Strategic Estate Planning
Can Achieve Your Objectives
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...
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...
How to Protect Your Retirement Accounts
Most people are shocked to learn that their retirement accounts can be seized once they pass to their loved ones. During your lifetime, your retirement funds have fairly comprehensive asset protection, meaning they cannot be taken in a lawsuit. Unfortunately, as soon...
When Is It Critical to Review Your Estate Plan, and Why?
Just like other important life tasks, your estate plan deserves your time and attention. It’s important that you work with us to review your estate plan at least once a year. Think of this as your estate plan’s annual physical exam, and remember—prevention is the best...
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...
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...
How to Avoid a Disastrous Will or Trust Contest
A will or trust contest can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your estate, and tear your loved ones apart. But with proper planning, you can prevent that result. What is a Will or Trust Contest? A will or trust contest is a type of lawsuit that is filed to...
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...
Fender Bender? How does that 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...
Estate Planning Awareness Week: Don’t Fall Victim to These Common Myths
Estate Planning Awareness Week: Don’t Fall Victim to These Common Myths Estate Planning Awareness Week is 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....
Latest Blogs
- Your Future, Your Control: Celebrate Estate Planning Awareness Week with Us!Have You or Your Loved Ones Used These Excuses to Avoid Estate Planning? We all have those nagging to-do items that never seem to make it to the top of our list, even though we know how important they are. Maybe it is scheduling a checkup with the doctor, calling the HVAC company to inspect that noisy […]
- Just Like These Celebrities, You Need an Estate Plan TooThe Legacy of Film Legend Val Kilmer Actor Val Kilmer’s passing in April 2025 highlights estate planning issues that can affect almost anyone. Although Kilmer was a celebrity, these issues—including managing real estate in more than one state, deciding what happens with digital assets, and using charitable gifts to leave a legacy and help reduce […]
- Time for Spring Cleaning and PlanningPresident Trump’s First 100 Days in Office President Trump entered office having won the electoral college and with relatively strong approval ratings. On his first day in office, he issued over 25 executive orders, and in his first 30 days, he issued more than 70,1 seeking to make good on his promises to transform the […]