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Approaching End of Life Issues With Forethought
Diagnoses like dementia and cancer are hard to receive. While these conditions are often treatable, and it's possible to live with them for a significant length of time, the unfortunate truth is that no one can live forever. That's why it's important to put thought...
Caring For Your Loved One
Oftentimes, people need to quickly understand how to best care for their aging family members, which leaves them feeling desperate and overwhelmed. Many legal, medical, financial, and care decisions must be made, and it’s important to honor your loved one’s wishes....
8 Costly Myths About Wills
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding wills and estate planning. These wrong assumptions cost families time, money, and stress on a regular basis. Here are eight costly myths about wills that you should be aware of: 1. Wills avoid probate. False! In fact,...
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Sweaters in the Suitcase – and your living trust document
Drafting thorough living trusts requires planning for contingencies and flexibility.
Contain Yourself: Fool Proof Solution to Getting Organized
Why is getting organized so much fun? Well, I should rephrase that. Getting organized is a lot of work. But BEING organized is fun. A while back Michelle and I went to the Container Store in St. Louis. Who would think there is a store with nothing but containers for...
Walls coming down at Edwards Group
What has been going on at Edwards Group LLC? With the addition of Joshua Becker and Laura Peffley, we ran out of space. So what to do? Knock down walls. After (or I should probably say "during") Before Dave's office - before and after Now a glimpse of my new...
Keeping the Family Farm in the Family
[originally appeared in the Prairie Farmer magazine - reprinted with author's permission] “We worked hard to pay for and build up the farm to what it’s worth today. We couldn’t have done it without the help of our son (or daughter). As we do our estate planning,...
And the winner is…
Congratulations to the Pecori-Robinson family of Springfield!! They were the lucky winners of the Edwards Group Kids Guardianship Kit drawing for two season passes to Knights Action Park. The dad, Greg, is a member of the Illinois State Police S.W.A.T. team (Yay for...
Charitable Giving For Regular People
Do you think of yourself as rich? Hopefully you do, but mostly in ways that don’t show up on a tax return. Are you rich in the things that really matter – loving family, good friends, your faith, serving others? Whether or not you think of yourself as a wealthy...
Saving the Family Farm
Effectively planning to protect the family farm requires us to consider at least two types of planning. And the two types involve two different definitions of "save." 1. Does it mean to transfer the farm and protect it from nursing home costs, estate taxes, or other...
Charitable Giving – Do It Wisely and Use Uncle Sam’s Money
As you work on your estate plan, don't forget to consider charitable giving. Here are some basic questions to ask yourself: If I plan to give to charity at death, have I considered just giving during my life instead? Give now, enjoy an income tax deduction and also...
Preparing For the School Bus Accident
If you attend a workshop or meet with me individually, you will probably hear about the “school bus trust”. What is it?
Living Trusts Typically Do Not Provide Asset Protection
I am often asked whether a living trust will protect assets from nursing home costs, lawsuits, or other risks. The general answer is "no." A living trust is designed to help organize your assets and prepare for a time where you may face a disability or when you pass...