April 10, 2018 The Family Conversation: Addressing Your Health Care Needs in Retirement

Maybe you and your family have already attempted to have “the conversation.” You know the one: the discussion about your and your spouse’s assets and what will be done with those assets during the rest of your lives and after you pass away. Perhaps, because of your children’s sibling rivalries, the family conversation turned to one about gifts and inheritances and about who deserves more or less of the assets based on “good” or “bad” behavior. If things continued this way, you likely skipped over the most important aspect of this conversation: how the assets will be used to pay for your health care during retirement and how much that health care will cost. 

June 19, 2017 What You Need to Know About TOD Accounts

A relatively new option for clients, transfer on death (TOD) accounts offer a unique beneficiary feature. Unlike similar non-retirement accounts, TOD accounts allow investors’ assets to transfer directly to their designated beneficiaries when they pass away, circumventing the probate court process. The TOD registration, which is available for both individual and joint accounts, not only streamlines the account disbursement process, it also lets account holders rest assured that their beneficiaries will receive the intended amount of assets.

May 17, 2017 Conducting a Periodic Review of Your Estate Plan

What is conducting a periodic review of your estate plan?

With your estate plan successfully implemented, one final but critical step remains: carrying out a periodic review and update.

Jan. 24, 2017 Family Limited Partnership: Estate Freeze Technique

A family limited partnership (FLP) is a limited partnership created under and governed by state law and of which two or more family members serve as limited and/or general partners. It can be a powerful estate planning tool that (1) reduces income and transfer taxes, (2) permits you to distribute business assets to your heirs while retaining control of the business, (3) ensures continued family ownership of the business, and (4) provides liability protection to the limited partners.

Dec. 23, 2016 Donor Story: Chris Hodges

Oct. 25, 2016 Key Estate Planning Documents You Need

There are five estate planning documents you may need, regardless of your age, health, or wealth: