10 Steps to Take Now to Secure a Comfortable Retirement: Part 1
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

10 Steps to Take Now to Secure a Comfortable Retirement: Part 1

Retirement is more than just an end to the working years; it's an exciting new phase of life that requires thoughtful preparation and strategic planning. This Older Americans Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity to explore 5 practical steps you can take now to ensure a comfortable and fulfilling retirement…

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Estate Planning: A Gift of Peace and Power for Every Mother
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Estate Planning: A Gift of Peace and Power for Every Mother

Here’s a Mother's Day gift that keeps on giving: the peace of mind and power that comes with thoughtful estate planning. Estate planning helps you protect yourself, your children, and your financial stability so you’re prepared for anything. That’s the best gift a mom can get…

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Navigating the World of Cryptocurrency: A Guide for Parents and Teens
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Navigating the World of Cryptocurrency: A Guide for Parents and Teens

In an era where digital innovation shapes every aspect of our lives, it's no surprise that our teenagers are drawn to the allure of cryptocurrency. This digital form of money represents a shift away from traditional financial systems. If you’re the parent of teens, understanding cryptocurrency is crucial so you can provide them with the guidance they need to navigate this new world safely and wisely. I’m here to help you learn what you need to know…

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3 Simple Mistakes That Can Derail Your Estate Plan
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

3 Simple Mistakes That Can Derail Your Estate Plan

If you’re tempted to use a DIY estate planning service or have already created a plan you aren’t 100% confident in, be sure to read how these three simple mistakes can derail your estate plan and leave your family with an expensive mess…

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Creditors And Your Estate Plan
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Creditors And Your Estate Plan

What happens to your debt when you die? In some cases, you could inadvertently leave a reality in which your surviving heirs—your kids, parents, or others—are responsible for your debt. Alternatively, if you structure your affairs properly, your debt could die right along with you…

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Green Funerals: 6 Eco-Friendly Options For Your Remains
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Green Funerals: 6 Eco-Friendly Options For Your Remains

The environmental costs of death are significant and constantly rising. With 8 billion people on the planet right now—all of whom have bodies that die and must be disposed of—we need to start seriously considering alternatives to traditional options for burial and cremation. Fortunately, more and more “green” options are being developed to reduce these costs, and this article looks at some of the latest innovations…

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4 Essential Strategies For Protecting Your Family’s Assets
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

4 Essential Strategies For Protecting Your Family’s Assets

You might think that only the super wealthy need to worry about asset protection planning. But the truth is that if you don’t have millions, you may be at even greater risk. For instance, if you’re a multi-millionaire, a $50,000 judgment against you might not be that big of a deal. But for a family with a modest income, savings, and home, it could be devastating…

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Protect Your Children’s Inheritance With A Lifetime Asset Protection Trust
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Protect Your Children’s Inheritance With A Lifetime Asset Protection Trust

As a parent, you’re likely hoping to leave your children an inheritance. In fact, doing so may be one of the primary factors motivating your life’s work. But without taking the proper precautions, the wealth you pass on is at serious risk of being accidentally lost or squandered due to common life events, such as divorce, serious debt, devastating illness, and unfortunate accidents…

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Updating Your Estate Plan For Divorce: 5 Changes to Make
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Updating Your Estate Plan For Divorce: 5 Changes to Make

Even if the process is amicable, divorce can be one of life's most stressful events. With so many major changes taking place, it’s easy to forget to update your estate plan—or simply put it off until it's too late. After all, dealing with yet another lawyer is probably the last thing you want to do…

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New Year Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up to Date?
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

New Year Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up to Date?

Even if you put a solid customized estate plan in place, it can turn out to be worthless for the people you love if it’s not regularly updated. Estate planning is not a one-and-done type of deal—your plan should continuously evolve along with your life circumstances and other changing conditions, such as your assets and the law.

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Think You Are Too Young to Need an Estate Plan? Think Again
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Think You Are Too Young to Need an Estate Plan? Think Again

The pandemic has caused Americans to change their behavior in a variety of ways, and one of the most positive of these changes is related to estate planning. For the first time since the study’s inception, Caring.com’s 2021 Wills and Estate Planning Study found that young adults are now more likely to have an estate plan than middle-aged adults.

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Managing Your Digital Afterlife: A Guide to Facebook’s Legacy Contact
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Managing Your Digital Afterlife: A Guide to Facebook’s Legacy Contact

If you use Facebook to share, track, and report on important life events, you know that it can provide an intimate snapshot of your life. It can also serve as a key part of your legacy – one you’ll likely want to preserve and protect following your death. With this in mind, as with any other digital asset you own, you should include your Facebook profile as part of your estate plan.

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Getting Legal Documents Signed During COVID
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Getting Legal Documents Signed During COVID

It’s not as if we don’t understand that we will all die (or become incapacitated) one day, but within our current reality, that “one day” has become an ever more real possibility. And one way to feel more in control over what’s happening out there is to make sure we all have our legal affairs in order. That way, if “one day” happens sooner than later, our families aren’t left with a big mess to clean up while they are grieving.

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Legal Rights of Grandparents: In Honor of National Grandparents Day
Karen Ahrens Karen Ahrens

Legal Rights of Grandparents: In Honor of National Grandparents Day

When all is ideal in a family, the bond between grandparent and child is a special one. Maybe you’ve even heard that grandparenting is the grand reward for parenting. But what happens when the grandparent becomes the parent? Or when parents divorce, or one parent dies and a grandparents’ visitation rights are taken away?

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