Estate planning can be difficult, time consuming, and incredibly confusing. Estate planning can also be
simple, efficient, and straightforward. The answer partly depends on individual situations and feelings
toward the process. Sometimes the first description is what people hear or are told. That description can
be daunting and scary. People runaway from daunting and scary things. Thus, it is not a surprise that
many people do not have proper estate planning in place.
How to Help Parents – and Yourself – Live better at 80, 90 and Beyond
They say we get wiser as we get older, but let’s face it: Many new uncertainties and challenges can crop up as people get deeper into their golden years. Changes in physical health and issues with memory can mean you—or your elderly parents—might require new types of never-before-needed assistance. Read All
Time Flies
"The bad news is time flies. The good news is your're the pilot." Michael Althsuler Read All
Learn About Caring For An Elderly Parent
At some point in life, nearly everyone will require at least some help with the challenges of daily living. This guide is designed to help you become familiar with the common eldercare issues, as well as the care options available for an aging parent, spouse, or other loved one. Read All
5 Best Practices For Philanthropists
For hundreds of years, across all cultures and lifestyles, philanthropy has been an integral part of society, forging the way for great educational and art institutions, human service organizations, and many neighbors giving their communities an extra hand. Today, those who choose to give to charity do so in new ways and for a variety of reasons. While the end goal has remained the same - positive, charitable impact - the road to get there now requires a commitment to intentional, thoughtful, well - planned giving. Read All
What to Do When Your Doctor Has Bad News
It’s what no one ever wants to hear: “The test results have come back positive.” And yet it’s quite likely that you, a loved one or both will one day be given a serious health diagnosis that throws your world into uncertainty, confusion and fear. That means you have two choices: Read All
The Value of Multigenerational Family Meetings
If you’ve amassed sizable wealth, or are on the right path and getting there, it may be time to consider how to pass on some of that money to children and grandchildren without creating big problems that could harm their futures and destroy family harmony. The fact is, family wealth—how it’s managed, transferred and used—can generate major drama among family members. As wealth grows, so does the potential for that money to provoke conflicts and bad financial decisions that can reduce a family’s financial position and even ruin intra-family relationships forever. Read All
The Importance of Beneficiary Designations
Imagine an ex-spouse receiving the benefits of your lifelong savings… That is exactly what happened to William Kennedy upon his passing. In the case of Kennedy Estate v. Plan Administrator for DuPont Savings and Investment Plan , the court ruled that Kennedy’s ex-wife rightly received the benefit of his $400,000 retirement savings even though the divorce papers waived his ex-wife of her interest in the plan benefits. Read All
Late Innings of Tax Reform
As we begin the final two calendar months of the year, individuals and families start to wrap up their financial year. Read All
Life-Stage Estate Planning
We've written before how a little strategic long-term thinking is good for your financial health. Tying in your personal financial goals with the goals for your investment portfolio helps you to stay the course when the course gets rocky. As with investments, being strategic with your estate plan is another best practice we encourage for our clients. Read All