You get an official looking letter that says that you have won the $50,000 sweepstakes. There may even be a realistic check from a real company and drawn on a real bank. There is a catch. Before you can claim …
Articles
Making a Graceful Exit
When we come in to this world, we come in with nothing, not even clothes on our backs. However, when we leave this world, we usually have a lot more stuff. If you are like 70% of Americans, you have …
Medicare Enrollment Starts Earlier This Year
If you are over the age of 65, the time of year to review your Medicare plans has moved up this year. For 2011, the starting date for the Open Enrollment Period has moved up a month to October 15, …
Buying Commercial Real Estate
You may be looking to buy real estate for your new office, retail store or other business. A common mistake many people make after finding property they like, is to sign a purchase agreement prepared by a realtor and then …
Now What Do We Do With the House
Mom and Dad are now gone, but they left the house. What is going to happen? What do you do? The answer is: “It depends.” But on what? It depends upon how the property is titled. Different titling requires different …
Protecting Your Baby
If something happened to you and you were unable to care for your minor children, what would take place? If you became incapacitated or died, who would take care of your children, where would they live and who would make …
Estate Planning for Out of State
You are a Michigan resident, but you do not spend all year in Michigan. You may spend part of the year in another state, such as Florida or Arizona. You may even own a mobile home, condominium or house in …
Taking Care of Fido
We haven’t talked about pets in a while. Do you have any pets? You may have a cat or dog which you likely consider a member of your family. You may have a bird, an iguana or like my nephew, …
Probate Avoidance 101
I regularly have people come into my office and say “My estate is simple” and think that not much work will be involved in planning their estate. Their estate plan is usually anything but simple. What you may think is …
Seven Most Common Trust Mistakes
You may have a revocable or living trust in your estate plan. Living trusts are very powerful planning tools that you can use for all kinds of purposes. Trusts can avoid probate, or provide for your family cottage, your favorite …