The Woeful Inadequacies of Traditional Estate Planning: The Four Critical Questions You Need To Ask Yourself By Mark H. Kaizerman
(ContentDesk) October 9, 2005 -- When I mention the words, estate planning, most people think of meeting with an attorney and drafting legal documents.
Traditionally, those documents include a will, durable power of attorney, health care proxy and perhaps a trust.
After you draft these documents, you meet to sign them, then you put them somewhere safe, cut a check to the attorney and breathe a sigh of relief because you finally have things covered.
All is well and your estate is perfectly in order, right?
WRONG!Too often the drafting of legal documents is confused with developing an estate plan.
Sure, legal documents are part of an estate plan, but they are not the estate plan.
You need to make sure that you have everything in one spot.
If not, you could cause yourself some real problems.
Thats why 98% of all estate plans fall short.
Thats why you have debacles like the Terry Schiavo case and the Ted Williams dispute.
In order to make sure that these sort of things dont happen to you, you have to have a plan.
Most people plan out what should happen in the event of their deaths.
What if you are disabled or mentally incapacitated?
Effective estate plans must be drafted in order to account for these kinds of contingencies.
If you wish to have an effective estate plan, you must answer four extremely critical questions:1. What documents do I need?You need a will, durable power of attorney, and health care proxy.
Additionally, you need an original marriage certificate, military discharge paperwork, health and life insurance information, beneficiary designation forms, deeds, and appraisals.
Another necessity you need to have is a listing of important contacts with telephone numbers.2.
How will my beneficiaries find these documents?We all have our own personal and unique filing system that has worked well for us over the years.
Thats fine.
You should use your own unique filing system, whatever works for you.
However, you do need to create a system that unlocks your personal filing system.
For example, if something ever happened to you, how would your beneficiaries even know you had a safety deposit box, let alone the location of the bank or key?
3.
Who should have access to these documents and when?I know thats actually two questions camouflaged as one.
Remember, these documents are personal and confidential.
Today, we are all too aware of the very real threat of identity theft.
Safeguarding these documents and making them available, under specific circumstances, to a select group of individuals will allow you to protect your privacy while still preparing an effective estate plan.
4. Who will best advise my beneficiaries?Your estate plan needs to address not only your financial assets, but also your dreams, wishes, and values.
You need to designate that one person who can capture all these characteristics of your life, someone with whom you have shared those most personal thoughts.
At you or your beneficiaries time of need, who should be that one call?
Dont confuse proper estate planning with simply drafting the needed documents or purchasing an insurance policy or special investment product.
An effective estate plan can only be accomplished with a well thought out approach that is designed to protect your most important information and guide your heirs.
Only then will you have peace of mind in knowing that youve done your best for your loved ones and nothing important will be overlooked.For a review copy of the book or to set up an interview with Mark H. Kaizerman for a story, please contact Jay Wilke at 727-443-7115, ext. 223.
The Distributive Justice of the Market - Part II
Philosophers tried to specify a "bundle" or "package" of goods, services, and intangibles (like information, or skills, or knowledge). Justice - though not necessarily happiness - is when everyone possesses an identical bundle. Happiness - though not necessarily justice - is when each one of us possesses a "bundle" which reflects his or her preferences, priorities, and predilections. None of us will be too happy with a standardized bundle, selected by a committee of philosophers - or bureaucrats, as was the case under communism.The market allows for the exchange of goods and services between holders of identical bundles. If I seek books, but detest oranges - I can swap them with someone in return for his books.
That way both of us are rendered better off than under the strict egalitarian version.Still, there is no guarantee that I will find my exact match - a person who is interested in swapping his books for my oranges. Illiquid, small, or imperfect markets thus inhibit the scope...
The Distributive Justice of the Market - Part II
Life insurance > The Distributive Justice of the Market - Part II
Massage In Corporate America
(ContentDesk) August 7, 2005 -- Massage therapy has enjoyed uncommon popularity within the business world as of late this is largely due to the widely publicized health benefits. Along with other preventative medicines and tools like meditation, massage has been found to reduce stress, by relieving muscle tension, increasing overall flexibility and circulation, and has been proven to trigger the brains chemistry releasing mood balancing hormones and chemicals that lead to overall happiness. For further information on the benefits of massage please visit http://www.ahhthatsthespotmassage.com/medicalmassageinfo.asp. The University of Miami TRI was formally founded in 1992 and is funded entirely by Johnson and Johnson, Gerber, and Colgate-Palmolive companies. With the rising cost of Health Insurance in America, Insurance Companies and Businesses is desperately trying to find ways to lower the alarming rise in health care costs.
Knowing that the number one reason for health problems...
Massage In Corporate America
Life insurance > Massage In Corporate America
Surety Bonds
The construction industry is a very good competitive marketplace. Contractors used to come across several projects that require them for as long as surety bonds guaranteeing their recital of the contract and looking out for sustaining a steady flow of work as well. Surety bonds are required of contractors on public projects let directly by federal, state or local government agencies. Private owners are in need of bonds for their contractors. Generally trade contractors are linked to the public owner depending on the projects employing a construction manager of their own; and subcontractors may also be mandatory to 'bond back' to the general contractor on projects whatever it might be public or private.
Here come the basic categories of contract surety bonds:
? The bid bond presents financial assurance that the bid has been submitted in good faith and that the contractor proposes to enter into the contract at the price bid and also provide the required performance...
Life insurance > Surety Bonds
International publishing house since 1984, DNS Holding, Inc., introduces new lifestyle publication ?Luxury Life Magazine?.
(ContentDesk) February 10, 2004--Luxury Life Magazine differs from the mainstream lifestyle magazines in that it reaches its wealthy audience directly where they live, socialize and gather. "And, we focus an entire issue to luxurious living in one of the Capitals of the World. First Class travel, first class accommodations, the best epicurean delights, what luxury items to buy and where to socialize. All Five Star and up.", says Bert Fortrie, editor-in-chief.????"Because our affluent and discerning readership deserves the very best, we provide those gems you won't find anywhere else, the secret spots where the jet-set socializes, where they buy, where they stay, and where they eat," he continues.
"Our exclusive audience desires superb service in every aspect, and we guide to assure those services, without compromise."
Luxury Life Magazine appears quarterly with in 2004 issues on Hong Kong and Rio de Janeiro, and in 2005 on Rome, Bangkok, Paris and Capetown.
...
International publishing house since 1984, DNS Holding, Inc., introduces new lifestyle publication ?Luxury Life Magazine?.
Life insurance > International publishing house since 1984, DNS Holding, Inc., introduces new lifestyle publication ?Luxury Life Magazine?.
Ever Wondered What An Auto Insurance Claim Adjuster Does?
An auto insurance claim adjuster works for the insurance company with whom you purchase a policy. Some insurance companies use independent adjusters so that they get an unbiased report. When you have an accident and make a claim on your insurance, the company will send out an adjuster to access the damages and come up with an amount of money that will be needed to complete the repairs. The auto insurance claim adjuster has to contact the garages to get an estimate of what the parts and labor will cost.When you report a claim for an accident to your auto insurance, they will contact the appropriate adjuster. The auto insurance adjuster assigned to your case will contact you to get the details on where he/she can assess the vehicle.
Then you will receive a report from the insurance company regarding the assessment the auto insurance claim adjuster submits. If the damages exceed the value of the vehicle, it will be "written off". The amount you get on your auto insurance policy depends...
Ever Wondered What An Auto Insurance Claim Adjuster Does?
Life insurance > Ever Wondered What An Auto Insurance Claim Adjuster Does?
CLU? and ChFC? Designations to be Offered in Thailand
The American College, America's leading financial services educator, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with The Thailand Insurance Institute to offer the CLU? (Chartered Life Underwriter) and ChFC? (Chartered Financial Consultant) designation programs to interested Thailand financial services professionals. The Thailand Insurance Institute currently offers the LUTC Fellow (LUTCF) designation and for the past five years has worked closely with The College to promote the importance of professional education in the financial services field. Thailand Insurance Institute is recognized as one of The College's most successful partners in Southeast Asia.The CLU and ChFC designations are recognized as some of the world's most prestigious credentials for financial service professionals. Since the inception of these programs over 94,000 professionals have earned the CLU and over 41,000 have earned the ChFC.
Each of the designations enhances a professional's ability...
Life insurance > CLU? and ChFC? Designations to be Offered in Thailand
Alderm N.A. Appoints Life Designs Medical Exclusive Distributor for the Southeastern US and Minnesota
Irvine, California (ContentDesk) January 20, 2006 -- Alderm, N.A. LLC, announced that it has appointed Life Designs Medical of Atlanta, Georgia as its exclusive Southeastern US and Minnesota distributor for its full-line of medical aesthetics systems including the HR-Force 820nm diode hair removal laser, Med Flash II" Intense Pulse Light (IPL) system, and the revolutionary Med Sculpt system for cellulite reduction and sculpting body contours (FDA clearance expected late January 2006). We selected Life Designs Medical as our exclusive distribution partner for the Southeast because of their solid technical knowledge, service reputation and integrity in the medical community.
Our innovative products and upcoming revolutionary Med Sculpt cellulite reduction system have been well accepted throughout the country and felt that having a distribution partner who knew the Southeast as well as Life Designs Medical could only benefit both of our firms and customers, commented
Alderm N.A. Appoints Life Designs Medical Exclusive Distributor for the Southeastern US and Minnesota
Life insurance > Alderm N.A. Appoints Life Designs Medical Exclusive Distributor for the Southeastern US and Minnesota
Life insurance
This page loaded in 0.024 seconds.