shaking their heads, asking what the world is Continue reading
Strike While the Rates Are Low: Low Interest Rate Planning Strategies for Passing on Your Wealth
COVID-19 has deeply impacted the economy in the United States and will likely continue to do so for some time. While most would agree that this pandemic is not a positive development, there are nevertheless some silver linings. One such silver lining is that certain powerful estate Continue reading
Preparing Your Beneficiaries to Receive Their Inheritance
When you hire an estate planning attorney, you are often looking for help with preparing your accounts and property to ultimately pass smoothly and safely to your loved ones. This is a key component of estate planning. An experienced estate planning attorney will put much thought Continue reading