by Christine | Sep 4, 2014 | Asset Protection, Beneficiary, Beneficiary Designation, Beneficiary Forms, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Estates, Financial Planning, Guardianships, Inherited IRAs, Inheritors, Probate, Trusts |
You may have made a giant estate planning mistake without even knowing it — forgetting to update the names of your beneficiaries for your employer-sponsored retirement plans, IRAs, life insurance policies, mutual funds, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, annuities and...
by Christine | Sep 3, 2014 | Assets, Beneficiary, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Estate Tax, Inheritance, Living Trust, Probate, Trusts, Wills |
If there is a boogeyman when it comes to family conversations about inheritance, it is not death. It’s the $40 trillion that financial advisers say their baby boomer clients are going to pass to their children either in an orderly way — or in a chaotic mess. A report...
by Christine | Sep 2, 2014 | Elder Law, Irrevocable Trust, Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Long Term Care, Medicaid, Medicare |
Although their names are confusingly alike, Medicaid and Medicare are quite different programs. What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid (its called Medi-Cal in California)? There are strict income and asset guidelines that must be satisfied to be eligible...
by Christine | Sep 1, 2014 | Asset Protection, Assets, Beneficiary, Estate Law, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Inheritance, Living Trust, Probate, Trusts, Wills |
Leaving even a small inheritance to your children requires planning. Regardless the size of your estate, structuring an inheritance properly can avoid problems and help your beneficiaries use your hard-earned assets more wisely. Last year, AARP included an article in...
by Christine | Aug 29, 2014 | Asset Protection, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning |
Now is the time to adopt financial habits that determine a successful retirement, even if you’re still in your 20s. (Note: Parents, here is a great article to share with your twenty-something adult children!) If you are a twenty-something, you have plenty of...
by Christine | Aug 22, 2014 | Uncategorized |
His Will was written before the birth of his last two children and never updated; thus, his estate plan is completely silent about his wishes for them. The actor's death also highlights the effect that marriage can have on an estate plan. It seems that once a...
by Christine | Aug 21, 2014 | Estate Planning, Inheritance, Probate, Tax Planning |
No one wants to leave their heirs with a mess to sort out or fight over. Here's a look at the top six things to remember when you're estate planning for a blended family. If you are remarried, how does the new marriage affect your estate planning? There are...
by Christine | Aug 20, 2014 | Estate Planning, Inheritance, Wills |
Your first step? Take stock of all your assets. These include your investments, retirement accounts, insurance policies, real estate and any business interests. According to CNN Money's "Identifying your assets" (i.e., part of its Money Essentials...
by Christine | Aug 19, 2014 | Elder Law, Medi-Cal, Medicare, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning |
The best time to discuss finances with your parents is when they are competent, self-sufficient adults. Planning ahead and seeking out the appropriate professional financial assistance on their behalf can help ensure your parents enter their golden years in the most...
by Christine | Aug 18, 2014 | Asset Protection, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Guardianships, Inheritance, Probate, Trusts, Wills |
Who will be your child's guardian, and who will be the guardian of your estate? Experts say it's a difficult decision many families agonize over, and there's no one-size-fits-all scenario. In the event that you pass away suddenly and unexpectedly, what...
