couple smiling

Elijah Smith said he wanted to be an organ and tissue donor when he applied for a driver’s license in September. But his family didn’t find that out until he was declared brain dead by doctors on July 4 after being struck in a hit-skip crash while riding his bicycle the day before. As a […]

silhouette of man on a wheelchair

Weird berries. Capsules of unpronounceable supplements. Yoga or tai chi. Crossword puzzles. Such amulets, we’re told, may ward of disability — which is the real fear that accompanies aging, isn’t it? Not the sheer number of years that will have passed, but the things we’ll no longer be able to do. Lifespans are becoming much […]

senior couple talking

Mara has bravely faced what millions of Baby Boomers are facing: their aging parents aren’t going to stay financially competent forever … If Mara could give you a heads up today, she would tell you to note those little signs of a parent not being sharp with finances. Dementia is not really a disease in the […]

miniature woman standing in a pile of coins

According to a recent WealthCounsel survey, 35 percent of people are crafting their estate plans to avoid mismanagement by their heirs. They are setting up trusts, naming third-party trustees to manage their bequests and delaying the age that heirs receive them. There are a number of hard questions when it comes to planning for your […]

Money laundering

Here is some background on what is known as the “annual gift-tax exclusion.” You can give away as much as $14,000 this year to anyone you want—or to each of as many people as you wish—without any tax considerations or burdensome paperwork. The recipient can be anyone you choose. Many taxpayers are confused when it […]