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Breaking the Cycle: How Life & Legacy Planning Protects Black Families’ Generational Wealth
The Hidden History of Wealth Destruction Understanding today’s wealth gap requires acknowledging the deliberate policies that prevented Black families from accumulating assets, going back centuries. The Homestead Act of 1862 gave away millions of acres to white families while excluding Black Americans. The GI Bill after World War II helped create the white middle class,…
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This Father’s Day Take Your Provision One Step Further
Father’s Day arrives each June filled with barbecues, baseball games, and heartfelt cards celebrating the dads who shape our lives. While ties and tool sets make thoughtful gifts, what if we turn the tables altogether and put the family resources toward a far more meaningful gift this Father’s Day—one that helps dad feel confident that…
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Pride Month & Planning: Securing a Legacy That Lasts
As Pride Month begins, we celebrate the progress made toward equality while acknowledging that LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and families still face unique legal challenges. Despite the landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that established marriage equality nationwide, gaps in legal protection remain that can affect everything from healthcare decisions to inheritance rights. Having proper estate…
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The Missing Will Mystery: How Zappos CEO’s Estate Chaos Could Have Been Avoided
Imagine this: You’ve built a business empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars, transformed a city’s downtown area, and touched countless lives with your vision and generosity. Then, unexpectedly, you pass away—and nearly five years later, a will you may have created suddenly appears. Meanwhile, your family has been battling creditors, former associates, and mounting…
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Beyond Remembrance: How Memorial Day Can Inspire Leaving Your Own Legacy
Memorial Day isn’t just about barbeques or pool parties. It’s a day to collectively pause and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and security. As flags wave at half-staff and solemn ceremonies unfold across the country, this day of remembrance naturally guides our thoughts toward our own…
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The Unexpected Challenges of Being an Estate Executor
When someone asks you to be the executor of their estate, it might seem like a straightforward responsibility – distribute assets according to their will and handle some paperwork. However, as many executors discover, the role involves far more complexity, time, and emotional labor than expected. Understanding these challenges now can help you better prepare,…
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Our Top 10 Most Common Estate Planning Questions: Part 2
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What Probate Is and How To Avoid It — Part 2
Unless you’ve created an estate plan that works to keep your family out of court, when you die (or become incapacitated) many of your assets must go through probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be time-consuming, costly, and open to the public, and because of…
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What Probate Is and How To Avoid It — Part 1
Unless you’ve created a proper estate plan, upon your passing many of your assets must first go through the court process known as probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. During probate, the court supervises a number of different legal actions, all of which are aimed at finalizing your affairs and settling…
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4 Reasons Why a Cheap Estate Plan Won’t Work For Your Family
Most people, regardless of stature and wealth, likely do not know how to evaluate estimates when shopping for an estate plan. Shopping for an estate plan based on getting the lowest cost plan possible is often the fastest path to leaving your family with an empty set of documents (maybe in a beautiful binder, but…