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A Quick Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Family History
Writing your family history can be a wonderful way to leave a legacy. With the world going digital, it may seem old-fashioned to print a book about your family’s history. But the truth is, a screen can never replace the experience of flipping through pages of pictures...
Recording and Transcribing Family Conversations on Your Smartphone
With all the holiday gatherings coming up, this is the perfect time of year to get around the table and record your family’s stories. Smartphones have made this easier than ever: turn on a voice record app, set it in the middle of the table, and start asking grandma...
How to Protect Your Family’s Inheritance
I often speak to local associations and service groups about estate planning. Oftentimes, the topic is about protecting the money people have worked so hard for. While proper planning can make things easier on your heirs after you're gone, few people consider how...
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Michael Jackson: King of Pop (and Estate Planning?)
Are you tired yet of hearing about the Michael Jackson saga? One thing for sure, the gossip media should have plenty to talk about for quite a while. It turns out Michael did have a Last Will & Testament after all. (Thanks to those who sent me links to good...
Living Trust: valuable tool for Disability Planning
It's my job to use whatever tools will best get the job done for the client. What will work best to build the plan the client wants? Although it's not the client's job to understand all the tools that we use in the plan, most clients end up with a basic understanding...
Estate Planning: What’s in your tool box?
What tools do you want to use? Is this the first question that your contractor asks you when you decide to hire him to build a house? Or, if you're car stops running and you take it to the mechanic to be fixed, do you quiz him on which tools he plans to use...
Wealth Transfer or Wealth Reception – Part #1
You might ask yourself: How do you define a successful estate plan? or How do you define a successful life?
How to pick an estate attorney – 4 questions to ask
Here are the questions I want any client to ask before they hire Edwards Group LLC to complete their estate plan.
Will your estate attorney outlive you?
Interesting article in State Journal-Register yesterday. Percentage of attorneys in Illinois who are are between 50-74 years old went from 22% in 1993 to 39% in 2008. https://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x2085729714/Number-of-lawyers-over-age-50-climbs?view=print Fairly...
Jigsaw Puzzles and Asset Titling
Let's think of estate planning as a puzzle. 1. WHAT'S THE PICTURE? Do you like to know what the picture is that you're putting together when you work a puzzle? In fact, when I go to buy a puzzle, I only have 2 criteria - the size (usually 500 pieces) and what the...
Transitions in Life
BAILEY'S "NEW SCHOOL" At our house, we are in the middle of a transition. 2 1/2 year old Bailey is switching to a new daycare. For the last couple of years, Bailey has gone 2-3 days a week to her "school" (Memorial Childcare) when Michelle is working as a nurse at...
What to say at a funeral
I wanted to share a couple things from a conference I attended last week in Indianapolis with the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. WHAT TO SAY AT A FUNERAL As you go through the receiving line at a funeral, visitation, or wake, do you know what to say?...
The Nursing Home – 5 Ways to Pay For It
How will you (or your parents or grandparents) pay for a nursing home?