Estate Planning

Estate planning is dead. Gone are the days of creating legal structures to hold your assets, pass your fortune on to the next generation and, of course, avoid paying estate taxes. Gone are the days of planning for your death. It’s time to plan for your life. 

Link to Original Article by Daniel Scott, Forbes, July 26, 2018

Understanding the Probate process emphasizes that proper estate planning is vital!  This week, we give you an introduction to Probate, what it is and what it entails.  

Aretha Franklin's recent passing brought to light another celebrity estate lacking the proper protection planning to avoid probate.  We have provided a reminder checklist to prevent this from happening to you and your family...

PLEASE NOTE- THIS INFORMATION IS AGED- PLEASE REFERENCE UPDATES TO THE LAW NECESSITATED BY CA PROP 19, WHICH BECAME EFFECTIVE ON FEBRUARY 16, 2021, AND SEVERELY LIMITS THE PARENT / CHILD EXCLUSION.

This week marks the first week of school for many families.  While the kids are at school, we continue to discuss financial planning  in Part 2 of our Back-to-School Checklist.  Keep your preparation-game strong by using these planning tools!

Back-to-school season is all about fresh starts!  Inspired by the importance of preparation in starting a new school year, we have provided a two-part checklist that will help you and your family prepare for the future!

Read more for Part 1!

As a soon-to-be college freshman many years ago, I was preoccupied with selecting roommates, finding bacteria-resistant shower shoes, and dreaming about the incredible freedom my 18-year-old adult self would have. Of course, it never occurred to me that it would have been prudent to have certain legal documents in place to make sure my parents could intervene on my behalf if I were injured, ill or incapacitated while I was away at school. This never occurred to my parents either! In fact, my mother and father did not fully appreciate that when I turned 18, at least in the eyes of the law, they no longer had any dominion over me.

Beverly Nelson with StandUpForCaregivers.org, discusses the conversations in life that are just plain difficult - talking with your loved one about end-of-life arrangements. It’s a topic you’d rather put off until later, but you don’t know what the future holds. You can, however, make sure your loved one has a plan in place for when their Golden Years quietly come to a close. 

For this week, we are diving into the realm of entertainment, sharing some celebrity estate planning horror stories!

Are you and your significant other considering a prenuptial, postnuptial or cohabitation agreement?  If so, this week's blog gives a quick and informative look into these three types of agreements!

Some common questions to consider, whether you're new to estate planning or have a comprehensive plan in place...