LIVE WELL and BE REMEMBERED as the HERO you already are.

  For the sake of clarity, the term "Estate Planning" applies everything from Wills and Powers of Attorney to elaborate Trusts.  "Do's": Update your documents more than once a decade.   That's right.   I recently saw a Will that was fifty (50) years old!   Fortunately, some of the folks listed in it were still alive. If your documents pre-date cell phones, update them! Read your documents.   Even if an attorney drafted the documents, read them. Make sure you understand the documents. Recently I saw a document where  the attorney did not change the name on the document from one (1) of his/her previous clients.   That document was invalid. You need to make sure the words on the page are what they need to be.  Love yourself and your family enough to have the documents.   Those who love their families  make difficult times easier  with documents that prevent the family from having to get court ord...

I'm currently reading (listening to) Finish, Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff.  Stacey Brown Randall recommended it.  (That's Stacey with an "e".)  It is such a great book. So often, our Perfectionism is the enemy to our achieving our goals.  For example, I have been trying to blog for a while now.  Everything has gotten in the way.  So often, if I can't get it perfect, I don't even take a step toward getting it done. How often does that happen to you?  How many more goals could you finish if you just started?  How successful would you be if you just took a step? I remember the day when someone in my family said "You see, we are Perfectionists."  It was explained to me like it was a good thing.  Now I know it's simply the enemy to progress.  In that same period in my life, I can remember trying to play baseball.  I remember standing over home plate and trying to make the perfect swing at the perfect pitch.  Wha...

  Recently I had a client pass away.  Before this happened, we did her planning.  Her relatives came to see me after her passing.  I was able to say "she had her affairs in order". She wasn't wealthy.  Too often I hear people say "Why should I care, I don't have anything anyway?"  Well, having the proper documentation in order makes it easier on those you leave behind, who have to make decisions for you.  So, do you care enough to leave a legacy of peace?  If so, get your planning in order today. 

  Let that title sink in a moment.   " Double Asset Protection" What I don't understand is why every Fraternal Insurance Company is not screaming this from all their advertising outlets. Your thinking: "The Insurance Nerd has really lost his mind this time." Well, maybe, but not on this point. Tennessee Code Annotated 56-7-203 states: The net amount payable under any policy of life insurance or under any annuity contract upon the life of any person made for the benefit of, or assigned to, the spouse and/or children, or dependent relatives of the persons, shall be exempt from all claim s of the creditors of the person arising out of or based upon any obligation created after January 1, 1932, whether or not the right to change the named beneficiary is reserved by or permitted to that person.  Emphasis Added That's the first layer.   So, any money in any permanent life insurance or annuity contract "upon the  life of any person made for the benefit o...

FREE Call-in Clinic  “Aging Well with Law & Insurance” When:    Saturday, July 10th from 10:00 am to noon Central. Where: (615) 497-0763 Who:    Tennessee residents only What: Free, one-on-one consult over the phone.   Speak with a licensed Tennessee attorney and insurance professional on: Annuities Asset Protection Charitable Giving Medicare Supplements Powers of Attorney Probate Life Insurance Trusts Long Term Care Wills Other?

As an attorney who assists clients with Wills, Trusts, Probate, and Powers of Attorney, I see both good ideas and bad ones.  Here are a few of the really bad ones: Misspelling Names - whether it's your Will, Trust, Power of Attorney, Beneficiary, or Payable on Death forms, get the names correct.  Those coming behind you and wrapping up your affairs do not need to be explaining why you called "William" "Bobo".  Whether it's a financial group or a Trustee, matching a name on a document to a person should not be a challenge.  The solution, take a few extra minutes to confirm the names you are listing are the actual legal names of the people you wish to bless. Donating To The Government- You have a poor relative who is receiving Medicaid Long Term Care Services (they are in a state nursing home).  You would like to bless this relative upon your passing, so you list them in your Will, Beneficiary form, etc.  When you pass they now move from being poor, to a hi...

While discussing Estate Planning, the topic of investments comes up from time to time.   Did you know that there are "Kingdom-oriented" investment funds?  Most of my clients don't. These are funds that allow you to i nvest your money with groups that have matching beliefs and values. Why does this matter? Second Corinthians 6: 14-15 (AMP) says: Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial (Satan)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  The funds I'm aware of are Thrivent , Eventide , Guidestone , 2ndVote , and Timothy Plan .  I'm sure there are other similar products, but these are the ones I have found. The beauty of this approach is investing your money in funds that are consistent with your values...

  As an Estate Planner and licensed Life and Health Insurance Agent , the topic of retirement income often comes up.  The idea of having a single dollar amount retirement "nest egg" started bothering me.  I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized, looking at retirement funding in a single dollar amount is a bit backward. We spend most of our working lives looking at our month to month and year to year streams of income.  Why do we view retirement any different?  Why do we think we need some massive amount of money out there to feel "secure" when we simply don't.  What we need are "streams of income".   Just like in our working lives, we need streams of income in our retirement years. So, stop stressing out about the overall value of your retirement account.   Figure out what streams of income suit you best.  So, here are some ideas: Rental Property - I'm a huge fan of rental property.  If you are in an area that is not dying, this wi...

I know I'm a bit of an insurance nerd, but Long Term Care (LTC) insurance coverage simply fascinates me.  For many people, it's the bridge, in their final years, between health insurance (often Medicare) and life insurance. There are many fascinating variations of LTC, but the ones that interests me the most are those that are participating in the LTC Partnership program (Qualified State Long Term Care Partnership Program). What's that mean?  That means that the policy has met certain criteria, so that when the policyholder passes away AND Medicaid (in my case, Tenncare) has a recovery interest in their estate, then the estate gets credit, due to the LTC policy, to offset any recovery efforts by Medicaid. (This means there's a better chance of the kids getting granny's old house.) What does this benefit the policyholder? They have more control over where they spend their final years, as opposed to having Medicaid dictate where they reside. And, their estate gets a...

  In my Estate Planning, the topic of "planning for Medicaid" often comes up. I don't know why we, in the U.S., have gotten so oriented toward thinking we'll need "Medicaid" when we are one of the richest countries in the world.   I believe that planning for Medicaid is akin to planning for FAILURE. Why do I believe this?   As a teen, I worked in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Centers. The staff always knew which beds were "Medicaid Beds". Those beds were always limited. Did they receive essentially the same care? Sure, but it was still known that the spot was "Medicaid".   Medicaid has limited options. Medicaid is subject to change at lawmakers' whims. Medicaid is designed for the truly poor. Why would triggering Medicaid be your goal?  Have you ever been in a Medicaid predominant  (only) facility and liked it?  Would you want to live that way?   I prefer to see people have more options as they age. I prefer to see people take mor...

If we aren’t careful, MATERIALISM can be a great weight upon our souls. In Ron Blue's God Owns It All workbook he has a great quote from an African pastor ✝️. It goes something like this: Materialism isn’t about having a lot and wanting more. Instead, it’s defined by worshiping what you have and what you want. It’s a belief that having more things can bring contentment and joy.  It’s a sickness that is present in all corners of the world, 🌎 and it’s just as prevalent among the poor as among the rich 💰. We all struggle with materialism in one form or another, and it’s a direct violation of a right belief in who God is and what He has done for us. Matt 6:24 tells us that we can’t serve two gods. We can’t serve both Yahweh (God) and the god Mammon. My encouragement to you is to GIVE. Live GENEROUSLY.  Do not let wealth, wealth preservation and prosperity be your god. You can plan, but that does not mean you obsess or live in fear of loss.  Why? Because in the immort...