couple reviewing finances

Discretionary / Continuing Trusts – How to Protect Beneficiaries and Their Inheritance from Bad Decisions, Divorce or Outside Influences

Although leaving your hard-earned assets outright to your adult children, grandchildren, or other beneficiaries after you die may seem like the easiest and most desired form of distribution for the beneficiaries, this scheme will make their inheritance easier prey for creditors, predators (e.g. lawsuits), and divorcing spouses.  Instead, consider using discretionary trusts (aka continuing trusts) for the benefit of each of

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erasing 100 dollar bill with a blue eraser

Did You Or A Loved One Make Any Of These Five Critical Estate Planning Mistakes?

Sadly, most Americans are indifferent to estate planning – at best – or completely ignore the issue – at worst. When it comes to estate planning, however, there are just some mistakes that you cannot afford to make. Below are five of the most critical estate planning mistakes. Not having any estate plan. This is the biggest mistake, especially among younger

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money

Why Receiving An Inheritance Changes Your Estate Plan

Receiving an inheritance is a huge blessing but, if not handled properly, can also become a curse. Often times, the inheritor does not know what to do with the new asset and runs into financial trouble, squandering most, if not all of it. This could happen due to the inheritor having outstanding creditor issues or tax troubles or being inexperienced with

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Curtis’ thoughts on Purposeful Planning

Purposeful Planning; An Exploration & Explanation Kaiser Law Group’s ‘tagline’ is “Purposeful Estate Planning for the Millionaire Next Door.”  Many of our clients and colleagues know our appreciation for Thomas Stanley and William Danko’s late 1990’s classic book, The Millionaire Next Door, which extols the virtues of living beneath your means (“playing good defense”), investing in products and services of true

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Couple Carrying Big Box Purchase Into House

One Call You Must Make After You Buy a Home

During the home buying process, you worked with a lot of individuals: your realtor, the seller’s realtor, the title company, the loan officer, and the home inspector.  Now that you have finalized the purchase of your house, there is one more expert you need to call: your estate planning attorney. Aligning Your Ownership with Existing Estate Planning First, your attorney can

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Woman buying a new house

3 Tips for Every New Homeowner

Congratulations on the purchase of your new home.  Whether this is your first home or an upgrade/downsize, the purchasing of a home is a big event in your life.  When these major life changes occur, it is important that you are properly prepared. Below are a few things for you to consider now that you finally have the keys to your

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Family barbeque party

Do Your Parents have an Estate Plan?

If you find yourself in the “sandwich generation” (someone who is caring for both your children as well as your parents simultaneously), you need to know whether or not your parents have put together an estate plan. While it is still your parent’s choice to make estate planning decisions, having a plan — no matter how late in life it is

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5 Reasons to Embrace the Emotional Side 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. But while that could feel like a reason to avoid estate planning, the emotional nature

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How to Build Freedom From Court Interference Into Your Estate Plan

It’s clear why you might want to avoid court involvement in your estate for financial reasons, knowing that probate can quickly get costly and time consuming for those involved. But there is an emotional component to it as well. Your assets are just that: yours. And the idea of them being discussed and deliberated on in a public forum might not

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Tax Reform and Estate Planning in 2018

The new tax legislation raises the federal estate tax exemption to $11.2 million for individuals and $22.4 million for couples. The increase means that an exceedingly small number of estates (only about 1,800, nationally) will have to worry about federal estate taxes in 2018, according to estimates from the nonpartisan congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. So, you may be wondering, is

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