Florida has long been known as a mecca for retirees. In fact, earlier this year WalletHub ranked Florida #1 overall in “best state to retire.” Their assessment accounted for over 40 individual factors of “retirement-friendliness,” primarily based on 1) cost of living,...
Estate Planning
Estate Planning Strategies for LGBTQ Couples
Given the explicit prejudice and discrimination against the LGBTQ community, estate planning concerns may not seem that urgent or significant. However, the ability to build and protect generational wealth is at the core of the American dream and a key path to true...
SECURE Act 2.0: Time to Rethink Your Retirement Planning
With the passage of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement (SECURE) Act in 2019, the first major retirement-related piece of legislation since 2006, many Americans began to rethink their retirement strategies. Now, in 2022, proposals for a SECURE 2.0 are making...
How Organizing Your Asset Titles Can Protect Your Financial Legacy
Building your estate plan is about more than just having an attorney draw up a few documents. These documents are merely instruments to achieve a larger goal: the most cost-effective, tax-efficient, and expeditious administration of your estate and distribution of...
Legal Lexicon: What Is a Devise?
Every industry has a set of terms and phrases that industry insiders use to talk about their field. Some of these terms are actually useful, but others have become mere buzzwords that may or may not have any real meaning (what exactly is synergy anyway?) The legal...
Biden’s New Executive Order on Cryptocurrency & Digital Assets
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum continue to be a hot commodity. Between 2016 and November 2021, the total market capitalization of the sector rose from $14 billion to $3 trillion, and roughly 40 million Americans or 16% of the total US population have...
What You Need to Know Before Tax Day 2022
It’s been quite a last couple years. Covid-19 has caused two years of turmoil, and the new conflict in Europe, which has already driven up oil and gas prices and exacerbated existing supply chain issues, threatens to cause further global upheaval. If you’re like us,...
3 Common Estate Planning Pitfalls for Blended Families & Second Marriages
Blended families—that is, a family where at least one spouse has prior children—face a myriad of unique estate planning challenges. The exact configurations and the interpersonal dynamics will be different in each case, meaning no blended family is the same as...
Resolve to Plan: 10 Estate Planning Resolutions to Protect Your Financial Legacy
It’s a brand-new year, so if you haven’t thought about your estate plan in a while, now is the time to make a resolution to do so. Family dynamics change; people relocate, get married, divorced, have children or grandchildren. All of these life events affect your...
Key Tax Planning Topics and Updates for 2022
Each year brings a number of changes or updates to key factors of estate and tax planning. New statutes go into effect, existing statutes expire, new guidance is issued by regulators, and adjustments (for inflation, etc.) are made to important numbers. Moreover, the...
The True Cost of Estate Litigation Is Higher Than You Think
The role of an estate planning attorney and the cost of a comprehensive estate plan are perennial concerns for individuals and families from across the wealth spectrum. Often, wealthy individuals don’t see the benefits of paying for the various documents that make up...
Wealthy Individuals Worry about Leaving Too Much Money to Heirs, Do You?
It may sound like a ridiculous question, but can an inheritance be “too big”? The answer is a resounding “yes” according to a recent Motley Fool survey of Americans with a net worth of +$1 million. Even though 76% of those surveyed say they will leave an inheritance,...