Big corporations may be laying off employees in distressingly record numbers, but big corporations are not the only employers in the U.S.—as long as we have our small business community, all may not be lost. According to this article on Reader’s Digest.com, small businesses are taking the economic downturn in stride, and in some cases… Read More »
Blog Posts Page 58
The Financial Diet
Towards the beginning of the year most people make resolutions having to do with diet or finances—or both. But what if you combined the two and put yourself on a financial diet? This is exactly what Ron Lieber is suggesting in his February 6 article in the New York Times. As Lieber points out, because… Read More »
Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning? Don’t!
Is the budget too tight to pay for an expensive estate plan right now? Why not do it yourself? How hard could it be? Actually, it can be very hard—hard on your wallet when it costs you thousands of dollars to fix the mistakes in the plan you made; and especially hard on your heirs… Read More »
Putting off Your Estate Plan is a Grave Mistake
At a time when the economy is slow and money is tight, many people are looking to save money by cutting back on “unessential” expenses—including estate planning. Although this instinct is understandable, the trend is a disturbing one. Our firm understands the need to dig in during tough times, but what you may not realize… Read More »
Growing Children Need an Updated Estate Plan
Every parent knows how miraculously fast children seem to grow and develop. So many parents find themselves marveling that their child’s foot ever fit into that tiny set of infant socks, or wistfully packing up the blocks and books their child has outgrown for electronic games or more mature interests. It is cliché to say… Read More »
Forbes.com: The Girlfriend’s Guide to Estate Planning
Women in the United States have a unique set of estate planning needs, not the least of which has to do with the fact that they outlive their husbands by an average of 7 years, and are more likely than their male counterparts to become the family caregiver. So why is it that so few… Read More »
Memorial Instructions in Literature and in Life
“The Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf, stacked and decked it until it stood four-square, hung with helmets, heavy war-shields and shining armour, just as he had ordered. Then his warriors laid him in the middle of it, mourning a lord far-famed and beloved.” (From Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney) Funerals get great coverage… Read More »
Senior Issues on the Silver Screen
It’s that time again, and the news sources are all aglow with coverage… no, not the inauguration—the Oscars! This isn’t something we’d normally talk about on an estate planning blog, but one of the top contenders this year is ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (receiving 13 nominations in all); a movie about a man… Read More »
Family Milestones = Estate Planning Milestones
Any parent will tell you that the birth (or adoption) of a child shifts the nature of your thinking irrevocably. One day you look around and discover that your own wants and needs are no longer at the center of your life. We see evidence of this shift when planning for parents of young children,… Read More »
Caregiver Agreements Reduce the Burden of Caring for Elderly Family Members
Anyone serving as a caregiver for an aging relative knows that it’s hard work no matter how much you love the person to whom you are providing care and service, and in many cases it can be a severe financial hardship as well. Studies have shown that the child who serves as the primary caregiver… Read More »