Blog
Meet John and Carolyn: Octogenarians Counting Their Blessings
John and Carolyn rattle off their family tree with pride. They name their kids and grandkids–including each one’s quirks, hair color, and career path–and then launch into another family tree of...
Legacy Planning Basics
If you’re a car dealership, it doesn’t take a lot of explaining for people to understand what you’re about and why they’d stop in to see you. When we say we’re legacy consultants, we sometimes get...
Why Do People Put Off Legacy Planning? The Answer Might Surprise You.
Everyone dies. And those of us in the legacy-planning industry know that when there’s a plan in place for when that happens, things go a lot more smoothly–and with a whole lot less tax–than if there’s no plan. Yet people put off making a plan! Why? We talked to Grief Therapist Brittany Squillace about one reason: anticipatory grief. She shares what that is, why it can be so debilitating, and how to cope with it.
Let’s Talk About It: Legacy Conversations in Marriage
Wedding-planning is a billion dollar industry in the United States. My husband Chad and I had a gorgeous wedding. We spent months curating a day that would celebrate our relationship and give all...
How to be a Guardian or Minor’s/Spendthrift Trustee
Memorial Day is a chance to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. It’s a time to stop and think about those who gave their time–and some, their lives–in the name of...
Guide to Powers of Attorney & Healthcare Directives
In our work, we spend a lot of time talking with clients about what will happen after they’re gone: where will their assets go, who will handle their estate-related decisions, and who will take care of their children/pets, etc. Power of Attorney (POA) documents/roles are incredibly powerful–but they come into play when someone is alive, but incapacitated–so it’s important that when someone is named a POA, they understand what they’re responsible for, and what to do next. Here’s a handy guide!
Downloadable Guide for Trustees & Personal Representatives/Executors
The estate world sometimes feels a little bit like alphabet soup and a dictionary got together and had a very complicated child. There are trustees and executors, decedents and settlors, CRUTs and...
Non-Cash Gifts: The Future of Philanthropy
Did you know that less than 10% of America’s wealth is held in cash? It’s true. Most of our assets are things like real estate, retirement accounts, and stock portfolios. Furthermore, the tax...
How to: Communicate Your Legacy Plan
“It seems so easy or obvious to communicate a plan, but it’s amazing the reaction we get from families who see an estate document for the first time and can’t understand why the creator did it a...
Donor Profile: Following the Threads of a Creative Life
“Oh yeah, I could do something with that!” Our client Deb’s eyes light up as she looks back on her legacy planning journey. An outdoorsy travel enthusiast and dog-lover in the Twin Cities, Deb’s...
These Resources Didn’t Exist, So We Created Them
“There are just no resources out there for people like me.” That’s what my mom told me when she stepped in to help settle the estate of a third loved one within just a handful of years. As she is...
Q&A with Stef Tschida
Start with Your Story: How to Build the Foundation for a Meaningful Legacy Plan.