Did you know that once children reach age 18, their parents cannot legally access a child’s medical records or bank accounts without the child’s permission? Even if a child is in an accident, their parents may have to go to court to receive access to records and obtain permission to act on their child’s behalf. This unfortunate situation can easily be avoided by completing a power of attorney.
Family Advisory
Credit Freezes
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In September of 2018, a new Federal law made credit freezes available for free. What is a credit freeze? How do I freeze my credit? How do I unfreeze my credit? While obtaining a credit freeze will not prevent all types of identity theft, it is a good step to protect your personal credit.
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Overview of Tax Law Changes (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017)
Congress recently passed a tax reform bill that will become law beginning January 1st, 2018. Major tax reform generally occurs every few decades, so this new bill will have an impact on all of us. As with any legislation, there is both good news and bad news as some people will be positively impacted, with others negatively impacted.
Common Titling Mistakes
Who should be named as the beneficiary of my retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s and IRAs? How should I title my car, bank accounts, and home? One of the often-neglected areas of financial planning is how to properly title assets to avoid the considerable cost and hassle of probate court should something happen to you or your spouse.
How to Prepare for a Health Care Event
Be sure to consider the items mentioned in this video when planning for emergency medical and financial decisions, as taking these proactive steps can help alleviate stress and confusion should you or your loved ones experience an unplanned health care event. This is a great resource to provide for those listed as your power of attorney for health care purposes.
Reviewing Your Estate Planning Documents
When was the last time you looked at your estate planning documents? If you are like most – you probably haven’t reviewed your estate planning documents since they were originally signed.
In this video, we provide an outline of your Will, Power of Attorney – Financial, Power of Attorney – Health Care (often called a living will), and Revocable Living Trust and the important provisions to review. These are the main estate planning documents that everyone should have. Also, depending on your situation, there could be additional planning items to consider. For example, if your child or grandchild has a disability, a special needs trust or special needs planning should be incorporated into your documents.
Identity Theft Recovery Plan
Identity theft continues to become a worsening problem. In this video, see the action items to take if your identity is compromised. Click the link to download HM Capital Management’s Identity Theft Recovery Plan Checklist.
How to Title a Home
Home titling is often a confusing and misunderstood topic. See how our team outlines important considerations that you may have overlooked. Below you can find a map that indicates states that allow for a beneficiary deed, the importance of which is described in more detail in the video above.
