One misconception people have about life insurance is that naming beneficiaries is all you have to do to ensure the benefits of life insurance will be available for a surviving spouse, children, or other intended beneficiary. Life insurance is an important estate planning tool, but without certain protections in place, there’s no guarantee that your […]
Read More »STEP – For whose eyes only?
Enjoy this article courtesy of STEP:
Read More »How You Can Build an Estate Plan that Includes Asset Protection – Part 2
Divorce One of the last things you want to have happen to the nest egg you’ve saved is for your children to lose it in a divorce. In order to make sure your beneficiaries get the parts of your estate that you want to pass onto them — regardless of how their marriage develops — […]
Read More »How You Can Build an Estate Plan that Includes Asset Protection – Part 1
Much of estate planning has to do with the way a person’s assets will be distributed upon their death. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. From smart incapacity planning to diligent probate avoidance, there is a lot that goes into crafting a comprehensive estate plan. One important factor to consider is asset protection.
Read More »5 Reasons to Embrace the Emotional Nature of Estate Planning
When you hear the phrase “estate plan,” you might first think about paperwork. Or your mind might land on some of the uncomfortable topics that estate planning confronts head-on: end-of-life decisions, incapacity, and your family’s legacy from generation to generation. Those subjects hit home for everyone.
Read More »Do It Now: Name a Guardian for Your Minor Child(ren)
We know it’s hard. Thinking about someone else raising your children stops us all in our tracks. It feels crushing and too horrific to consider. But you must. If you don’t, a stranger will determine who raises your children if something happens to you – your child’s guardian could be a relative you despise or […]
Read More »A Powerful Exercise to Surface the Values You Want to Pass on to the Next Generation
Every one of us receives and passes on an inheritance. The inheritance may not be an accumulation of earthly possessions or acquired riches, but whether we realize it or not, our choices, words, actions, and values will impact someone and form the heritage we hand down. — Ben Hardesty
Read More »How to Choose a Trustee
When you establish a trust, you name someone to be the trustee. A trustee does what you do right now with your financial affairs – collect income, pay bills and taxes, save and invest for the future, buy and sell assets, provide for your loved ones, keep accurate records, and generally keep things organized and […]
Read More »Who Should Be Your Successor Trustee?
If you have a revocable living trust, you probably named yourself as trustee so you can continue to manage your own financial affairs, but eventually someone will need to step in for you when you are no longer able to act due to incapacity or after your death. The Successor Trustee plays an important role […]
Read More »Caution: Your Traditional Asset Protection Plan is Set Up to Fail
You may be surprised to learn that you already have asset protection in place. In fact, you probably have one or more types of traditional asset protection planning in place at this very moment. The problem is it likely won’t be enough to protect you and your family.
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