Receiving news that you need major surgery is never easy. Preparing for work absences, planning for childcare and household responsibilities, and understanding the procedure itself and your recovery timeline may be among the things you are worried about. If you have only a short time (weeks or days) to react, focusing on the essentials is […]
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What to Do When Your Doctor Tells You to Get Your Affairs in Order
Five words no one ever wants to hear from their doctor are “Get your affairs in order.” Unfortunately, 76 percent of Americans do not have a will, and it often requires a chronic disease, terminal illness diagnosis, or other life-changing event to prompt people to start the estate planning process. If you are facing a […]
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Talking to Aging Parents About Estate Planning
Beyond the practical purpose of transferring assets and reducing taxes, an estate plan reflects love, responsibility, and values. That emotional heaviness may be part of why many families avoid the subject. Pew Research reports that only about 3 in 10 US adults have created a basic estate plan (a will and a living will or […]
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Caution: Writing Your Own Deed to Avoid Probate Can Lead to Costly Unintended Consequences
One goal of estate planning is to ensure that your assets, including your home, pass to your chosen beneficiaries quickly and with minimal expense. In real estate, a common strategy to avoid probate (the court process of validating a will and distributing assets) is to add others to the title. This strategy involves adding the […]
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Estate Planning as a Love Language: Protecting Those Who Depend on You
We all have different ways of giving and receiving love, and those preferences can reveal a great deal about us. You may be the type who expresses love with words, telling people you care about them or crafting carefully worded messages for someone when they need encouragement. Or maybe you prefer physical affection such as […]
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Beyond Assets: The Power of Ethical Wills
What do you hope to leave behind for your loved ones? Beyond the financial aspect, how do you hope your legacy will be felt and remembered? These questions lie at the heart of every estate plan and typically inform discussions about the things that someone plans to leave behind: homes, savings, heirlooms, and other types […]
Continue reading…Supporting the Caregiver Client: A Financial Advisor’s Guide to Empathetic Estate Planning
America is facing a caregiver crisis. With baby boomers entering retirement in record numbers and most wanting to age in place in their homes, demand for long-term care at home is rapidly rising. Yet the supply of professional caregivers has not kept pace, leaving many families without reliable support and placing growing pressure on informal […]
Continue reading…Planning for Yourself While Caring for Someone with a Disability
Most of us have been on a plane and heard the preflight safety instructions that include some version of the oxygen mask principle: Secure your own mask before assisting others. Why do they emphasize this point? Because you cannot effectively help someone else if you are struggling to breathe. Millions of Americans may not realize […]
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Why Receiving an Inheritance Changes Your Estate Plan
Receiving an inheritance can be a meaningful and transformative experience, but it can also create challenges if not handled thoughtfully. Without a clear plan, an inheritor may struggle to manage newly acquired assets, face creditor or tax issues, or lack the financial experience needed to preserve and grow what was left to them. A well-designed […]
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When Your Parent Plans to Disinherit Your Sibling
Your parent has made the difficult decision to omit your brother or sister from their estate plan. While this decision will undoubtedly land heavily on your sibling, the decision also places you in a complicated position. As the child who was not cut out of the estate plan, you may find yourself in an especially […]
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