What Happens to Your Child When You're Gone - A Lesson Every Parent Needs to Hear
Most of us spend decades building our retirement accounts. A 401(k) here, an IRA there. Contributions made consistently, sometimes sacrificially, with the future in mind. For many families, those accounts end up being the single largest piece of wealth they've accumulated - more than home equity, more than savings, more than anything else on the balance sheet. And yet, most people have no idea what actually happens to those accounts after they die.
I don't say that to alarm you. I say it because understanding this is one of the most important things you can do for the people you love.
Here's What Can Happen to Blended Families When a Spouse Dies
If you're in a blended family, a simple "leave everything to my spouse" plan may not protect your children the way you think it will. In this post, I'm walking through what actually happens legally when a spouse passes - why good intentions aren't enough, how children from first marriages can end up with nothing, and what a complete estate plan looks like when it's designed to protect everyone you love.
What Anne Heche's Estate Is Still Teaching Us in 2026
When actress Anne Heche passed away in August 2022 after a car accident, her oldest son Homer was in his early twenties. Just barely an adult. And within weeks of losing his mother, he found himself appointed by a court to manage her estate - one with roughly $110,000 in assets, over $6 million in creditor claims, and financial records that, by most accounts, were deeply incomplete. As of early 2026, that estate still isn't closed.
Understanding Inheritance Taxes: What You and Your Beneficiaries Need to Know
Here's a question most of my clients haven't thought about until we're sitting across from each other.
Will your loved ones have to pay taxes on what you leave them?
The answer isn't a simple yes or no. It depends on what you're leaving, how much it's worth, and where you live when you die. But here's what I know for certain: understanding the tax side of inheritance is one of the most loving things you can do for the people you'll leave behind.
So let's talk about it.
Don’t Lose Your Family Stories: How to Preserve Your Legacy Before It’s Too Late
A client once told me she would give anything to hear her grandmother’s voice again. Her grandmother had been the heart of the family, the one who told stories about how she survived the Great Depression and how she fell in love with her husband. But when she passed away, those stories went with her. They had never been written down or recorded, and now an entire chapter of the family’s history was gone forever.
Why Reviewing Your Trust Regularly Isn't Optional, It's Essential
You've taken the important step of creating an estate plan, and it includes a trust, congratulations! This shows you care deeply about keeping your family out of court and conflict, ensuring your wishes are known and honored, and you do not want to leave behind a mess for the people you love. Great work. But here's something you may not realize: an estate plan, a will, or a trust isn't a "set it and forget it" type of thing. Your estate plan is a living set of documents and tools that need regular attention to ensure they work when your loved ones need them and that they don’t fail at the worst possible moment.
Think about it this way: Would you still wear the same clothes you bought ten years ago without checking if they still fit? Probably not. Similarly, your estate plan, including your trust, needs to be reviewed regularly to ensure it still "fits" your current life situation, assets, the law, and your wishes. Let's explore why regular estate plan reviews are so crucial and how often you should be checking in on your plan.
10 Guardian Mistakes That Could Put Your Kids at Risk (And How to Do It Right)
Naming guardians in your will isn't enough to fully protect your children if something happens to you. Discover the 10 most common guardianship mistakes parents make and how a comprehensive Kids Protection Plan® can provide complete peace of mind.
Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples: Protecting the Life You’ve Built Together
You’ve built a life with someone you love - sharing a home, experiences, and maybe even finances - but without legal marriage, the law doesn’t automatically recognize your relationship. That means if something happens to you, your partner could be left without legal rights to your property, finances, or even decisions about your medical care.
In this article, you’ll learn why unmarried couples face greater legal risks, what key planning steps you can take to protect each other, and how my Peace of Mind Planning® process ensures your wishes are honored, no matter what life brings.