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Capturing the Stories of Aging Loved Ones: The Power of Family Wealth Legacy Interviews

May is Senior Citizen’s Month, a time to reflect and appreciate all the things the seniors in our lives h...

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Latest Articles

There is no shortage of advice flying around about estate planning, much of it from people who aren't even lawyers. Get insight on the popular pitfalls and how emerging economic shifts like cryptocurrency can affect your plan.

Capturing the Stories of Aging Loved Ones: The Power of Family Wealth Legacy Interviews

May is Senior Citizen’s Month, a time to reflect and appreciate all the things the seniors in our lives h...

How to Pass Down Your Family Wealth Legacy During The Holidays

As you likely already know, but may not have given much thought about, the most important inheritance you...

FAQs About Long-Term Care Insurance

Our nation’s population is aging at a faster rate than ever before, and collectively we are living much l...

The Perfect Father’s Day Gift for Every Father

When you are a kid, finding a suitable gift for Father’s Day can be a struggle. You want to get Dad somet...

I Care a Lot: Uncovering the Dark Side of Legal Guardianship (Part 2) | PFL®

The Netflix movie I Care a Lot provides a dark, violent, and somewhat comedic take on the real life and n...

I Care a Lot: Uncovers the Dark Side of Guardianship - Part 1

The Netflix movie I Care a Lot provides a dark, violent, and somewhat comedic take on the real life and n...

7 Ways To Save Big Money On Your 2020 Taxes—Part 2

2020 was a nightmarish year for many families. But thanks to recent legislation, you could see a silver l...

7 Ways To Save Big Money On Your 2020 Taxes—Part 1

2020 was a nightmarish year for many families. But thanks to recent legislation, you could see a silver l...

5 Tips For Keeping Kids Connected With Grandparents During the Pandemic

While the quarantines, shutdowns, and social distancing measures related to the pandemic have been diffic...

What You Should Know About Long-Term Care Insurance

With people living longer than ever before, more and more seniors require long-term healthcare services i...

Remarrying In Midlife? Avoid Accidently Disinheriting Your Loved Ones

Today, we’re seeing more and more people getting divorced in middle age and beyond. Indeed, the trend of ...

What You Should Know Before Agreeing to Serve as Trustee

Being asked by a loved one to serve as trustee for their trust upon their death can be quite an honor, bu...

6 Changes to Watch For In Your 2020 Taxes | PFL®

Although you may have just filed your 2019 income taxes in July, now is the time to start thinking about ...

Protecting Your Parents From Undue Influence During Covid and Beyond

In a previous article, we shared steps to understanding your parents’ estate planning and the nature of t...

How To Talk To Your Parents and Get Them To Stay Home

There’s no doubt that your parents have survived frightening world events, whether that was World War II,...

Are You Clear About How Your Parents Estate Plan Will Impact You?

Do your parents have an estate plan? Is it up to date? No matter how rich or poor you or your parents are...

Don’t Let Diminished Financial Capacity Put Your Elderly Loved Ones At Risk—Part 2

In the first part of this series, we discussed the early warning signs of diminished financial capacity i...

Don’t Let Diminished Financial Capacity Put Your Elderly Loved Ones At Risk—Part 1

With more and more Baby Boomers reaching retirement age each year, our country is undergoing an unprecede...

Use Estate Planning to Avoid Adult Guardianship—and Elder Abuse: Part 2

In the first part of this series, we discussed how some professional adult guardians have used their powe...

Use Estate Planning to Avoid Adult Guardianship—and Elder Abuse

Elder abuse can take a wide variety of forms, but we think the worst of the worst is caused by unscrupulo...

How Will The Coming Wealth Transfer Affect Your Family?

Whether it’s called “The Great Wealth Transfer,” “The Silver Tsunami,” or some other catchy-sounding name...

Seniors and Their Families Should Be Wary of Reverse Mortgages—Part 2

In the first part of this series, we discussed the dangers of reverse mortgages for senior homeowners. He...

Seniors and Their Families Should Be Wary of Reverse Mortgages

If you’ve watched TV lately, you’ve likely seen ads touting the benefits of reverse mortgages. The spots ...

3 Warning Signs of a Financial Scam

Nobody likes to admit they’ve fallen for a financial scam, but the fact is, it’s easier than ever to get ...

Don’t Let Your Elderly Parents Become Victims of the Grandparent Scam

Imagine this… You are an elderly grandparent who lives alone. You get a call in the middle of the night f...

Use Estate Planning to Ensure Your Family Isn’t Stuck Paying For Your Funeral

With the cost of a funeral averaging $7,000 and steadily increasing each year, every estate plan should i...

Dementia and Guns: A Tragedy Waiting to Happen

It’s common for families of those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia to realize that at some po...

3 Deadly Sins of Retirement Planning

Retirement planning is one of life’s most important financial goals. Indeed, funding retirement is one of...

To Live a Happier life, Start Thinking About Death Now

Want to know a proven way to live a more fulfilling life? All you have to do is fully accept the fact tha...

Estate Planning Mistakes Seniors Can’t Afford to Make

Estate planning really should be considered as soon as you acquire your first asset, have a child, or ste...

4 Warning Signs Your Elderly Relative Faces Financial Abuse | PFL®

Some of the most disturbing crimes against the elderly involve financial exploitation. While physical abu...

Retirement Planning: Suze Orman's Age Advice | PFL

If you’re middle aged or older, it’s likely that one of your most pressing concerns is not having enough ...

Managing Excess Belongings: A Guide for the Downsizing Generation | PFL®

As the baby boomer generation ages—and downsizes—more and more adult children will be tasked with going t...

The Real Cost of Caring

Dealing with the financial stressors of caring for an aging loved one can affect your ability to provide ...

What Happens to Your Body When You Die? The Choice Can Be Yours

Many of us are too afraid of death to carefully consider what happens to our bodies after we die. Unfortu...

Generational Wisdom: 32 Questions To Learn From Your Loved Ones | PFL®

What can we learn from earlier generations? Quite a bit, says Brendon Burchard, but only if we ask the ri...

How Can I Plan for a Strategic Retirement?

Are you approaching retirement? Not sure how you can ensure a smooth transition from working life to reti...

When Duty Calls: Navigating the Sandwich Generation with Ease

The average age of parents raising children in the US continues to rise, leaving many middle-aged America...

Think Your 401(k) Is Flexible? 6 IRA Benefits Your 401(k) Doesn’t Have

When it comes to retirement plans, IRAs and 401(k)s provide many of the same benefits. But in certain sit...

Does Your Parent Need Help With Finances? Start Here

Caring for an aging parent is a common challenge for Baby Boomers, and now even Gen-X’ers and Millennials...

End-of-Life Communication and Care: A Struggle Most Physicians Encounter

Just as it is difficult for many of us to talk about our ultimate death, it is also difficult for doctors...

The Four Tricky Cons of 2016

Electronic technology has brought about tremendous benefits for today’s society. We can access goods, ser...

Can Family Caregiving Change Your Reputation (and Self-Perception) For the Better?

Are you the unappreciated black sheep in your family? Have you wished you could redeem your reputation an...

Clean Burials: New Mushroom Suit Removes Body Toxins

If you have ever wondered about the impact your body will have on the environment when you are gone, you ...

Even Celebrities Like Queen Latifah Act as Caregivers for Their Aging Parents

We may not think about it often, but even celebrities take care of their aging parents. Actress, singer, ...

Signing Up for Medicare: The Facts For You or Your Parents Nearing Age 65

People who are nearing the age of 65 should be making plans for the transition from private health care t...

When Is the Purchase of Long-Term Care Insurance Worth It?

Elder Care is emerging as a significant issue for many people as life spans continue to increase. It is n...

Are You Leaving Your Retirement Account at Risk Due to Poor Planning?

You’ve spent your entire life building up your retirement account. It may even be the biggest asset you’l...

Can I Benefit from a Reverse Mortgage?

It seems that we can’t turn on the television or radio without hearing an ad for a “reverse mortgage.” So...

Could This Happen to You or Your Loved One? Town Demolishes House While Owner Is in Hospital

Imagine this: your elderly uncle with no family near his home travels South to Florida for surgery and ha...

Legal Strategies to Avoid Guardianship

As senior citizens continue to age, the likelihood increases that they will become physically or mentally...

Watch Out for Predatory Tax Liens on Your Family Home

As our parents and other loved ones age, they may need a little more attention from us. Parents, grandpar...

Retirement Planning Reality Check

The National Institute on Retirement Security states that the funds American workers have set aside for r...

What Happens to an Indigent Person After Death? | PFL®

There are so many people in our midst who are considered indigent. We see them on street corners, in park...

A Gift to Your Family and the Environment: Green Burial

The practice of burying our dead in the ground has been traced back over 100,000 years ago. For the vast ...

How to Ensure Your End-of-Life Wishes Are Respected

How do you want to die? Do you want lifesaving treatments to be administered even if all brain activity h...

Legacy Planning: Leaving More to Your Loved Ones Than Money That Will Be Lost Quickly

The assets you leave to your loved ones can either be a source of relief or, sometimes, a source of panic...

5 Steps to Fix Your Battered Retirement Plan

It’s no secret that a majority of Americans are ill-prepared for retirement. A recent Forbes.com post det...

How You Can Avoid Being Taken Advantage of Once You Become Elderly

A 2010 study conducted by the Investor Protection Trust found that more than seven million older American...

How to Tell If It’s Time to Change Your Will

Current research shows that only about half of Americans have a will, and probably less than that have ch...

What Families Need to Know About Debt After Death

The poverty rate among seniors is rising, giving rise to the question of whether or not it is possible to...

How Long-Term Care Planning Can Protect You From Medicaid Divorce

Currently, it is estimated that 7 in 10 Americans will need some type of long-term care, with Medicaid ex...

Protecting Our Family When It Matters Most

A drama currently playing out in a French courtroom demonstrates that any elderly person can fall victim ...

Help for Dealing with a Parent’s Dementia Diagnosis

Alzheimer’s Disease is in the news again thanks to Academy Award winner Julianne Moore’s performance in t...

Reasons to Establish a Trust (and Being Rich Isn’t One of Them)

When you hear the words, “trust fund,” do you conjure up images of stately mansions and party yachts? A t...

Senior Drivers and Safe Driving

One of the uncomfortable moments of life for many people is when they try to address automobile ownership...

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to...Diamonds? Creating an Ever-Lasting Memorial Through Science

Here are two scientific facts: Diamonds are forever. We are not. However, through science, there is now a...

How to Reduce the Cost of Long-Term Care Insurance | PFL®

A person who turns 65 today has a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care at some time in their...

7 Things To Think About Before Making Gifts to Grandchildren

If you have grandchildren - or are getting ready to welcome one like political power couple Bill and Hill...

The Last Important Gift to Give Your Family

As hard as it is for all of us to “plan” for our deaths, doing so is one of the best things you can do fo...

Legal Steps to Take When Facing a Dementia Diagnosis

Maria Shriver knows the devastation of Alzheimer’s disease firsthand. Her beloved father Sargent Shriver,...

Vacations Are the Perfect Time for Families to Talk About Estate Planning

If you are like most Americans, you will probably be spending at least some of your vacation time this su...

Give While You Live to Avoid a Family Feud

A recent article in the New York Post about brothers battling over a painting from their uncle’s estate s...

How to Protect Life Insurance Proceeds from Taxation

If you have been responsible enough to purchase a life insurance policy as added protection for your love...

New Help for Financial Caregivers

If you are helping an elderly parent or relative manage their finances or have been given a power of atto...

How Much Do You Charge for a Will?

If you came to this page to find out what I’ll charge you for a Will or you are considering calling me (o...

Windsor Ruling Expands Estate Planning Prospects for Married Same-Sex Couples

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor invalidated the federal Defense of Mar...

The 10 Keys to Planning and Living Your Best Retirement

Three-day weekends like the Labor Day just passed give us all the tiniest snippet of a glimpse into what ...

How to Reduce the Risk of Identity Theft When a Loved One Dies

A new trend in identity theft – afterlife identity theft – is on the rise, with thieves scouring obituari...

Planning for What Happens Last

Seth Godin is a well known and oft-quoted American entrepreneur who has authored 13 best sellers that hav...

How to Ensure Your Life Insurance Benefits Go to Your Heirs

Recently, 11 major life insurance companies agreed to pay $763 million to the heirs of deceased policyhol...

The Talk You Need to Have With Your Parents

When you were a kid, your parents dreaded the talk they had to have with you. You know the one. Well, now...

10 Common Errors When Naming Life Insurance Beneficiaries That Will Hurt the People You Love – and How to Fix Them

If you make a mistake in naming beneficiaries for your life insurance policy, the people you love will en...

5 Key Decisions to Make With Your Spouse Before You Retire

Retirement decision-making for boomers is very different than it was for our parents, when it was usually...

The Conversation You Must Have With Your Kids and Your Parents

Every single adult needs to have an advance health care directive written, signed and in place. This incl...

Striking a Balance Between Funding Your Retirement and Your Child’s Education

Many parents perceive a conflict between funding a child’s college education and building their own retir...

Tips to Help You Reboot Your Retirement Plan

Planning for a long and prosperous retirement is no longer just about the money; because of the recession...

5 Things We Should Learn From Our Parents About Retirement

When we talk about retirement, most of us are still thinking about our parents’ retirement and how they d...

Holidays a Perfect Opportunity to Check Up on Aging Parents

The holidays are a traditional time for multiple generations to gather together, and are also a perfect o...

Longevity Insurance Can Help Those Worried About Outliving Their Money

With longer life spans comes the necessity to be sure your money is around at least as long as you are. L...

Savvy Year-End Tax Moves for Retirement Plan Owners

Even though the elections are over, no one knows what Congress will do by the end of the year when it com...

Retirement Planning Guidelines for Every Age

You’re never too young or too old to save for retirement; here are some guidelines by age group: Under 25...

How to Protect Elderly Parents From Financial Abuse

According to a recent study by the Investor Protection Trust and Investor Protection Institute, the top t...

What a Will Won’t Do

There are a number of essential things a last will and testament can do for you, such as distribute famil...

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