Steve will teach a Continuing Education Class – “Financial, Insurance & Accounting Opportunities in Estate Planning” on Wednesday, November 6,2013 at 8am at The Biltmore Building to Financial & Insurance Professionals & Accountants. The class will focus on opportunities to create business through Estate Planning for these Professional Advisors. The Class is approved for one... [Read More]
Category: Probate
The Death of Adrian Peterson’s Son Prioritizes Everything
The murder of the 2 year old son of Adrian Peterson puts things in perspective. The trivial things his family members may have worried about before the tragedy dissolve into meaninglessness. What are the most important things in your life? Who are the most important people in your life? What are you doing to take... [Read More]
Technology Without Wisdom is Wasted
Billionaire Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys football team, was ridiculed for using a “flip-phone” on Monday. It obviously has not held him back from being a successful oil businessman or successful owner of possibly the most valuable NFL Team. There is some tendency to think that the most recent technology is more important... [Read More]
One cannot know Joy or Serenity without the Gift of Loss
We seek to avoid all of the pain of life for ourselves and loved ones. However Pain & Loss are where we really learn. It is where we gather Wisdom that we can later use to help ourselves and others. We don’t want to intentionally hurt ourselves or our loved ones unnecessarily because Life will... [Read More]
Gratitude Offsets Anger and Fear
One cannot be in both Gratitude and also in Anger or Fear at the same time. If we are in gratitude we are in polar opposite of, and unable to be in, Anger or Fear. Anger locks us down wherein we are unable to move forward. Fear of the future also keeps us from moving... [Read More]
How Am I Doing?
“How Am I Doing?” is a great way to evaluate how you are progressing in different areas of your life. It was a favorite question inviting evaluation from former NYC Mayor Ed Koch. “How am I doing in my Estate Plan?”, is a great way to consider is your Estate Plan up to date with... [Read More]
Diana Nyad Uses Prior Challenges to Reach Goal
64 year old Diana Nyad used her prior challenge of being stung in the face by jellyfish to use a special swim mask to protect her during her historic swim from Cuba to the U.S. She hadn’t “Tried & Failed”, she had “Tried & Learned” from her previous challenge of trying the open water swim.... [Read More]
Yosemite Wildfires: Are We Safe?
Whether the Danger is natural like a Fire, or manmade like a Lawsuit, we want to make sure we, and those we love and what we own, are protected when danger strikes. With the wildfires racing through Yosemite National Park we think about what if those fires were burning up our home? Or what if... [Read More]
North Carolina Repeals The State’s Estate Tax
The North Carolina Legislature repealed the State’s Estate Tax in July 2013 making the repeal retroactive to deaths on January 1, 2013 or later. The North Carolina State Tax was tied to the Federal Estate Tax. In other words if you did not hit or trigger the Federal Estate Tax you did not trigger any... [Read More]
My Recent Automobile Collision Reminds Me of the “Fragility of Life”
Last Friday morning while I was heading on my way to a meeting for a Charitable Board a man ran a stop sign and rammed into the right back side of my car. He was accelerating when his car rammed into me. He told me that he never saw me, that he was lost, that... [Read More]