"My father passed away and left me a large sum of money", a reader related in a recent Dear Abby letter. After paying off debt, she decided to give each of her three adult children a Christmas gift:"from me and their grandfather". The letter-writer's husband of one...
The VA projects that the number of living veterans will continue to decline over the next 25 years, Katherine Schaeffer observes in a piece by the Pew Research Center, and the share of the U.S. population with military experience has declined to less than 6%. "Thank...
Only last week, our nation remembered Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., leader of the civil rights movement and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, whose life was cut short in 1968, at age 39, by an assassin's bullet.Some forty years later, a headline in July 19, 2008 NBC...
Both givers and receivers need to be strategic about communicating when it comes to estate planning and wealth transfer, John Vandergriff emphasizes in a Kiplinger article. On the other hand, he notes, "The reality is that not everyone wants their children to know...
Contrasting behaviors can be a source of conflict for couples, Rick Kahler points out in Advisor Perspectives. "Spenders may be seen as either generous or irresponsible, while savers are viewed as either stingy or responsible." There may be value in both behaviors,...
When adult children become dependent on their parents for financial support, parents’ estate planning needs to be adjusted to those realities.
Precisely because there are differences in the way Baby Boomers and GenX-ers approach estate planning, it is important to initiate a conversation to share intentions and ideas…
A common misconception is that estate planning is necessary only for those with children ad with significant assets. There are important reasons for single individuals to prepare an estate plan.
Behavioral qualities make people act in a certain way, and estate planning is a particularly sensitive top, with different personality types tending to react differently.
The responsibilities of settling an estate are complex and fraught with emotion. There are ways to make the process both simpler and less taxing to heirs.
