Make It Last – Ep 119 – Legal Risks of Living Together Unmarried After 50, Self Directed Investments, & Pension Buy-Outs
A potpourri of topics this week. In this episode, Victor explains the legal risks of living together, unmarried, after age 50. Estate planning laws favor couples who are married so what does that mean for everyone else? Then, Victor discusses an article that talks about the difference between people who are self directed in their […]
The Pitfalls of Do It Yourself Estate Planning
During a 2013 Northwestern Mutual webcast, one-third of those watching indicated that they have either drafted their own estate plan, or know someone who drafted their own estate plan. Whether these do-it-yourself estate plans are created through online programs or drafted by hand, a recent article explains that they can quickly become problematic. A simple […]
The Estate Planning Prescription Pad
I work with a fair number of financial advisors, insurance professionals and CPA/accountants. One of the services I provide for those valued planning partners is to review their client’s existing estate plans (where I was not the attorney or scrivener) and give my opinion on the documents they have. The review is my way of […]
Pay No Attention To The Estate Planner Behind The Curtain!
Not everything on the Internet is what it seems. That goes for estate planning solutions as well. Take the time to make a real relationship with an actual person when spending money on something as crucial as estate planning.
Estate Planning Myths & Misconceptions – Myth #2 – All Estate Plans Are The Same
In my first post, I talked a little about those attorneys who offer to do it all for you (real estate, commercial litigation, business representation), including your estate planning. Just as not all estate planning attorneys are the same, Myth #2 is that not all estate plans are the same. Despite what Suze Orman will […]
Estate Planning Myths & Misconceptions – Myth #1 – All Estate Planning Lawyers Are The Same
The websites of general practice lawyers, as well as those of large, mega law firms, almost always include “Wills & Trusts” or “Wills & Estates” as practice areas. If you went by the sheer number of lawyers with this listing, you would probably conclude two things: First, almost everyone in a community has, or is […]
Wall Street Journal Agrees With Me – Passing On Online Information Should Be Part of Your Estate Plan
Recently, I posted about the need to pass on your “on line” information as part of a comprehensive estate plan. My article examined the various companies that offered to guard that information for you. It seems like the Wall Street Journal reads my blog because they just published an article of their own on Sunday […]
Top 4 Approaches To Estate Planning
In my experience, people choose 1 of 4 approaches regarding their estate planning. 1) Do Nothing. By far, this is the largest segment of the population. I often speak to local mom’s groups (younger market) and service organizations (older market). These are workshops where there is just as much a chance that someone’s done estate […]
Making a Will
If you’re thinking about making a will, here are few things that you should think about before drafting the will (or having an attorney help you think about these things and draft the will for you): 1. What assets will you be putting in the will? Take an inventory of your significant assets. These should […]
Top Tips for Selecting an Estate Planner
Having practiced in this area for a while, here are some practical tips for selecting an estate planner. I promise that this is not a thinly-veiled way of describing my practice. Although we have many of these qualities, I believe that these tips have universal value. 1. Select an attorney who is an excellent listener. […]