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How to Give Help to Family without Neglecting Your Own Financial Needs
As the cost of a college education skyrockets, and the unemployment rate for new college graduates holds steady at a depressing 17 percent, more and more grandparents are feeling the pressure to help their college age grandchildren pay for college expenses, or help with student loans after graduation. While college students (and their families) could […]
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Planning for Death Can Be a Celebration of Life
October and November is the one time of the year when not only is it ok to think about death, it’s expected! So it seems like the perfect time to bring up the subject of funerals—specifically your own funeral. It has been said that funerals and memorial services are for those who are left behind […]
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Facing the Challenges of Caregiving as a Family
As senior issues and caregiver concerns get more media attention, more and more families are making the question of who becomes mom or dad’s primary caregiver a family decision. Although one sibling may still take on the role of “primary caregiver,” families are making the conscious decision to try to share caregiving responsibilities more equally. […]
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Death of Steve Jobs Saddens the World
The recent death of creative visionary and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs saddened the world. News of his death traveled like wildfire, and had the online social networks humming with tributes, memorial posts, and sentiments of grief. Mr. Jobs was very private about his personal life, but through his public appearances and his support of various […]
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When “Equal” is not Always “Fair”
Every parent wants to be fair to their children; avoid showing favoritism, give each the same advantages, and eventually leaving each a fair and equal inheritance. But every parent also knows that there are times when equal is not always fair—a dilemma that is often faced by parents drawing up their will or estate plan. […]
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“The Little Things:” Leaving Cherished Personal Items to Heirs
When most people think about estate planning they think about how to leave financial assets—savings, retirement accounts, investment assets, or large assets such as a home—to their children, grandchildren or other loved ones. But our firm knows that estate planning is about much more than just money. In fact, once clients get beyond the big-ticket […]
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How Important Is Religion When Planning Your Estate?
In a multi-cultural, multi-religious country such as ours the subject of personal faith or religious beliefs is one that many advisors are reluctant to bring up. Some advisors are afraid of offending their clients, other advisors may simply feel that religion has no bearing on the financial service they provide; but a recent article in […]
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Don’t Inadvertently Disinherit Your Loved Ones—Review Your Estate Plan Regularly
All of our readers know just how important—how essential—a will is to protecting your family after you pass away. Leaving clear and tangible instructions can prevent family infighting as well as hurt or unsettled feelings; and leaving a legally airtight will can prevent wasted time and money in unnecessarily long probate proceedings. But for all […]
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Leaving an Inheritance to a Special Needs Child
If you have a child with special needs, planning your estate takes on a whole new dimension; especially, as this article in Forbes points out, now that “state and local governments are tightening income restrictions for medical benefits and supportive services, which are typically paid for by Social Security and Medicaid. Those services are tough […]
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Make Your Estate Plan a Masterpiece
A recent article in Forbes has shed light on a fact that estate planners have always known: There is far more to creating a good estate plan than just drafting the documents. In fact, according to the article, there is a fine art to putting together a good estate plan. “Estates are often shrouded in […]
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