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Post-it Notes Are Not Legally Binding
I once heard of someone asking her grandchildren to go around the house putting Post-it notes on the things they wanted after she was gone. For several years, every time her grandchildren would come over the post-it notes were still scattered around the house. Yellow...
How Innovative Medicaid Planning Helped Save the Relationship of Two Sisters
This is the real-life story of two sisters, an annuity, nursing home costs, and why Medicaid Planning matters. Mom did not have much, but she owned her home, had a steady retirement income, and had purchased two annuities. Each in the amount of $50,000. Each daughter...
Joint Ownership Seems So Fair and Easy…
Many families think that joint ownership will make things fairer or even help avoid probate. What they don't know is that it can really cause some problems. It can go a little something like this... Grandad left his property to Dad. Then when Dad passed away he left...
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10 Ways to Tell a Good Estate Plan From a Bad One
To see this infographic complete with links to other articles and more information, go here: How to Tell a Good Estate Plan From a Bad One. To get started creating a "good" estate plan, give us a call at 217-726-9200 and we'll schedule an initial meeting. Read here...
7 Important Things Cinderella’s Father Could Have Done Better
The secret to avoiding disaster in the Magic Kingdom -- plan ahead. So much of parenting is about planning and anticipating problems BEFORE they happen. And trips to Disney World are no exception. We know from experience that our kids get worn out if the days are too...
12 Duties of a Helper: What Do Executors, Trustees, Guardians and Powers of Attorney Really Do?
Every estate plan needs a good helper(s). Choosing those helpers can be tough. Your trustee, guardian, power of attorney, or executor will be responsible for making decisions when you become disabled (like from a stroke or dementia) or pass away. But what exactly are...
What You Need to Know About Nursing Care and Aging
So, what do nursing homes have to do with estate planning? When most people think about estate planning, they almost exclusively think of a Last Will & Testament, but a Will only works AFTER you pass away. A Will sets out what will happen, who's in charge, and...
Case Study: When a Young Mother Suddenly Dies
The Brock's were just an average young family in the 1980's. The father, Robert, had been to Vietnam and back a decade earlier. The mother, Margaret, stayed at home with their two young boys, James and Steven. The family lived in a modest ranch house in middle...
7 Reasons Estate Planning Is an Act of Love
When you think of Valentine's Day, you probably don't think about estate planning, but we do! We see the depth of our clients' love for their families everyday as they put an effective plan together -- a plan from which they may never see the benefits. A plan that...
The Difference Between a Will, a Living Will and a Living Trust
A recent survey on estate planning found that 74% of those surveyed thought estate planning was a confusing topic. That's no surprise considering estate planning has a language all its own. Today, we'll sort out the difference between a Will, a Living Will and a...
Why You Need Long-term Care Planning
Finding good care as you age has always been stressful. And thanks to the rising costs of long-term care in the U.S., the last decade of life is now more stressful than ever. Long-term care planning (or Life Care Planning) can help make sure you get good care, help...
Veterans Aid & Attendance: A Little Known Way to Pay for Care as You Age
Many people are surprised to find out they qualify for aging veterans' benefits without having a service-related disability. The VA offers benefits that can be used by a Veteran or their surviving spouse to help with costs for in-home medical care, assisted living...
Halloween 2016
At Edwards Group we expect our clients to share some pretty personal information with us in order to prepare the best plan possible for their families. That's part of the reason it's so important for us to share our families with you. Everything we do centers around...