Over 70% of Americans do not have their estate plans properly set up.

by Senior Scene | Apr 1, 2025 | Featured Article (04), Financial Advice, General Interest, Legal, Magazine

Over 70% of Americans do not have their estate plans properly set up.By: Max Valavanis, CFP® Over 70% of Americans do not have their estate plans properly set up. These are the documents that dictate what happens to you and your possessions when you pass away or...

When is probate the better way to settle an Estate?

by Senior Scene | Mar 1, 2025 | Financial Advice, General Interest, Legal, Magazine, Top Story (C)

When is probate the better way to settle an Estate? By Attorney Truman Scarborough Probate is required when property is titled just in the decedent’s name without any beneficiaries. A will by itself does not transfer property to the heirs. Probate is needed to access...

How Confident are you in Retirement?

by Senior Scene | Mar 1, 2025 | Featured Article (04), Financial Advice, General Interest, Legal, Magazine

How Confident are you in Retirement?By: Max Valavanis, CFP® Retirement planning is trickier than ever. Some refer to planning for retirement as creating a map to navigate through this “adventure”. While this metaphor has its uses, a map can be misleading or outdated....

Can adding children’s names to property create problems?

by Senior Scene | Jan 31, 2025 | Featured Article (04), Financial Advice, General Interest, Legal, Magazine

Can adding children’s names to property create problems?By Attorney Truman Scarborough In the last article, we looked at what should be considered before making out right gifts to children. Problems can also be encountered when children are made co-owners of property...

Safety and Growth – On the Same Dollar

by Senior Scene | Jan 31, 2025 | Financial Advice, General Interest, Legal, Magazine, Top Story (C)

Max ValaVanis, CFPⓇ In my years helping retirees plan their finances, I am consistently faced with this priority decision: where can we achieve strong returns while minimizing risk? As any Financial Advisor can attest, this is a common question. Unfortunately, many...

What needs to be considered before making lifetime gifts?

by Senior Scene | Dec 31, 2024 | Featured Article (04), Financial Advice, General Interest, Legal, Magazine

What needs to be considered before making lifetime gifts? By Attorney Truman Scarborough A full description of estate planning would include the accumulation, preservation, and gifting of property.  While most of our lives are devoted to the acquisition and...