Wondering if you should leave a life insurance policy outright to a spouse? Naming a legal beneficiary is necessary for life insurance, annuities, qualified retirement plans, individual retirement accounts, and some bank accounts. Ideally, these assets will be paid directly to whoever you have selected as your beneficiary in the event you passed away. The […]
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How to “Marie Kondo” Your Financial Life and Streamline Your Estate Planning Process
Listen to the Audio Version If you’re not familiar with Marie Kondo, take some time this week to watch one of her videos on YouTube or check out her new Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. It’s incredible to watch the relief and joy that people experience just by implementing her simple strategies to […]
Legal Documents Every Graduating Senior Needs to Ensure Parents Can Intervene Medically on Their Behalf
Click Here To Listen to the Audio Version It’s the end of the school year and graduations are in full swing. As your “baby” steps into adulthood, you might not realize that you will soon lose the ability to help your child or make healthcare decisions (even though you may still be paying the bill!) […]
Before You Hire Before a California Elder Law Attorney…Ask These 10 Questions First!
You could never fit the dreams, goals, and desires of your family into a one-size-fits-all box. Nor can you fully anticipate the unique challenges, changes, and loss you and your loved ones may face ahead. As impossible as it is to predict your future and generalize your dreams, that’s how equally impossible it would be […]
New Baby? Time to Create Your Estate Plan
Estate planning is often one item that gets pushed back on nearly everyone’s to-do list. That’s especially the case when you are so focused on loving and caring for your new bundle of joy. The other reasons you might be delaying vary: lack of time, not thinking you have enough assets, not knowing how to […]
Why You Should Sweat the Small Stuff in Your Estate Plan
When planning their estates, most people focus on major assets, such as business interests, real estate, investments and retirement plans. But it’s also important to “sweat the small stuff” — tangible personal property. Examples include automobiles, jewelry, clothing, antiques, furniture, artwork, photographs, music collections, personal papers, collectibles (such as stamps, coins or baseball cards) and […]
Three Legal Things to Do After a Scary Health Diagnosis
A scary health diagnosis can be emotionally and logistically challenging for many reasons. For instance, how can you take care of your family if you’re physically incapacitated? In addition to working closely with your medical providers, consider these three legal tips: Check your estate plan with your attorney to make sure it is up […]
Planning on Giving Money this Holiday Season? 5 Things to Consider
The holiday season is a time to enjoy friends, family, and loved ones. Often we consider our life circumstances and may get in the spirit of giving. This is particularly true if you are at a point in your life were you have enough from a financial standpoint. If you are planning on giving money […]
It Takes a Village to Raise a Child
When it comes to caring for your child, we know ensuring your child’s needs are met is your highest priority. Sometimes, however, unexpected circumstances may arise that make this care an uphill battle. We know as parents ourselves that often these challenges come when we least expect them. As parents, we need to be as […]
Checking Your Estate Plan: Is It a Trick or a Treat?
When was the last time you reviewed your estate plan? Do you know if it will work when you need it to and be a treat for your loved ones to manage? Or is there a nasty trick lying in wait? Get our Estate Plan Checklist to give your plan a quick audit. It’s no […]
The Estate Planning and Conversations You and Your Spouse Need to Have
When was the last time you and your spouse discussed your estate planning? We know it is probably not on your list of “date night” conversations. In fact, many of our friends, family, and even professionals we work with tell us that once they create their estate plan, they consider it finalized and do not […]
Tips On Creating the Right Durable Power of Attorney
We know that it can be challenging to think about who will handle your assets if you become unable to do so yourself. Although this concern starts with your money, have you thought about how difficult it would be for your loved ones to make not only those important decisions on your behalf but […]
Talking Turkey About Estate Planning This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving offers times to reflect on what we are most grateful for in life. For many of us this includes our relationships with family. While they are not far from our hearts, we are often separated by hectic schedules or distance. Having a set time to get together to celebrate allows us to be present with each other and […]
The Pitfalls of a Do-It-Yourself Estate Plan and How to Avoid Them
When the term “Do-It-Yourself” or “DIY” comes to mind, what do you think of? A weekend spent working hard on a home improvement project? An evening putting together your kid’s new bicycle? DIT projects can bring a lot of joy and pride from realizing you’ve accomplished something great on your own. On the other hand, doing […]
How To Say “I Love You” With Life Insurance
While it might not sound romantic, having life insurance is a great way to say “I love you.” Obtaining a policy (or better yet, a series of policies) shows that you care enough about your loved ones not to leave them in financial dire straits after you die. While we all have dreams to enjoy a […]
What You Need to Know About Your Safe Deposit Box Before It’s Too Late
Do you know how to access a safe deposit box after the death of a loved one? Never fear, you are not alone if you don’t know the answer. While safe deposit boxes are commonly used to protect valuable items and important documents (such as a insurance policies, a will, or a trust), it is […]
3 Ways to Protect Your Beloved Pet If Something Happens to You
My Australian Shepherd, Motley, just celebrated this third birthday, and it got me to thinking what have a done to provide for him if something happens to me? For a lot of us, a beloved pet is considered an important part of the family. Indeed, my wife and I always say we have a family […]
Don’t Be April Fooled! Here’s 8 Ways to Protect Against Online Fraud
Are you afraid of your identity being stolen? Looking to protect against online fraud? You are not alone. Forbes reported a mobile security study in which 69% of respondents said that having others access their personal information is one of their biggest fears. However, the article also revealed that most Americans don’t take the proper precautions […]
Some Food for Thought When Reviewing Your Estate Plan
Estate planning is an ongoing process, and an estate plan review should be done every few years to ensure that your unique goals and needs are still being met. As I’ve mentioned before, your planning should never be merely a set of documents you execute once, stick on a shelf, and never look at again. […]
5 More Ways You Might Leave a Mess Behind for Your Family
It is always easier to ignore a difficult task or put it off until later. However, the wealth you have worked hard to build, your dreams for your family’s future, and your legacy are all in jeopardy if you have not taken the time to properly plan for your death or incapacity. Do not perpetuate your family’s […]