I’m so grateful Angela invited me to be a guest on the Life Planning 101 podcast. In this week’s episode, we talked about how technology — which makes our daily lives easier — has the potential to make things incredibly challenging for our loved ones, should something ever happen to us. One of the topics…
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That is the million-dollar question…no pun intended. It sounds like a lot – and it is – but well, it’s not. It is exciting when that life event you’ve been anticipating finally occurs: retirement or selling your ranch or business. It is especially exciting when there is a seven-figure check involved. However, it is important…
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The August 2008 Money Magazine offered up an article of several successful individuals talking about the smartest financial advice they have ever received. Billionaire and CEO of Virgin records, Richard Branson shared a story about his lack of knowledge in the financial realm and being humble about what you don’t know. Have you ever noticed…
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Money is tight for many families today. Just a couple of years ago, most Americans felt pretty good. We had higher than ever real wages, the government was pumping money into the economy, and prices were cheap. Today these are mere memories: Families are being squeezed by both inflation and the government pulling money out…
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Have you ever been through the process of probating an estate? If so, you probably have a story or two you could share about it. If you haven’t, you may want to say a prayer that you won’t have to. We have always said that Texas is a friendly place to die. While this is…
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Actually, that was in the month of November. We couldn’t quite squeeze it into the Life Planning 101 podcast schedule, but that doesn’t mean it is any less important. We have a pandemic in this nation and for once, I am not talking about COVID. This Pandemic is the escalating need for long-term healthcare and…
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‘Tis the time of year to be thankful, but let’s face it, that isn’t always easy. Our nation – and the entire world actually – has had a pretty rough go of things over the past few years. COVID uprooted and changed our lives almost overnight. Many of us lost loved ones, friends, and neighbors.…
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Anne Heche is yet another celebrity to die without a Will. When I read this fact, my heart sunk. Of course, I don’t know Anne Heche personally, but I do know what dying without a Will could possibly mean for her family—stress, chaos, conflict and quarrels, and interruptions to daily life for her family in…
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If you’re taking the time to read this, odds are you’re the planner in the family. You take care of most of the financial duties for your family, and your spouse looks to you for the final say on these matters. If that is a fairly accurate portrayal, it is important that you continue reading…
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I recently read an article offering a few statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and one in particular caught my eye: Did you know that the average age of a farm operator in the U.S. is 57.5 years old?!1 At age 57, every farmer or rancher should be considering – or have already considered –…
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