Month: October 2019

In 2008, Congress recognized the need for the public to understand the importance and benefits of estate planning by passing House Resolution 1499, which designated the third week of October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Nevertheless, according to a 2019 survey carried out by Caring.com, 57% of adults in the United States have not prepared any estate […]

There are 3.3 million dogs housed in animal shelters each year. You can celebrate Adopt-a-Dog Month this October by adopting a homeless dog, providing it with a home, and gaining years of joy and companionship. But whether you are planning to adopt a new pet or already have one (or several), it is important not to forget to […]

Identity theft is the last thing a grieving family should have to worry about after the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately, identity thieves have increasingly targeted the identities of deceased people, using their names and other identifying information to get credit cards, apply for loans, collect refunds based on fraudulent tax returns, and even obtain “proof” of […]

The retirement years are supposed to be carefree—but what if you neglected to take the required minimum distribution (RMD) from one or more of your retirement accounts or took a distribution that was lower than required? This could be a costly mistake resulting in a tax penalty of 50% of the amount of the distribution you did not […]

When a family member or other loved one dies, grief and shock can sometimes be overwhelming. The last thing most people want to think about is making phone calls or funeral arrangements. Some things do not need to be done immediately, but there are some steps that should be taken soon after the loss of your loved one. […]

Summer is over. The kids are back in school, and it’s time to take a deep breath and spend some time taking care of yourself before the holidays arrive. Everyone needs to take steps to relax and minimize the effects of life’s everyday stresses. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Get a physical. Busy people […]

Estate planning can be a very difficult process. While it’s not brain surgery, making the decision to move forward with the planning requires us to face the fact that we will not live forever. This thought can stop many people right in their tracks. Others talk themselves out of seeing a qualified attorney to put together an estate […]