Recent Posts in Financial Health Four Common and Costly Estate Planning "Administration" Mistakes Posted on May 8, 2018 Four Common and Costly Estate Planning “Administration” Mistakes By Christian Cordoba, CFP From incapacity planning to legacy and gifting intentions, a well-constructed estate plan can be ... Read More Estate Plans Aren't Relevant Anymore, Right? Wrong! Posted on Apr 25, 2018 Estate Plans Aren’t Relevant Anymore, Right? Wrong! By Stephanie Bezner, Attorney In December, Congress passed significant tax legislation. The federal estate tax exemption was increased to ... Read More A Silent Epidemic Posted on Apr 10, 2018 A Silent Epidemic By Sylvia Thompson, CMC He never imagined it would happen to him. Fifty years ago, George started a small hardware store with his beloved wife, Lily. They struggled and sacrificed ... Read More Alzheimer's Disease, Aging and Conservatorships Posted on Feb 26, 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease, Aging and Conservatorships By Deborah Keesey, Esq. What is the Alzheimer’s epidemic? It’s hard to believe but every 66 seconds, someone in the United States ... Read More Landmark Tax Reform Bill Passes Posted on Dec 28, 2017 Landmark Tax Reform Bill Passes By Scott Donnelly, CPA The new tax reform law — commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) — is the most significant tax legislation in ... Read More Family Matters: Multi-Generational Legacy Planning Posted on Dec 28, 2017 Family Matters: Multi-Generational Legacy Planning How do you prevent money from destroying your family? By Mark Tsujimoto, Financial Planner One of the problems facing parents, grandparents and ... Read More The Greatest Gift to Those You Love Posted on Oct 10, 2017 The Greatest Gift to Those You Love Many years ago, I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Edwin Shneidman, a renowned psychologist, esteemed thanatologist and prolific author who believed life is ... Read More Using Living Trusts to Accomplish Your Estate Planning Goals - It Isn't Just About Avoiding Probate Posted on Sep 27, 2017 Using Living Trusts to Accomplish Your Estate Planning Goals – It Isn’t Just About Avoiding Probate By Ron Miller, Licensed Professional Fiduciary You’re probably familiar with the ... Read More Preparing for a Smooth and Easy Estate Settlement After You're Gone Posted on Sep 1, 2017 Preparing for a Smooth and Easy Estate Settlement After You’re Gone by Eric Harris, Attorney Most of us don’t like thinking about our eventual death. Yet, almost all of us want to be ... Read More Estate Planning: The What and Why Posted on Apr 24, 2017 Estate Planning: The What and Why By Stephanie F. Bezner, Esq. What is an estate plan? An estate plan provides protection for your family and for your property. It directs who will receive your assets ... Read More Tips for Tax Planning in 2017 Posted on Jan 26, 2017 Tips for Tax Planning 2017 Considerations for tax planning are important throughout the entire year and not just at tax time. Under a new federal administration, 2017 may have significant tax law ... Read More Nine Commonly Overlooked Strategies to Help Preserve Your Retirement Wealth Posted on May 10, 2016 While reasonably basic to an IRA specialist, the 9 ideas below are often overlooked by consumers and many financial practitioners alike who do not specialize in IRAs. Used appropriately, these ideas ... Read More The Intersection of Economics and Investments Posted on Oct 13, 2015 “…something is out of joint.” -Judy Dench, as Queen Elizabeth in the movie Shakespeare in Love. You may be forgiven if you are thinking the same thing. Seven years after The Great ... Read More Are You A Planner? Posted on Sep 17, 2015 Americans plan. We plan everything: our schedules, careers, and work projects. How many of us have planned a wedding? How about a vacation? Your retirement? We even plan for the disposition of our ... Read More Savvy Social Security Planning for Baby Boomers Posted on Aug 21, 2015 After years of thinking of Social Security as a safety net for senior citizens, baby boomers (people born 1946 – 1964) are realizing it is now their turn to collect. This 80-year old program, ... Read More Required Distributions From Retirement Plans: Getting Older Gets Complicated Posted on Jun 22, 2015 Over your working life, you have diligently salted away money into a 401(k), 403(b), SEP-IRA, SIMPLE-IRA, profit-sharing plan, IRA, Roth IRA or any one of a number of other frequently used retirement ... Read More Planning to Protect Yourself from Elder Abuse Posted on May 18, 2015 The Growing Problem of Elder Abuse Elder abuse is becoming an increasingly dangerous problem in this country. According to the American Psychological Association, over 2 million seniors annually ... Read More Estate Planning: What Does It Mean to Me? Posted on Mar 27, 2015 WHAT IS AN ESTATE PLAN? An estate plan provides protection for your family and for your property. It directs who will receive your assets when you are gone. A proper estate plan includes a revocable ... Read More Long Term Care: Early Planning Pays Off Posted on Mar 9, 2015 If you're considering long term care options for yourself or a loved one, start your research and discussions early. Waiting for a crisis could force you to make a decision you later regret. ... Read More Is Your Nest Egg Still Producing Eggs? Posted on Jan 16, 2015 For retirees today, you are faced with many challenging decisions: When and how should I file for Social Security benefits? How should I take my pension payment? What should I do with my 401k or ... Read More A Year Without Tax Law Changes...Is It True?? Posted on Jan 6, 2015 Many tax savings breaks expired at the end of 2013. An entire year has gone by with no renewal. Is there still time for the change? Throughout 2014 there was speculation the tax breaks would be ... Read More Tips for 2014: Estate and Tax Planning Posted on May 16, 2014 When meeting with your attorney, accountant, tax preparer or other advisor this year, take this handy checklist along and ask if any of these quick tips apply to you. 1. Making gifts that are ... Read More Money Advice for Women Posted on Nov 21, 2013 Over the past several decades, women across generations have broken through financial barriers in the workplace and continue to press the proverbial “glass ceiling.” Today women are better ... Read More 2013 Tax Law Changes and the Married Couple Living Trust Posted on Mar 15, 2013 On January 2, 2013 President Obama signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 into law creating new tax laws for 2013 and into the indefinite future. As a result, the estate tax exclusion amount ... Read More