We have eight major departments here at the Academy and this is the time of year that we all gear up for department retreats. Since many of us suffer from “shiny ball syndrome” (the uncontrollable urge to jump to the next great idea), we often spend a good deal of our retreat time brainstorming and […]

Credit cards and debit cards can be very useful and convenient tools. In fact, the vast majority of Americans have at least one credit card. Sometimes it can make sense to use cards with a trust. The simplest example is one most people don’t even think about. John and Mary have a revocable trust. John […]

NEWS FLASH: Ninety-three percent of emergency medicine physicians feel less frustrated in situations where advance directives are easily accessible, according to a recent survey. Ninety-three percent – that’s pretty close to all of them. Do we care whether ER docs are frustrated? Yes! Because we want our clients (and our families and ourselves) to have […]

“We recently came across this great blog from the group at Sandler Training and had to share with our group of subscribers! We are 100% Sandler fans and believers at the Academy and this short, insightful blog is an excellent example of why we believe so firmly in what they teach. If someone asked you, […]

This week I’m sharing a blog on Medicaid from Dave Zumpano, who focuses in Medicaid planning. I’ll be sharing Medicaid blogs from Dave Zumpano monthly in this space. Now, here’s Dave’s blog: Blog Author: David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center Recent statistics indicate […]

Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall. – Stephen CoveyWhen I was in fifth grade, I was excited but nervous to be selected as one of only a few students chosen to be a part of the school Safety Patrol. I remember […]

The start of a New Year is the perfect time to jump start an online marketing campaign to take your website to the next level. Virtually every law firm has a website now, so standing out from the crowd and separating your site from the pack has become more of a challenge than ever. This […]

There are very few changes for 2016. After years of uncertainty and a rollercoaster ride, we’ve reached stability. The exclusion changed a whopping 0.4%, from $5.43 million in 2015 to $5.45 million in 2016. That’s a change of only $20,000. Of course, the new exclusion is for estate and gift, as well as GST purposes. […]

In the world of deeds, there is one idea that consistently rings true: compliant deeds are paramount. Often times it is best to outsource the deed preparation process to a compliant third party when the attorney that prepared a trust for their client is not licensed in the state where the property needs to be […]

I’d like to take this opportunity to share something I’ve been dealing with recently. As we wrap up the year, I have learned a lesson – the hard way – about having an account hacked which I hope will be beneficial to all of you. I, like many of you, I’m sure, have a PayPal […]