Let’s talk tariffs. Yep—those taxes on imported goods that made headlines a few years ago during the Trump administration. While they may sound like a topic reserved for economists and politicians, tariffs have had some very real, very tangible effects on everyday Americans—and could still be contributing to broader economic uncertainty today. Wait—Remind Me What…
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New Home?? 3 Essential Planning Tips for Homeowners…
Congrats on the purchase of your new digs! Whether this is your first home, or you’re moving up, downsizing, or making a change, buying a home is a significant milestone. When major life events occur, it’s important to take some time to ensure your plans for the future are aligned with your current estate plan, or…
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Do I Need a Will or a Trust? (4 Options to Avoid Court)
My best friend (who is a legit big deal in the world of international finance), texted me the other day: “Hey! What do I need, a Will or a Trust?” Did you know that simply having a Last Will and Testament (“Will”) likely ends up with your estate being handled by a Court? (She did…
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The Upcoming 2025 Trust Tsunami and How to Handle it (by Steve Oshins via Ultimate Estate Planner)
The estate and gift tax exemption is scheduled to drop in half at the beginning of 2026. This is going to shift the supply/demand ratio so far in favor of estate planners that wealthy prospective clients who know they need to make their large gifts need to start acting now. If wealthy clients wait until…
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How Much Does an Estate Plan Cost???
How Much is a Living Trust? How Much is a Will? How Much does an Estate Plan run? We get a variations of this question – a lot. As much as we’d love to give you a simple answer, our response is the typical “lawyer” answer: “It depends…”. We can’t tell you without talking to you about…
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Recent Supreme Court Decision Changes the Game for Small Business Succession Plans…
Has your small business purchased life insurance on its owners as a succession strategy? It may be time to check the company’s buy-sell agreements and plan next steps with your advisors to avoid unexpected estate taxes! A common succession strategy for small closely-held businesses is for the company to buy life insurance policies on the life of…
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The 3 Types of Lawyers to Consider for Your Estate Planning…
In today’s complex legal environment, it’s important to understand that all lawyers do not specialize (or even practice) in all of the various areas of the law! When it comes to estate planning, it’s important to understand how “specialized” your legal representation is when handling your family + legacy. This week, I break down the (3)…
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NEW SERIES! Are your gifts causing more harm than good? When generosity backfires…
As an estate planner, I deal with lots of generous, kind folks with very big hearts (and sometimes, big wallets to match). That’s not always the case- sometimes clients have a more modest estate that belies their generous spirits. In this series, I’m offering a weekly Q&A to outlines some mistakes I’ve seen my generous clients…
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Tiffany Ballenger Floyd interview featured in Women’s Health Magazine
Check out the Women’s Health magazine interview with our own Tiffany Ballenger Floyd, where she discusses the importance of advance health care directives, Nov 2020! Thanks to journalist Amy Wilkinson, who was absolutely lovely to work with! Link to post
Phillips Ballenger’s Action Plan in Response to COVID-19
Dear Clients & Friends, We write to you today to update you with Phillip Ballenger’s action plan in light of the escalating spread of the novel Coronavirus. This situation is new & unique to all of us – our core values have guided us to the following decisions regarding how Phillips Ballenger will operate for…
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