Money Matters   

If you are just beginning your career or have been working for years, planning for your financial future is critical. This informative presentation will take a look at all of the factors involved in creating a solid financial plan. While there is no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” financial plan, this overview will assist you in thinking about your own needs and beginning a path toward financial success.

Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies and Living Wills: what are they and why are they important? What happens if you don't have a will? While not pleasant to think about, having a will and related documents can save your family from future difficulties. Understanding what to include, how to prepare and what the terms mean will make the process easier.

Whether you're one, five or more years from retirement...single, divorced, widowed or a couple...Social Security represents a key element of your financial plan. Understanding when and how to take your benefits will affect the maximum benefit you are entitled to and have a great impact on your overall retirement income strategy. To help baby boomers better understand the Social Security system, this course will cover:

• 5 factors to consider when deciding when to apply for benefits
• When it makes sense to delay benefits -- and when it does not
• Why you should always check your earnings record for accuracy How to estimate your benefits
• How to coordinate benefits with your spouse
• How to choose and maximize your survivor benefits
• How to minimize taxes on Social Security benefits
• How to coordinate Social Security with your other sources of retirement income
• Introduction to our proprietary Social Security Planning program which provides various claiming scenarios

Have you been named the executor of an estate? This course explains the legal authority and duties of an executor and describes filing for probate in the Surrogate's Court, locating beneficiaries, inventorying assets, paying debts, spousal rights, distributions under the will, and general administration, including for intestate (no will) estates. Learn about your responsibilities and commission, and avoiding pitfalls.

If you have not updated your estate plan to keep pace with changes to the estate tax laws, you may end up paying far more than necessary. Do you want to avoid estate taxes legally and prevent nursing home costs from depleting your family assets? Do you want to know what the current administration may do? Are you concerned about your estate being diverted to a child’s spouse? Do you want to minimize probate costs and delays for your heirs? In this workshop, attorney Neil Lubarsky will explain how to pass assets to children free of estate tax, protect your home and other assets from future nursing home costs, ensure that money intended for your children and grandchildren does not pass inadvertently to in-laws and others, and avoid problems from arising when your will is probated.