Retirement is one of those milestones we all think about but rarely feel fully prepared for, especially among Gen-Xers and Millennials. You’re juggling responsibilities—raising children, advancing your career, and even caring for aging parents. Amidst all these demands, retirement planning may often take a back seat, yet it’s crucial. As you navigate your unique financial situations, collaborating with a financial planner can significantly enhance your retirement strategy. Learn more about why you need financial and estate planning.

Are you approaching retirement? Or, are you already retired? If so, estate planning is a key part of your overall financial strategy. Many people focus on building their retirement nest egg. But, ensuring those assets are managed and distributed according to your wishes is just as important. For Gen-X and Baby Boomers nearing, or in retirement, estate planning provides peace of mind, safeguards your family, and ensures your legacy is preserved. Read on to learn how estate planning fits your retirement goals.

This month we are delving into celebrity estate planning and its impact on various celebrities. Last week, we examined Michael Jackson's estate planning. We saw the gaps that led to 15 years of family conflict and court battles. If you missed it, check it out!

In this second article of our four-part series, we are going to look at Vanilla Ice. Vanilla Ice recently shared his estate planning experiences, advice, and lessons learned in a YouTube video. He has a lot to say! I'll highlight some user comments and key takeaways we can learn from.

Did you know that when your child turns 18, the law considers them to be an adult? While the law may consider them to be an adult, they often have more growing up to do whether they think they think they do or not! However, because the law considers them to be an adult, their health and financial information is protected by privacy laws. But, they’re still your child.

Are you an LGBTQIA+ non-biological parent? June's arrival sparks a flurry of Pride celebrations reminding you of the remarkable progress the community has made. These celebrations also shine a light on the ongoing fight for full equality. As a non-biological parent, you may face unique legal hurdles. Ensure you properly protect your parental rights. Marriage may not be enough to cement your parental rights. But, marriage plus estate planning gives you the maximum peace of mind. So, read on to learn som essential LGBTQIA Estate Planning Tips for Non-Biological Parents.

Did you know you can define your legacy through estate planning? Well, this holiday weekend is a great time to start this process. You see, Memorial Day is a time to reflect on mortality, remembrance, and legacy. As we honor the brave men and women who lost their lives in military service, think about the legacy you wish to leave behind. But what is a legacy?

Welcome back to our discussion on securing a comfortable retirement! In the first part of this series, we explored essential steps including estate planning, preparing for long-term care, and passing on your legacy. In part two of our series, we'll delve into additional steps you can take to enrich your golden years. With these steps, you can be more financially stable. And these steps can provide you with independence, health, and continued personal growth. So let's pick up where we left off. Learn how you can secure your retirement.

Did you know that May is Older Americans Awareness Month? This makes May the perfect month to talk about securing a comfortable retirement. See, retirement is more than just an end to the working years. It’s an exciting new phase of life that requires thoughtful preparation and strategic planning. May is the perfect opportunity to explore how to secure your retirement and the 10 essential steps to take now to ensure a comfortable and fulfilling retirement. In this article, we’ll discuss the first 5 steps, why they’re important, and how to implement them. Next week, we’ll continue with the remaining 5 steps. 

Do you have social media accounts? Ever wonder what happens to your online accounts when you die? Each social media platform has its own rules for dealing with the accounts of deceased users, ranging from permanent deletion to transforming accounts into places for mourning and memory. Understanding these options is essential for managing digital assets responsibly and respecting your wishes.

When that extra bit of money from your tax refund lands in your bank account, (kinda feels like Christmas, doesn’t it?) it's easy to start dreaming about all the ways you can use it. Financial experts may tell you that it's a chance to pay off debts, tuck away savings for an emergency, or add to your retirement savings. You, on the other hand, may want to splurge on something special. However, there's an often-overlooked option that not only provides immediate satisfaction but ensures long-term benefits for both you and your loved ones: estate planning.

Should you write your own will or trust? Before you start, you may want to consider some of the dangers of DIY Wills and Trusts. If you’ve been traveling around the sun for a while, you’ve no doubt heard of a Will. A will is a document that says what happens to your money and belongings after you die. You may even have a Will. Or, you know you should get one. And maybe you’ve heard of a Trust and wondered what it is and how it works. You may have even done research on Google about how to do your own Will or Trust.In fact, it’s hard to poke around the internet and not find do-it-yourself (“DIY”) Wills and Trusts services. Legal Zoom, TrustandWill.com, and even media personalities Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman offer cheap DIY documents. Heck, you can even create your own Will or Trust for free by downloading a few forms. What these websites won’t do, however, is explain the potential consequences that can happen if you use one of their services.

Whether it’s a breakup, divorce, or the death of a loved one after a lifetime together, every relationship eventually will come to an end. The most important thing is how you have planned for that ending, or whether you haven’t at all,. Your planning (or lack of it) will have a real impact on you, your partner, your children, and your assets. 

The silver lining? While we can't prevent the end, we can prepare for it with a blend of compassion and strategic planning that makes the end the best possible foundation for a new beginning.

When you think of estate planning, a Will is usually the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, most people who contact me tell me they don’t need anything complicated for their estate. They say I just need a Will. Indeed, Wills have a reputation as the number one estate planning tool. Wills can be seen all over TV shows and movies, from the dramatic “reading of the Will” (which rarely happens in real life) to characters plotting how best to defraud their billionaire uncle’s Will in order to inherit his lavish estate.

Love is undoubtedly the most profound and cherished thread that weaves us all together, and there are many different ways to express our love to the people who mean the most to us. Often when we think of showing our love, we think of bouquets of flowers, surprise gifts, and meaningful notes. But an often overlooked – and incredibly meaningful – way of showing your love is to put that love into a plan for the future. 

As we welcome the New Year, filled with hope and resolutions for a brighter future, one commitment should be at the top of your list– creating a Kids Protection Plan™. It can be hard to think about a future where you couldn’t be there for your children, but having a plan in place will ensure that your kids stay in the care of the people they know and love in the event you become incapacitated or die (instead of their care decisions being left up to chance or whichever judge is overseeing the family court at the time).

As we approach the holiday season, it's essential to consider the true richness of the inheritance we leave behind for our loved ones. Beyond monetary assets, our values, stories, and experiences form a legacy that lasts for generations. To intentionally capture and pass down this Family Wealth Legacy, Personal Family Lawyers® advocate for a unique planning process that involves a recorded interview – a Family Wealth Legacy Interview.

The holidays are right around the corner, which means more time to gather with family and relatives than any other time of the year. If you’ve been meaning to talk to your family about money, inheritance, end-of-life decisions, estate planning, and creating a plan for your whole family’s wealth - now and in the future - having everyone in the same room is ideal.

Are you in the “sandwich generation” (someone who is caring for both your children as well as your parents simultaneously)? If this is you, then you need to know whether or not your parents have an estate plan. So, ask yourself, “do your parents have an estate plan?”

If you are like most people, you probably do not know. And, the thought of speaking with your parents about their finances and estate planning probably makes you want to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. Nonetheless, having this conversation is the key to helping make sure your parents are able to live their golden years without financial worries and that their wishes are carried out after their death.

Creating a special needs trust (SNT), also sometimes referred to as a supplemental needs trust, can help you provide for a loved one who is disabled or has special needs while maintaining your loved one’s current benefits or leaving open the option for need-based governmental aid in the future, even if your loved one receives an inheritance. As long as the SNT meets certain legal criteria, the existence of the SNT and the amount of money and property inside it will not affect your loved one’s means test.

Did you just return from vacation? Are you now dreaming about owning a vacation property? Or, did you look at vacation homes while on vacation? Take a minute before you invest in a vacation property. You need to ask these five critical question before investing in vacation property.