Over 20 years of estate planning experience has taught me a lot about what parents should and should not share with their children. Too often, a parent may insist on discussing unimportant or trivial matters and refuse to share the important matters such as how they decided who would receive an heirloom. As a Wall Street Journal article several years ago recommended, disclosing the specifics about your will or trust can be very beneficial to your children (“Five Reasons for P

A durable power of attorney - where an agent is appointed to handle the financial affairs for a principal - has been used for decades. Until recently, it was unusual for these documents to ever be challenged or exploited. Unfortunately, with the rise of elder abuse, banks and other financial institutions have started rejecting valid durable powers of attorney for fear of potential liability. Without the ability to transact business for the principal, a durable power of attorn

Many baby boomers are facing the decision of whether or not to buy long term care insurance. Unfortunately, most choose not to purchase coverage leaving their assets at risk of being wiped out if long term care should be necessary. While the odds of requiring long term care services are significant – more than 70% of Americans over the age of 65 will need long term care services at some point in their lives – most seniors are under the mistaken impression that they will never