For most families, the estate planning process is more involved than simply naming beneficiaries. While the primary goal of estate planning is transferring assets in an orderly and tax-efficient manner, it’s just as important to focus on preserving wealth across generations.
No matter what line of work you are in, estate planning has facets that apply to everyone, and it comes down to documenting wishes and avoiding probate and unnecessary taxes. Too many people put it off, but, in general, the sooner you do it, the better.
As we all adjust and adapt to a world with coronavirus, I wanted to check-in and let you know some of the issues that we are encountering. Today that is about Healthcare Directives. First, my friends and associates in healthcare in Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff tell me that although they we haven’t seen many […]
Over the last two weeks we have been receiving this type of phone call, “Hi, I’m calling because I don’t have any estate planning done and I need to get a Will.” These potential clients are calling because they know they need a Will (actually they need more than a Will but that’s another conversation…) […]
Would Giving Your House to our Children be a Good Decision? You may be afraid of losing your home if you have to enter a nursing home and apply for Medicaid. While this fear is well-founded, transferring the home to your children is usually not the best way to protect it. Although you generally do […]
The 2018 data is in. The cost of Skilled Nursing Home Care in Missouri according to Genworth is $5,543 per month for a private room and $5,019 per month for a semi-private room. That’s a cost of $66,516 per year for a private room and $60,228 for a semi-private room. How does this cost compare? Nursing home […]
senior matters expo 2018 On Saturday, October 6, 2018 we were at the Senior Matters Expo at the Drury Plaza Conference Center in Cape Girardeau. The Senior Matters Expo is for seniors by age (65+) and seniors in high school (age 18). The result is that you have vendors ranging from nursing homes to clothing […]
Full probate is time consuming and expensive. As an alternative, many states have created special rules for “small estates” that make the process go faster and cheaper. In Missouri, to qualify as a Small Estate, the value of the estate must be less than $40,000. Missouri Statute 473.097 sets out when a Small Estate can […]
When people say probate, what they are really referring to is Probate Court. People typically want to avoid Probate Court because it wastes time & money and takes what most people consider private and puts it in the public record. 3 ways to avoid probate in missouri So how can you avoid probate? There are […]
How much does a trust cost? One of the most frequently asked questions that I receive is “How much will it cost to get my affairs in order?” or “How much does a Trust cost?” What our clients like is that we have clear, up front pricing. During our initial consultation we’ll discuss what it […]
