When you create your estate plan, the idea that one of your adult children would ever use their inheritance to bankroll a cult is probably something you’d never dream of, much less anticipate. Yet that’s exactly what 40-year-old Clare Bronfman, heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Seagram’s fortune, did with hers. In the end, with her inheritance—and […]
In a recent Facebook post “Processes to go through with your parents before they die,” Daniel Schmachtenberger, founder of the Critical Path Institute, outlined seven simple exercises to use with your parents that can offer significant healing and completion for their life and yours. While Daniel shared these processes in the context of the impending death […]
As we head towards the end of the year, we’re fast approaching the deadline to implement your family’s tax strategies for 2019. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) completely overhauled the tax code, and if you’ve yet to take full advantage of the benefits offered by the new tax law now is the time […]
This is the second in an ongoing series of articles discussing the true costs and consequences of failed estate planning. The series highlights a few of the most common—and costly—planning mistakes I encounter with clients. Whenever the topic of estate planning comes up, people invariably mention creating a will. And with good reason, since having a […]
Whenever the topic of estate planning comes up, people invariably mention creating a will. And with good reason. Having a will is a foundational aspect of your estate plan. However, depending upon your circumstances, a will may be just one part of effective planning. For instance, if your plan consists of a will alone, you’re […]
In the first part of this series, I discussed one of the most frequent causes for dispute over your estate plan. Here, I’ll look at another leading cause for dispute and offer strategies for its prevention. No matter how well you think you know your family, you can never predict how they’ll behave when you die […]