Happy New Year! As we welcome 2020, I find that as an estate planning attorney, my calendar quickly fills up with consultations for potential new clients eager to “get organized” and/or to “get their affairs in order.” Individuals & families seem eager to get a positive start in the New Year and seek expert advice…
Continue reading…Category: Trust Administration
Why I’m Convinced that Estate Planning is a Women’s Issue
Estate planning is important for both sexes, but the pitfalls of failing to plan simply affect women, particularly mothers, much more than men– both in terms of raw numbers (we live longer) and the all-too-common female burden of carrying the entire family’s mental workload. As a group, the facts are: women live longer than men, earn less than…
Continue reading…Trust & Estate Planning FAQs with Tiffany Ballenger Floyd
Q: Isn’t Estate Planning Just for Rich People? A: NO!! Many people have preconceived notions about estate planning and believe that it is only necessary for multi-millionaires who wish to leave large trust funds to their children. However, this is far from the truth; an estate plan can be invaluable tools in the many people’s (not…
Continue reading…Worst-Case Scenario.
In March of 2017, a good friend of mine died tragically in a horrific car accident. She left behind her 9-year old twin daughters. The event had a massive effect on my life for several reasons. I have been fortunate enough to only ever have experienced the loss of my Great Grandparents & Grandparents, which…
Continue reading…4 Estate Planning Myths That Refuse To Die
By Ron Carson, Forbes, May 5, 2019 Link to Original Article Estate planning remains one of the most misunderstood areas of planning. Over the years, I’ve met with people who “only needed a financial plan, not an estate plan” or “didn’t need a financial plan, just some help with estate planning.” I’ve also met with…
Continue reading…Wealth. What does it mean to you?
Wealth to me is not about money. I gauge my wealth on the relationships I have, the quality of time I am able to enjoy with my family, the level of joy and happiness I feel when I am able to provide experiences and special moments with my children. Yes, money does afford me the…
Continue reading…What California Wildfire Victims Should Know About Insurance And Loss Of Use
by Megan Gorman, Forbes Link to original article here Across California, the wildfires have been beyond devastating. With the Camp Fire in the north and the Woolsey Fire in the south, it feels like the entire state of California is burning. But as Californians begin to sift through the ash and rebuild, there may be…
Continue reading…3 Steps to Prepare your Children for an Inheritance
How do you prepare your children to receive their inheritance? Your children receive their inheritance according to the directions you provide in your trust document. What if your children are not fiscally prepared to manage their inheritance? Talking to your children about your plan to include them in your in regard to their inheritance is…
Continue reading…The Thanksgiving Table Is The Perfect Forum To Discuss Estate Planning
In addition to expressing thanks for all that you have in this world, take the opportunity, while your loved ones are relegated to one table, to discuss, or at least investigate, the following topics that will surely give them pumpkin to talk about. Power of Attorney: Easy as pie to execute, a Power of…
Continue reading…How to Find the Right Legacy Planning Attorney for You.
Legacy planning is much more than a configured documentation of your assets. It is both a personal and procedural preparation of your life requiring additional foresight and planning for beyond. Developing a solid estate plan requires a culmination of knowledge based on law, accounting, and a level of customization that only a good estate planning…
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