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If you’ve given any thought about estate planning, you probably associate it with preparing for death. But did you know that there are critical reasons (and significant benefits) for planning while you’re still well and alive? That’s why we refer to our services as Life & Legacy Planning. When done right, planning for your assets and your death is something that should start right now through honest, open conversations with your family.

It starts by talking with your parents, siblings, and children about what you want the future of your family to look like, how you’d like assets managed, and what type of care each family member would want in the event of a debilitating or terminal illness.

You may have already started a conversation about estate planning with your family. But here, we dive deeper into the conversations you need to have right now to truly understand your family’s financial picture and plan for the future in the best...

We talk a lot about love and legacy here at Breiner Law Firm. Specifically, how to show your loved ones, well, love, through specialized Life and Legacy Planning®.  

But, there's a different kind of love that deserves our attention: the love we show ourselves, our family, and our wallet through thoughtful financial planning.

Now I know what you’re thinking – that doesn’t sound as fun or showy as a fancy night out,  a bouquet of flowers, or even a night in with Netflix - not that kind of love! But trust me, making smart planning decisions with your assets is one of the best gifts you can give your loved ones – and a gift that keeps giving over time.

Last week we explored 7 ways to show your finances and your family some love with smart, tax-advantaged financial tips for the new year:

1. Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)
2. Front-load Your 401(k) Contributions
3. Set Up an IRA for a Child
4. Make Donations During Spring Cleaning
5. Give the...

We talk a lot about love and legacy here at Breiner Law Firm. Specifically, how to show your loved ones, well, love, through specialized Life and Legacy Planning®.  

But, there's a different kind of love that deserves our attention: the love we show ourselves, our family, and our wallet through thoughtful financial planning.

Now I know what you’re thinking – that doesn’t sound as fun or showy as a fancy night out,  a bouquet of flowers, or even a night in with Netflix - not that kind of love! But trust me, making smart planning decisions with your assets is one of the best gifts you can give your loved ones – and a gift that keeps giving over time.

This week, we explore seven tax planning tips that not only secure your financial future but also spread love and prosperity to those you cherish most. Next week, we’ll be back with another 7 ways to spice things up financially this year.

1 | Make a Qualified Charitable Distribution...

A comprehensive Life & Legacy Plan is about creating a strategy that lets you enjoy your life to the fullest while protecting your loved ones' future when you can no longer be there. It might seem like life insurance is an easy way to help secure your loved ones’ future – and it is – but your policy must be set up in the right way to have the best possible impact on your family.

The way you set up your beneficiary designations on your insurance policy can significantly impact its effectiveness, how it’s used, and who controls it after you die. In this blog, we'll explore how not to name beneficiaries on your life insurance and how to name beneficiaries to ensure your loved ones have the funds they need to thrive when something happens to you. 

DO NOT Name a Minor As The Beneficiary of Your Life Insurance Policy  

Naming your child or grandchild as a direct (or even backup) beneficiary of your life insurance policy may seem like a natural...

 July is National Family Reunion Month and the perfect time to reconnect with family from near and far, share life’s updates, and reminisce about the wonderful memories you share together. If you’re getting together with family this month, it’s also a perfect time to talk to your loved ones about your shared goals, family resources and the legacy you want to leave behind for the next generation. 

You might think that estate planning is too somber a topic for a happy family reunion, but it can actually be an opportunity to bring you closer to your loved ones by giving everyone time to speak openly about their wishes for the family and can help everyone feel unified by working together toward the family’s future wellbeing.

Not sure how to bring up estate planning in a way that makes your family feel empowered? Keep reading to learn how to navigate the conversation without scaring away party guests!

Invite Your Loved Ones to the Conversation In...

If you have started to save for your child or grandchild’s college education, it’s worth considering whether to use a 529 plan, an education savings account, or an irrevocable trust. 

Last week, in part one of this series, we discussed 529 plans and education savings accounts, which are both popular options for saving for college education. One of the main reasons for their popularity is their tax-saving advantages. The money you contribute to a 529 account grows on a tax-deferred basis, and withdrawals are tax-free, provided they are used for qualified education expenses, such as tuition, room and board, and other education-related fees.

That said, one of the downsides of 529 plans is that they come with strict limits on how you can use the funds (for education-related expenses only), and they also have a limited range of options for how you can invest your funds, primarily in various mutual funds. For these reasons, 529 plans and ESAs aren’t...

Despite the fact that it happens to every single one of us and is as every bit as natural as birth, very few among us are properly prepared for death—whether our own death or the death of a loved one. 

Yet the pandemic might be changing this.

According to Census figures, the pandemic caused the U.S. death rate to spike by nearly 20% between 2019 and 2020, the largest increase in American mortality in 100 years. More than two years and 1 million deaths later, it's more clear than ever that death is not only ever-present, but a central and inevitable part of all our lives.

Yet, in what may be one of its few positive outcomes, some in the end-of-life industry believe that the pandemic’s massive loss of life has created an opportunity to transform the way we face death, grief, and all of the other issues that arise when we lose someone we love dearly. In fact, this sentiment is the mission of the new startup Empathy, an AI-based platform designed to...