Special Reports

Special Reports are written on topics that effect various aspects of estate planning and the laws that govern it.

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  A Special Child Needs Special Planning
  While planning for the care of a special needs child certainly tops the list of emotionally-charged topics, the peace of mind parents gain from a well-designed estate plan is immeasurable.

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  Are Your Bank Accounts Safe? FDIC Insurance Can Cover You – With the Right Planning
  This report informs the reader of what FDIC actually is and explains the basic coverage FDIC offers. The report focuses on how to maximize your FDIC coverage, with the right planning. Any concerns the reader might feel regarding the safety of their bank accounts, due to the large prediction of bank failures, are addressed.

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  Creating a Lasting Legacy: The Best Things in Life Aren't Things
  Traditional Estate Planning can certainly address legal technicalities and basic financial concerns, but most people want to pass on much more than just financial assets. Legacy Wealth Planning is a revolutionary approach that helps to plan for the monetary and emotional aspects of death. In other words, it helps to minimize the effects of your death on your family, and ensures your legacy lives on through those you love.

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  Estate Planning with Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's)
  At first glance, the concept of an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) seems simple enough: a structured way to save for your golden years while deferring taxes on your growing nest egg. Unfortunately, that simple idea becomes one of the most complex areas of estate planning once IRS rules are applied.

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  Family Farm: The Next Generation
  A humorous take on how families pass on businesses, such as family farms, is reflected in this quip: Avenge your children; give them equal shares in your business. Certainly, what can seem like a generous, wonderful thing can be rife with conflict and imbalance, if you don't take steps to implement the appropriate legal framework.

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  Funeral Planning: Options for You and Your Family
  For surviving family members, the hours and days following a loved one’s death is no time for weighty decisions. For many Americans, however, this will be the first time they think about the preparations for their loved one’s funeral. This report will help you begin this important process in advance and reveal options available for planning.

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  Planning It Right the Second Time Around
  One thing should be clear by now: we do our families and ourselves a great disservice when we fail to plan for every contingency. That's why a crucial first step in this entire process should be a consultation with an estate planning attorney.

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  Probate: A Process, Not a Problem
  While often maligned as a headache, in reality probate offers a solid legal framework with advantages for those who have properly prepared prior to death and who have retained skilled legal counsel. Court oversight at every step, complete control of creditor claims, and the provision of a legal forum for complaints are important features of probate that are often overlooked. At its heart, probate is a process, and like any process, if one steps back, takes an overview of the procedures involved, breaks the whole into manageable parts, and works with qualified legal assistance, the end can usually be reached quickly, efficiently and economically.

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  Set The Stage for Medicaid Eligibility
  Incapacity planning is a broad area of law that covers how you are cared for if you become physically or mentally unable to care for yourself. The type of care could range from simple tasks like buying groceries, paying bills, and handling financial matters to more important decisions such as selling real estate or gifting assets to your children.

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  The Impact of Divorce on Your Estate Plan
  This report can help familiarize you with some important concepts about being prepared for divorce, should it come your way.

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  The Nightmare of Living Probate
  For most of our lives the greatest risk to our well-being isn't death. It's the ever-growing likelihood of becoming seriously ill or injured.

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  The Trouble with Joint Tenancy
  Joint tenancy ownership of property is sometimes used as a substitute for an effective estate plan. Is this a good idea? Read this article to find out.

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  Trust Administration: Prior Planning Prevents Problems
  Trust Administration is the process people often find themselves in unexpectedly, after the death of a spouse or parent who created the trust prior to passing on. It comes during a very emotional time, and often brings with it difficult and complex financial and family issues. The task of reviewing the trust and finding and valuing the assets of a recently deceased family member can be daunting, as can be the complexities of estate tax law. What is important to remember for anyone administering a trust is that there is a definite process to follow, and resources to assist you as you assume this new role.

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  Your Life, Your Final Say
  Terri Schiavo’s voice can still be heard, just in a different manner than before. Want to make sure you have the final say in your life? This report will tell you how the proper estate planning tools can guarantee that your end-of-life decisions are carried out.