Category: estate planning

The senior income crisis, protecting your income and investments into retirement – Part 2

By Rick Law, Elder Law Attorney in Aurora, IL Just how much has the economic landscape changed? We and probably you, too, have lived long enough to see the United States evolve from the world’s greatest creditor nation to the biggest debtor nation in world history. Perhaps even more shocking to both baby boomers and […]

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The retirement, investment, and income crisis many seniors face – Part 1

By Rick Law, Elder Care Attorney in Illinois. Yesterday’s investment rules and outcomes don’t apply in today’s retirement landscape. In light of the current economic earthquake, many people are shell-shocked and immobilized by fear. To quote a client: “We’ve got an income crisis. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We played by the rules. […]

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Utilizing an experienced estate planner to survive the current “economic earthquake”, Part 2

by Rick Law, Senior Estate Planner and Elder Law Attorney in Western Chicagoland. Yesterday we talked about two of the important functions a trusted Elder Law attorney can do for you as you age. If you’ll recall, the first two benefits we provide were: 1.) Safety – because it’s too hard to get back what […]

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Surviving the “Economic Earthquake”: Why you need a Trusted Legal Advisor & Estate Planner

We all know that we need to plan for our future.  Hindsight is always 20/20, and matters of money are no different.  So, what CAN an experienced Elder Care advisor and estate planner do for you? In my experience, an experienced Elder Law attorney provides 4 valuable benefits: 1.) Safety – Because it’s too hard […]

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Avoiding The Potholes Of Retirement – Investment Risk And Rate Of Withdrawal.

Let’s face facts… Most people do not understand the investments that they have chosen. Since they don’t understand the investments, it is not surprising that they do not have realistic expectations of the performance of their investments. One of my favorite books about retirement planning is: “High Expectations and False Dreams: One Hundred Years of […]

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There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills! Retirement Investing & Commodities for Seniors

I am a nonstop student of investing and investments. Almost every day I read both the Wall Street Journal and Investor’s Business Daily. I’m also a fan of Porter Stansberry, Dr. Steven Sjuggerud, Dr. David Eifrig Jr. and their investment newsletters. I regularly check the interplay of various currencies compared to the U.S. dollar. It […]

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Dodging the Wrecking Ball | by Rick Law, Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney

As an elder law attorney, my clients are hard-working people who fought in our wars, worked in our factories, and sent their kids to college.  They are honest people who always lived frugally.  They paid off their homes and cars and now they live on two Social Security checks and sometimes a very modest pension.  […]

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When Dementia Hits the Pocketbook

After a long hiatus, we’re back to posting regularly on our blog!  We’ve been very busy over the past  year and can’t wait to share what we’ve been doing with our readers; but first, we want to share some important information about an issue that affects many of the clients who come into our office, […]

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Elder Law vs. Traditional Estate Planning

Recently, at two different MCLE (continuing legal education) presentations, I spoke on the “Elder Law Essentials.”  The goal of the presentation was to distinguish the solutions of elder law vs. the solutions underlying traditional estate planning. I was originally trained as a tax attorney, and my principal estate planning solutions were motivated by the client’s […]

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Pigs Fly, Cubs Win, No Estate Tax

Right now estate planning lawyers look like ants after the anthill has been kicked over.  We are frantically scurrying in a blind search for answers to The Big Question:  What are the estate planning rules now? For years, Congress has known that the current rules would fall off a legal cliff on January 1, 2010.  […]

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Our Reviews

“Everyone in the office was absolutely wonderful to work with whether on the initial set-up of the trust, adjustment to such following my father’s passing, or processing of his home sale and proceeds.

They genuinely care for your family’s well-being and walk you through each step of the process. They are also exceptionally responsive even when parties involved live in different locations.

This is a definitely a team you can trust and one I highly recommend.”

W.W., Client of Law Hesselbaum