Who Gets the Family Jewels?
Several years ago, a long time client of mine passed away and left everything to the step mother of his children. The son, who is also a client of mine, spent many conversations with me detailing his thoughts with regard to how the estate was distributed. The children were not near as concerned about the […]
Remembering our Heroes
Last year when visiting Pearl Harbor, my wife, Jennifer and I were impressed with all that transpired during the war in the Pacific. The visit instilled us with a sense of patriotism that is sometimes hard to come by in these times. We enjoy looking at historical monuments and documents that have been untainted by […]
What Makes Moms So Special?
“Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.” — Barbara Kingsolver When you think “Mom,” it’s likely your brain conjures up a scent or a story or a song that feels like home. For me it reminds me of the early summer scents that my mother and wife love so much. Every May […]
Family Finances When Dad’s Losing His Grip
I recently wrote this article for Money Magazine. Follow this link to view it. The unedited version is below: Just the other day, the daughter of a client of mine told me that she did not expect her father to last much longer. I had known that her father’s health had deteriorated somewhat, but he still […]
Secrecy or Transparency? – That is the Question
In reading through Trusts and Estates Magazine online, I came across two sets of opinions regarding what parents should tell their adult children with regards to family finances and estate plans. With our young children, we have not had these conversations yet but plan to do so after they start learning how to manage their […]
Something we can learn from the French
Each year when our anniversary rolls around, I’m typically looking for something new to surprise Jennifer with. We both love to travel, so this usually involves a trip of some type. We usually go somewhere warm to scuba dive or somewhere cooler for good snow skiing. Napa was the choice this year because we won […]
Financially Independent Children in the Age of Entitlement
“Father Merchant, Son Gentleman, Grandson Beggar” – Spanish Saying A few years ago, meeting with new potential clients who were considering retirement, it became clear that the biggest hurdle that stood in the way of a successful future was the continued dependency of their adult children. Even though the children were well into their forties, […]
The Night Before Christmas
Every year with the kids, the night before Christmas brings new joys, challenges and memories. This is the one night of the year when we do not have trouble getting the kids to bed. We watch Santa delivering presents on the computer via the “NORAD Santa Tracker” waiting for him get close to Chattanooga. When […]
Do Yourself a Favor on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. Not just because I’m surrounded by spectacular cooks who create some of my favorite dishes or round the clock football games. It is also the time of the year where we take time to say thank you and think of all that we have to […]
The Charitable Spirit – Not Just for the Holidays
A lot has changed in the past few years. Angry Birds became a national pastime. Tennessee fans are starting to fill football stadiums once again . China surpassed the United States to become the world’s largest economy. Innovative technologies disrupted whole industries. One thing hasn’t changed, though, and that is Americans’ generosity, especially when it comes […]