Archive for the ‘Family Wealth’ Category

Make Dough, a Difference and Read my Birth Story (Plus Fight Foreclosure!)

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Many of you out there are in fear of facing foreclosure.  Interest rates are rising, your adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are resetting.  And you are scared. What should you do? Well, before we talk about that, let's talk about what you absolutely shouldn't do.  And that's just to bury your head in ...

Financial Freedom Begins With a Shift In Your Thinking

Friday, July 4th, 2008

If you are not currently experiencing financial freedom, now is the time to start.  No matter what your current circumstances are, you can enjoy freedom from worrying about money.  But, before you can, you've got to change your mind. And, before you can do that, you have to want to. So, ask ...

Are You In the Dark About What Will Happen When Your Husband Dies?

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

A friend of mine from out of state asked me to review estate planning documents she is getting ready to sign before going out of town for the first time with her husband and without her kids. These documents were prepared by a traditional estate planning lawyer who sent her the ...

What Is Family Wealth Planning?

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Family Wealth Planning is the Web 2.0 version of estate planning. Whereas "estate planning" is about preparing and passing on your financial assets at the end of your life, Family Wealth Planning is about making the right financial and legal decisions for your whole family wealth throughout your lifetime and leaving ...

Heath Ledger Estate Planning Out of Date and No Mention of Daughter Matilda or Her Mother Michelle Williams in Will

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

Once again, another celebrity has died with an out-of-date Will. Heath Ledger's Will has been made public (as all Wills are public documents after death) and it turns out that the Will, made three years prior to his daughter's birth, leaves everything to his parents and sister. We saw the ...

How Can I Afford It?

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

When I graduated from law school, first year starting salaries at the big law firms were 135k/year. I thought I was rolling in the dough. I had started working at 14 when minimum wage was $3.35. I worked my way through college waitressing and through law school working for Westlaw. Even ...

Estate Planning? But I’m only 35! Secrets of the Old Rich Guys Revealed

Thursday, February 14th, 2008

Unless you were born into an Über-rich family (and sometimes even then), your parents’ probably never discussed estate planning when you were growing up and didn’t have any kind of relationship with a personal lawyer (at least not one you remember discussed with fondness!) It’s not a surprise.  70% of people ...

Moms: Take Charge of Your Family’s Future

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

I'm hosting a free teleconference for MOMS ONLY and if you are a mom, you need to be there. It's next Tuesday, February 19 at 1p PT/4p ET. We are close to sold out on our line block, so please get registered now if you plan to attend so I can tell ...

11 Things to Ask Before Hiring an Estate Planning Lawyer

Friday, February 8th, 2008

These are the 11 things you should ask before engaging an estate planning lawyer to help you plan for the well-being of your money, your family and your life. Do you prepare a comprehensive plan for my kids’ care if something happens to me, ...

What You Can Learn About Estate Planning From Britney Spears

Thursday, February 7th, 2008

You probably can't imagine how the case of a multi-millionaire, fallen from grace pop star could have any application at all to you. Well, you might be surprised to know that Britney's case has a lot of lessons for all of us, no matter how much money we have in the ...