Estate Growth and Shrinkage

When a person’s assets accumulate over time, one can expect to see those assets grow as they age.  However, after death, a large chunk of those same assets can end up being eaten away by government taxes, fees, and other administrative costs.  This decrease can be a significant portion of a person’s estate and is……

Estate Planning: How to Keep More of Your Money

Planning what to leave heirs when a person dies is not something that can be done in one day.  Rather, estate planning requires knowledge, thought, and ongoing protection of assets in order to reach the goals of wealth distribution for future generations. Estate Planning Estate planning involves the process of accumulating, preserving, and distributing assets……

Planning for the Future with Special Needs Children

Parents who find themselves caring for a special needs child have many questions. Some of these questions include: What will happen to my child when I am no longer around to care for them? Who will step in to help? What financial arrangements do I need to make to ensure their continued care? These can……

Estate Planning and Planned Giving Explained

Estate planning is the process by which a person establishes what will happen to his or her assets during their lives and after they die. As part of that process, the term “planned giving” is sure to come up time and again. Estate planning and planned giving are intertwined in many people’s future plans, and……

Estate Planning for Second Marriages and Blended Families

Estate planning can be difficult enough when planning for a wife and children, but when divorce and remarriage create a family where one or more spouses already have children, estate planning can go from difficult to confusing.  However, by using a qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust, this difficult task becomes easier. QTIP Basics According……

Fundamentals of Estate Planning

As we work through our adult lives, many of us set aside money for retirement. Retirement planning is a complex process with many hurdles to overcome. Part of that process is the concept of estate planning, or what will happen to our assets during our lives and after we die. Perhaps the goal is to……