To Freeze Yourself at Death, There’s an Estate Planning Trust for That

Maybe you’re intrigued by the thought of having your body scientifically frozen when you die, on the chance you’ll be revived one day (cryonics). But the thought of having no ready access to funds when you’re thawed would have your head spinning like a… Continue reading

Advice for Boomer Same-Sex Couples Facing Divorce

As a Certified Financial Divorce Analyst, I’ve spent my career counseling couples and individuals going through the divorce process. And since the 2015 Supreme Court ruling repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and permitting same-sex marriages … Continue reading

All About Prenups for Second Marriages

When you marry in your 20s or 30s, you might not be thinking about getting a prenup since your assets aren’t large and your life is pretty simple. But if you’ll be entering a second marriage in your 50s or 60s, a prenup is something you may very well w… Continue reading

Leaving a Legacy No Matter How Much Money You Have

Leaving a legacy — sounds like something only wealthy people can do, right? Like making a giant bequest to a university or passing on a significant estate to your children. Actually, though, a new Bank of America Merrill Lynch/Age Wave survey and the n… Continue reading

Will You Miss My Bitcoins When I’m Gone?

Digital security has never been so important or perhaps so easy. You can unlock your phone with your fingerprint or your face. You can use a password manager to store all your login credentials behind a single master password. And you can secure many o… Continue reading

Next Avenue Picks the 6 Best New Personal Finance Books

There are two problems with many personal finance books. One, they’re dull. Two, they often tell you what you already know or suspect. So it’s refreshing when new ones come along that are actually interesting reading and helpful. Here are my six favori… Continue reading

How to Include Charities in Your Will to Leave a Legacy

When people do estate planning, they often don’t think about supporting the causes that have been important to them. Yet, it turns out that most people do want to use their estates to help change the world. When asked about giving during the estate pla… Continue reading

Changing the Conversation About End of Life

(Advances in science and public health are increasing longevity and enhancing the quality of life for people around the world. In this series of interviews with the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, 14 visionaries are revealing exciting … Continue reading

How to Disinherit a Family Member

We live in a world of fractured relationships. For example, there are blended families that never truly blended; kids who feel left behind because of their parents’ divorce and loved ones who’ve gone completely off-the-tracks because of an addiction or… Continue reading

How the Tax Laws for Divorce Will Turn Upside Down in 2019

Nobody ever said going through divorce is easy. Aside from the normal emotions of a broken relationship and family, there’s the paperwork, the attorneys, the courts and, of course, the money. As if dividing up assets wasn’t difficult enough, new tax ch… Continue reading