This is a simple question, and the answer is a stark reality. Your future, like it or not, includes illness and, ultimately, death. You need an Estate Plan to address both contingencies. If you’re a young married couple with children – you also need an Estate Plan to include [...]
Oh, come on. Redoing an estate plan sounds about as exciting as purchasing tires! Well, it just so happens that tires are a perfect analogy. It is not fun to buy tires; it is necessary if the tread is unsafe - leaving your tires, your foundation for safety on [...]
Check out his headline from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from Wednesday: CFPB Finds Credit Card Companies Charged $12 Billion in Late Fee Penalties in 2020 Largest credit card issuers expected to hike fees further The article goes on to indicate that current first-time late fees have increased to [...]
Debt collection has arrived to the 21st century. It was bad enough when you were behind on your bills and debt collectors were calling you day and night; now, they have technology on their side. New rules just approved by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau allow lenders to email, text, [...]
I’m anticipating our first blast of snow for the season. Can you guess the relationship between snowflakes and credit card debt? Think about the first few flakes that fall. They are inconsequential. Soft fluffy crystals ranging from .2 to 5 mm in width. It is safe to say that [...]
I hear the question all the time -- is it okay to co-sign or guaranty a student loan for my child or grandchild? It's a common issue, just read this quote from the Wall Street Journal: "Roughly 93% of all new private student loan dollars extended to undergraduate students [...]
Here we go again. The U.S. will default on its debt obligations if Congress does not act by Thursday. TV coverage makes it sound like we are about to go into the abyss – with the stock market taking a hit once we default. Does this sound familiar? – [...]
Over the years, we've heard of numerous famous people who died without having an estate plan. Aretha Franklin of most recent – as well as Prince. Let’s add a few more – Abraham Lincoln, Kurt Cobain, Martin Luther King, Jr, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Heath Ledger, Bob Marley, Howard [...]
If I file bankruptcy, will they take away my life savings? In other words, do I get to keep my retirement money? Retirement plans such as your 401k and IRA’s are protected in bankruptcy no matter what chapter of bankruptcy you file, pensions are too. Your pension plan is [...]
For starters, if you’ve been anywhere other than Texas this week – that’s a good thing. To me, the thought of freezing cold and no water or heat for 4 days is beyond misery. After all, I’m known for three layers of clothes when I golf if it is [...]
