A great estate plan is one in which the desires of the clients are met on a human level. The wishes of the clients are heard and understood—not on a technical/legal level, but on a personal level. Too often, clients have a preconceived notion of what financial and estate professionals want to hear, so they speak only of financial and tangible personal assets such as investment portfolios, life insurance and the grandfather clock.

One question people often ask me is :  “What is a financial plan, anyway”?  Here’s a simple analogy to explain it.. Most of you would never contemplate starting a trip without a destination in mind. Typically you know your destination and you plan your route with care. Sure there may be detours, but you stick [...]

Does this sound familiar? December rolls around and your mailbox is full of solicitations from charities and non-profit organizations that need your money. You get busy with the holidays—parties, family, travel—and on December 31, you realize that you haven’t made any donations. You kick yourself but realize there is no way you’re going to get [...]

Who gives you financial advice? Why does it matter how he or she is paid? Because it’s probably the most important thing determining the quality of advice you receive. The SEC and other agencies continue to debate the hotly contended “fiduciary responsibility” issue because billions of dollars are at stake, while the public is confused [...]

History Month, and throughout the ages women in various societies have not necessarily had the resources and wherewithal to address their particular financial needs. Today, women have more opportunities to engage in and seek advice about financial planning, but they do not always take advantage of these opportunities.

I just got back from a memorial service for a good friend of mine that I had known since high school. Unfortunately he left behind an estate planning nightmare. I gave my friend many financial planning tips over the years and he did everything I suggested so he could to make sure his business, and [...]