A question I often get asked is "Why is estate planning so important for me as a parent of a young child or of young children?" It's simple: when you are the parent of a young child or young children, that is when estate planning is most important. Here's why: You've got young kids. They can't take care of themselves. They can't take care of the assets that you leave to them while they're still young. You need Read More
Trust vs. Will: What you Need to Know- National Estate Planning Awareness Week
Our second installment for National Estate Planning Awareness Week: trusts, wills, and the difference between the two. When most people hear "estate planning," they immediately think "will," but for parents, a simple will is, simply, not enough. A very common question we get is "What is the difference between and will and a trust?" In some ways they are very similar, and in some ways they are very different. Both Read More
Naming Guardians- National Estate Planning Awareness Week
Maybe you've heard that there are certain documents you need to have in place to make sure that your kids are protected no matter what, but you don't know what those documents are, or how to get started. If You Are The Parent Of A Young Child, We Recommend: If you have young children, you definitely want to have a Kids Protection Plan in place. With a Kids Protection Plan, you will name long-term guardians (the Read More
National Estate Planning Awareness Week 2018
Congress has designated the third week in October "National Estate Planning Awareness Week" (October 14-20, 2018). Estate planning is an often overlooked area of personal financial management. By some estimates, 70% of American parents do not have an estate plan! Most mistakenly hear the word "estate" and assume "estate planning" is just for the Bill Gates of the world. Estate planning, however, is for Read More
Naming Guardians for your Children: The Six Steps to Do it Right – Part 2
One of your most important responsibilities you have as a parent is to select and legally document guardians for your children. This doesn’t mean naming godparents, or just trusting the grandparents will step in if necessary. It means consciously deciding who would raise your children if you cannot, and then legally documenting your choices. (Making sure the people you’ve chosen know what to do if they’re ever called Read More
What does a Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement have to do with Estate Planning? Everything!
By guest blogger, Attorney Karen J. Levitt, of Levitt Law Group Do I need or want a Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement? You may need or want a Prenuptial Agreement (also called an antenuptial or premarital agreement) if your goal is to preserve assets. You may have accumulated substantial assets prior to your marriage, own or be part of a family business, or have or anticipate inherited assets, that you want to keep Read More
Ready to Write Your Will? Consider This Before You Go It Alone or Online.
A last will and testament is the most commonly thought of document when it comes to an estate plan. But, really, it’s a very small part of an integrated plan that ensures your family stays out of Court and out of conflict when something happens to you. Writing your own Will. Don’t think you can just write your own Will and that will help your family. Instead, consider the reality that trying to do so could actually Read More
Why Plan – National Estate Planning Awareness Week 2017
A question I often get asked is "Why is estate planning so important for me as a parent of a young child or of young children?" As a dad myself, my answer is that when you are the parent of a young child or young children, that is when estate planning is most important. Here's why: You've got young kids. They can't take care of themselves, they can't take care of the assets that you leave to them while they're still Read More
Trust vs. Will: What you Need to Know- National Estate Planning Awareness Week
Our second installment for National Estate Planning Awareness Week: trusts, wills, and the difference between the two. When most people hear "estate planning," they immediately think "will," but for parents, a simple will is, simply, not enough. A very common questions we get is "What is the difference between and will and a trust?" In some ways they are very similar, and in some ways they are very different. The Read More
Naming Guardians- National Estate Planning Awareness Week
So, maybe you've heard that there are certain documents you need to have in place to make sure that your kids are protected no matter what, but you don't know what those documents are. Here's what we recommend if you're the parent of a young child: If you are the parent of a young child, you want to have a Kids Protection Plan in place. With a Kids Protection Plan in place, you will have named long-term guardians for Read More
