I have actually said this sentence while driving at least 20 times in my life: “Why is there traffic today?” My expectation of no traffic was not based on fact. I had not checked to see if it was a gridlock alert day. I did not examine the latest accident report or construction map. In other words, I had no objective information to support my statement. Besides annoying everyone riding in the car, I realize that drawing conclusions without facts is not the best way to naviga

Creating Trusts are a way of slowing down time. The passage of time deposits joyful experiences, mundane sameness and occasional crises into our laps. A crisis and its reactions often lead to loss of security and financial unsteadiness. Trusts anticipate crises as well as life’s milestones and provide a roadmap for security. Trusts can protect assets, income, and even certain vulnerable beneficiaries from their own proclivities. Trusts can bypass complex legal procedures

Spring Cleaning means saying goodbye to fabric-deprived shorts, jeans that have not seen legs since 1988 and place mats that have absorbed too many mac and cheese drippings. Is there a better feeling than opening the windows and letting the sunshine illuminate a year’s worth of dust particles? Probably not, but a close second is the annual opening of the strong box to see if your estate plan still makes sense. Did your proposed executor call you names during Christmas? Did

My dad was a Parrothead. The songs of Jimmy Buffett talked about cheeseburgers in paradise and wasting away in Margaritaville. This was the soundtrack for my father’s life, especially as he approached retirement. There was always one more island vacation to plan, one more cruise ship buffet to stalk. When dad’s kidneys started to fail he booked a “Dialysis at Sea” cruise. Dad’s belief was that travel is one of life’s gifts and should never be taken for granted. As an eld

Property Ownership is more than just paying the mortgage. It is the home where you and your family sleep at night. It is the rental property that provides a steady income. It is the speculative investment that may appreciate. It is the vacation spot that is your Oasis. Safeguarding real property requires organizational thinking. For example, let’s say you own multiple properties in different states (a primary residence in New York, a rustic cabin in Vermont). Placing

I have five pictures of my daughter on my desk. Two are baby pictures, one photo is from a dance recital when she was a toddler, and the remaining two were taken in school. This morning, I did more than just glance at the older of the two school photos. I studied it. My daughter looked so young, much younger than I expected after a few years of catching glances at that particular photo. She is growing up, but her expectations (at this point) of me is to be a good dadd

Attempts to define Marriage’s benefits and shortcomings always seem inadequate. Is it healthier to be married or live alone in a treehouse in the woods? No one knows for sure. It probably depends who you are married to and if the treehouse has Wi-Fi. When illness strikes one spouse, the married couple’s future plans and financial security will be shaken. Applying for Medicaid is a sound way to control long term health care spending when that major illness appears. For

One of the luxuries of spending time with family during the holiday season is the embrace of continuity. Most years are uneventful , unless dad attempts to light the holiday candles with the 40 year old matchbook from the Bowling Alley. Sometimes the nostalgia is interrupted by complications. Maybe age has caught up to mom or Uncle Frank’s retirement has changed the family’s month to month financial outlook. Burying uneasiness may not be appropriate when there is a family

“I have a Will and a Health Care Proxy. I Don’t Need a Power Of Attorney.” Yes you Do. A Power of Attorney is an essential document for your family’s financial and legal well-being. It is a giant key that can open up doors that are normally closed tight. When a loved one gets sick and is unable to handle their financial obligations then a Power of Attorney allows for a chosen individual to step in and safeguard that loved one’s financial well-being. A serious illness ca

The virtues of aging at home have been trumpeted for decades. A home can be modified and adapted for a homeowner’s continued use while still maintaining familiarity and continuity. Home health aides can be hired for day-to-day care and trips to senior centers can provide the necessary social stimulation. The argument in favor of staying in one’s home and fighting the good fight is persuasive most of the time. Experience has taught me that simple narratives do not always t

Planning for the inevitable is a sensible step for peace of mind that I wholly encourage. Reacting to a crisis by panicking and then searching the internet for answers is the step that more people follow. College. Buying a home. Long Term Care. These are the big three expenditures that impact most families. College and Real Estate may offer a return on investment. Long Term Care is a giant hole which offers no such luxury. When a loved one requires daily assistance the

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“Tell me about your family.” Most consultations have a version of that question asked at some point. Action-packed family drama is not the only sign that an estate and long term care plan may require some added attention. A family may have hit its peak in 1958 or 1979 or 1991. Maybe caregiving was not a huge concern during the era where 6 brothers and sisters along with both parents and 8 aunts and uncles lived within 10 miles of each other. Dwindling families have not

Property Ownership is more than just paying the mortgage. It is the home where you and your family sleep at night. It is the rental property that provides a steady income. It is the speculative investment that may appreciate. It is the vacation spot that is your Oasis. Safeguarding real property requires organizational thinking. For example, let’s say you own multiple properties in different states (a primary residence in New York, a rustic cabin in Vermont). Placing

Around 11:30 in the morning your work phone lights up while an electronic tone vibrates the desk. The caller ID box reads “Danbury Hospital.” In the next minute you hear the words, “mom, admitted, heart attack, stable, stent,” spoken by the hospitalist on duty. You are caught off guard, but getting to the hospital becomes the day’s priority. After you arrive at the hospital, you find your mother’s room and judge how this ordeal has impacted her. If mom is awake and spea

Family grudges are expensive. When family members do not get along the ability to accomplish basic long term health care and estate planning tasks becomes disturbingly difficult. Families are economic and social entities like a small business or a corporation. Goals change over time. One family’s goals may be to have all seven children graduate from college and become self-supporting. Another family may aspire to capture the Yodeling World Championship. The goals I deal with