It is becoming more common these days for families to own vacation homes. Often, these second homes become the center of a lifetime of fond memories for generations. In many cases, the sentimental feelings attached to these vacation homes are more pronounced than the feelings attached to the family’s actual residence. It’s not hard to see why.
In our regular homes, kids do homework, complete chores, get disciplined by parents, etc. But at a vacation home, parents tend to relax, kids make fun memories with aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. There are often fun activities and lots of good food that go along with the time spent there.
Over the holidays I had the opportunity to spend a few days with my family at just such a vacation home. It was hard to come back to reality after that weekend, but I so enjoyed watching my kids have the time of their lives with their cousins playing in the snow, wrestling, playing hide and seek, beating their uncles in checkers and more.
Divorce can be complicated, frustrating, disappointing, expensive, along with a whole range of other emotions, as anyone who has endured this type of proceeding can attest. As difficult as the issues can be in a divorce proceeding, can you imagine what happens when divorce involves a child with a disability? 
Last week, I explained how using a spendthrift trust can protect the inheritance you leave to your children from divorces, lawsuits, and creditors that your children may encounter in the future.
What would you say if I told you that you could give your children a gift that they can never give themselves and that this gift could possibly save your family hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars? Sound too good to be true? It's perfectly legal (
It's hard to believe that another school year is ending already, and for some of you, that means your child is graduating from high school and maybe even going away to college.
Financial exploitation of the elderly is increasingly common today. Some estimates put the number of individuals who have had money stolen directly from their bank accounts at around 2 million just last year, with an average of $1,200 stolen per person.
Last week, I introduced you to Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts. This week, I'd like to talk about a very important distinction between the two main types of Special Needs Trusts and why it is critical that you know the difference.
Families who have children with special needs have very little exposure to the legal issues that surround planning for these children. Just as with any type of estate planning, unless we take control and make our own plan that fits our unique family circumstances, the state has its own backup plan for our families. And often, it's not what you would have wanted.
If you've been watching the local TV stations or have been driving down I-15 in Utah County recently, you may have seen ads with local TV personality Dick Norse endorsing a reverse mortgage company. The ads suggest that Dick Norse would trust this company with his family's future, blah, blah, blah. And maybe that's true. I know nothing about this particular company endorsed by Mr. Norse, but I can give you some information on reverse mortgages that can help you cut through some of the myths that surround this industry.
discovered him stealing jewelry from her to support his heroin addiction. Although he'll be going to jail for about 25 years, when he gets out, he'll be getting approximately $250,000 (plus 25 years of interest on that money) from his mother-in-law's estate. Shocking? Yes. Wrong? In my opinion, yes. Legal? Yes, again.
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