Let’s help you worry less.

Common FAQ

How can I best pass things down in a smart way?

A lot of people are into estate hoping—I hope I have things in order. I hope I have the right documents. I hope I have the right vehicles in place to make things easy for my kids. Estate hoping can be a recipe for trouble if you don’t have things organized in certain ways, or updated as laws change. Working with a team of people like ours is a great way to know that things are planned and not hoped into existence. Learn more. >

I want to send my kids /grandkids to college or possibly start a business. What is a great way to gather funds that won't be lost if they choose not to go to college? 

529 funds are handy, but if they come with a list of stipulations and IRS requirements. If your kids want to use the funds to start a business or travel, sure, you can roll over some into a ROTH, but that isn’t ideal. According to current tax law this is also limited to $35,000— what if you want to save more than that?

Cath Shaw Insure tackles this for parents and grandparents almost every week. There are some great vehicles that allow you to save tens of thousands towards any number of pursuits for little ones. What’s even better is that if they keep the policy in place, they can borrow from it for their entire life-time, with the compounded interest earnings available for your offspring, tax-free.

I will retire eventually. How can I add funds, tax-free, to my monthly retirement income?

Similar to the vehicle described above for students and little ones, there are vehicles that will allow people like yourself that are beyond college age to grow retirement funds tax free. What’s cool is that once things are set up, the interest earned, compounded, is also tax free.

What will I do with the mortgage and other bills if my husband/wife dies? 

Surviving spouse planning is a key part of estate planning. When one of a couple dies, the remaining spouse has a double whammy financially: 1. One less dependent to claim, so taxes go up, and 2. Income reduced because of one less social security payment rolling in each month. Ugh. This can be a mess if you are paying a mortgage or funding kid’s efforts, or any number of regular, monthly expenses. This is where mortgage insurance can really help. It won’t take the grief of losing a loved one away, but it sure will address the sting of sorting out financial woes as a surviving spouse.

Married and wondering how to navigate this? We can help.

I’ve delayed for years. Isn’t it too late?

The short answer is no. Nope, you are not too late to the party. We are used to folks that have delayed for months, years, or even decades. Our team welcomes you and guides you one step at a time, so you can keep on enjoying your full and rich life. Rest assured that the process we use is designed for procrastinators.

What’s the point of insuring little kids?

Think back to the floods in Texas and the little kids that got swept away, tragically. Now, imagine those parents returning to work just a week or so later because bills were beckoning. Life insurance is for the people left behind to cope with financial worry. Certainly, the grief of those parents wouldn’t be erased. The financial stress would be addressed though, which can be a blessing.

We went through probate for my mom and it was no big deal. Why do I need to sort things to avoid probate for me?

Probate is something that goes well—until it doesn’t. Like divorce, some probate cases are cut and dry and others are fraught with issues and delays. From the hundreds of people we’ve helped, their probate experiences lead them to seek other avenues.

Believe it or not, the probate guide here in Hamilton County is 80 pages long—not a hop and skip of activities and waiting periods to accommodate and manage. Also the entire process and all records of assets are public. If you are a private person, this may not the best thing if you want to keep your estate matters private, among family.

Our team can address this. It is easy, cost-efficient, and guides you through a way to avoid probate for your heirs, step by step. Contact us if you’d like to set up an appointment.

I'm sick of the market downturns taking my money away. Is there a way I can protect my money safely heading into retirement?

Some of us remember 2009, with the years it took to be made whole again after considerable market losses. The folks retiring that year had a setback that was unwelcome. How to retire then with up to 40% less than they had expected to retire on? There is a way to safely and securely avoid this. It is a key part of estate planning. The first step is to figure out what you need specifically and tailor a solution to meet your needs.

What are the key aspects of estate planning?

We think about estate planning in three parts:

1. Legal documentation. It is important to get covered legally with documents that make sense for you and your family. Make sure you work with a team that customizes them accordingly. We also recommend working with real, live specialists, rather than an online .com solution. No sense saving and sorting your whole life, then cutting corners and getting documents that aren’t a good fit for you.

2. Health and insurance. My mom used to say, “You have nothing if you don’t have your health in order.” Some of us aren’t so lucky to have good health. Some of us have things run in our family and need to plan for that. Prepare for the worst and live your best life knowing you’re covered. We can figure out what to put into place to make sure you have coverage needed.

3. Financial distribution. Funds for no matter how long you live. Funds for times when your health is declining. Funds held in safe, time-tested ways that let you breathe easy, no matter what the stock market does.

Ready to get started? Let us know, and we will be happy to meet with you at our offices or via Zoom.

How can I invest in a way to have monthly income that never goes away for the rest of my life?

There are vehicles that exist to provide lifetime income, no matter how long you live. If you have longevity in your family, this is a key factor for estate planning. If you live until 96 or 106, there will be a check coming in, beyond social security, every month. Book an appointment to see how this works.

How can I invest in a way to have years of in-home or care facility care, if I need it, and if I don’t, the money grows for other uses?

There are many ways to solve this problem. It depends on your age, health, and a number of other parameters. The good news is that this is a solvable question. Our team is affiliated with a number of very savvy and experienced folks that love challenges. They’ve spent years solving even the trickiest of cases, so don’t despair. Help is on the way!

Still have questions?

We answer them every day. Book an appointment at our offices, and we will get you sorted. We look forward to meeting you!