Year: 2014

Waiting to create an estate plan could result in significant out-of-pocket costs at the end of life. Or even worse, it could result in a person with Alzheimer’s disease being subject to the will of the courts. With the number of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s skyrocketing, there is no time to wait to get your […]

The remains of Jim Thorpe can remain in Jim Thorpe, Pa. That was the ruling handed down on Thursday by a federal appeals court in Philadelphia in an unusual case involving a dispute between the family of the legendary Native American athlete and a small Pennsylvania town named after him. Do people really fight over burial places? Sadly, the […]

Gresham advocates laying the groundwork for the estate-planning talk with a few separately held, lead-up discussions on family values and history. After all, she said, “You want to build a sense of bonding and family before you introduce material that could be emotionally loaded.” When is the right time to discuss your estate plans with […]

You already may have resolved to create and monitor your business plan and develop a succession plan for your business. The first part of the resolution is fairly easy to achieve.  After all, everyone with a business needs a business plan.  But few of us really consider what would happen to our business – and our […]

According to the new survey, the most common types of financial loss reported: funds disappearing from accounts (reported by 33%); unauthorized purchase of products or services (reported by 23%). Are you or anyone you know a victim of elder abuse? With the occurrence of elder abuse largely underreported, there is likely someone you know that […]

There is no one right way to be a caregiver; everyone’s situation is different. You will find that, among a host of things, family dynamics, financial resources and the ability of your parent(s) to provide guidance for the support that they desire will shape your situation. If you’ve been tasked to set up care for […]

Are you childfree? Are you planning with an elder parent? Do any of your potential beneficiaries have special needs that must be taken into consideration? Are any of your beneficiaries minors? The first step of planning is to take a moment to consider what makes your situation unique. Although estate planning has many aspects, it’s good to start with the […]

With a little research, a family should be able to find a suitable home for their estate and leave a lasting legacy — whether they are rich, Bill-Gates-rich, or not wealthy at all. Leaving an ongoing charitable legacy is not just for the wealthy. You do not need to be Bill and Melinda Gates with […]

In what likely foretells a bitter probate battle to come, a judge ordered Wednesday that the body of wealthy Alamo Heights woman who died Tuesday not be cremated before an autopsy is performed. A woman with brain cancer passing away is not normally a mysterious event that would cause people to wonder about the cause […]

Many people tend to overlook books as potential assets. And even if you bring a rare book to a general antiques dealer or estate appraiser, they often are not qualified to give specialized book appraisals. This can be a mistake: The simple fact is, books can be worth money. So, you inherited a book. Now […]