Estate Planning

By Skip Skolnik When it comes to protecting assets from the costs of nursing home care, most people don’t plan—they react. And unfortunately, reaction is rarely a strategy. It’s like stepping onto a football field without knowing the rules, expecting to win by instinct alone. The reality is that nursing home protection and navigating the …

Understanding the Rules: Why Nursing Home Protection Requires Planning, Not Winging It Read More »

When most people think of life insurance, they think of income replacement or debt protection. It’s a tool to ensure loved ones are financially stable after a wage earner dies. While those are still valid and vital uses, life insurance plays a powerful and often underappreciated role in estate planning. It can be used correctly …

Life Insurance in an Estate Plan? Read More »

Every homeowner knows the drill: when the seasons change, you prepare. You put the snowblower away in the spring, fire up the lawnmower in the summer, clean the gutters in the fall, and dig out the heavy coats for winter. You rotate your tires, swap your wardrobe, and winterize the pipes. Why? Because each season …

Estate Planning Through Life’s Seasons: Why Every Stage Needs a Distinct Plan Read More »

Imagine riding your bike down a hill, wind in your hair, when suddenly—thump, wobble, snap—one of your spokes gives out. That smooth ride? It’s over. Because without all the spokes in working order, the wheel doesn’t roll right. Estate planning is no different. So many people think a will is enough, or that talking to …

Estate Planning Takes a Team: Don’t Roll Through Life on a Wobbly Wheel Read More »

A legacy layered with love, not chaos. Bon appétit and bon testament! Ingredients: Instructions: Serving Suggestions: Pairs beautifully with a well-organized filing cabinet and a bottle of 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon. For extra flavor, accompany with a hand-written legacy letter (and perhaps a cheeky postscript). Bon appétit—and bon testament!

One of the most common misconceptions we encounter in estate planning is that it’s a one-time event—a box to check off, a document to file away, and something never to revisit. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, estate planning is a process that should grow and evolve as you do. Just like …

Estate Planning Is a Process, Not an Event Read More »

After working in the senior services realm for over 22 years, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that assisting individuals in their estate planning is both an art and a science. The science aspect follows strict rules and regulations, much like the scientific world, where fundamental laws of physics cannot be broken. …

Estate Planning: Both an Art and a Science Read More »

Sailing at night presents unique challenges and requires a heightened level of preparedness, much like estate planning. While both activities can be incredibly rewarding, they also demand careful forethought, knowledge, and attention to detail to ensure a smooth and successful journey. For as long as I can remember, sailing has been a central part of …

Night Sailing Is Like Estate Planning Read More »