Home
>
Wealth Building
>
Building Blocks of a Financial Foundation

Building Blocks of a Financial Foundation

You can't build a house from the roof down, and you can't build a financial fortune from the roof down either. You have to build a foundation first.

The basic foundation of wealth consists of four legal tools. If you understand the tools and know how to use them, your chances of building a financial fortune are much better. If you don't have the basic foundation, it is time to get your act together. If your parents don't have their foundation in place, it's worth every effort you make and every dime you spend getting the foundation in place for them. Here's a basic overview of the four tools:

Testamentary Will

Everyone needs a will. Even if you have a revocable trust, you need a will. The will names the personal representative (the executor or executrix). A family member, who is geographically near the bulk of your estate, has good business sense, and can be fair with your heirs, is the person you are looking for. It is basically malpractice for the attorney to name himself or herself as the personal representative.

The will names the guardian for your minor children. If you have minor children or grandchildren, you had better see to it immediately that a guardian is named in the parent's will. The will should put restrictions on the guardians. Most wills simply state, "John and Mary guardians to my minor children." You can do better than that. Coach the judge in your will. It should read, "John and Mary; provided they raise the children in our family home where the children are living at the time of my death." "John and Mary; provided they are still happily married and harmoniously living together." "Grandma and grandpa; provided they have the health to take care of the kids." "Grandma and Grandpa; provided they don't sell the kids." You get the picture.

If you already have a will and don't have a living trust, you will have to get a new will which goes along with your living trust. It is called a "pour over will," because it "pours" all of your property, not already in the trust, into the trust for ultimate distribution after your death. The living trust is the next part of the foundation.

Revocable Living Trust

The living trust allows an estate to avoid probate, get twice the estate tax exclusion, and provide for a smooth transfer of property. It is definitely worth having for most families. Yes, there is a big argument in the legal profession between the standard will/probate guys and the living trust "hawkers." I come down in favor of the living trust, but I think it is your decision. Frank Sinatra was called the "Chairman of the Board," and he knew how to handle money. His living trust provided his estate with total privacy, much to the media's chagrin.

Many living trusts out there do not do what they are supposed to. The problem usually rests with the lawyer and user of the trust, not with the trust itself. The trust has to be maintained, and it has to "own" all of your estate. It isn't hard to manage, but the lawyer never takes the time to teach you how to do the management, and you can't afford to pay the lawyer to do it for you. As a result, a majority of people who get a living trust don't get the benefits they were promised. The living trust will "overlap" with a durable power of attorney.

Durable Power of Attorney

Durable powers of attorney allow an individual to control the property of a person who is unable to control their own property. People of all ages, not just old people, fall victim to accident or illness and are rendered unable to control their business life. A good living trust will have a provision that automatically lets a successor trustee manage trust property if you, acting as the original trustee, become incompetent. The durable power of attorney lets the person of your choice manage all of your other business affairs when you can't do it. Power doesn't transfer from you until the criteria outlined in the document are met, then there is an automatic transfer of power. This prevents messy court proceedings that are required to name a guardian/conservator for an incompetent individual.

The emotional and financial drain of a court proceeding when a family member has an accident of gets sick is the last thing the family needs at that time. The durable power of attorney prevents all of the legal problems at a time of crisis in the family, when a family member becomes incompetent.

Many powers of attorney include a section which addresses an individual's instructions and desires for their health care. This is a durable power of attorney for health care, which appoints an "agent" and grants them power to interface with the medical industry. The durable power of attorney for health care can be part of the document entitled durable power of attorney or it can be a separate document. It deals only with the medical treatment, not the right to die, which is addressed in a living will.

Living Will

A living will directs the doctors to keep you alive or pull the plug. You need one and so does the rest of your family. The best place to get one is in your hospital. Hospitals give them away free, and the hospitals like to see their own document rather than the 30 page beautiful, very expensive document you get from your lawyer.

These four legal documents form the basic foundation for all wealthy people. They are always there. They are what I call the "basic tools of wealth." Use them, and it will be worth every effort you make and every dime you spend.

Attorney Lee R. Phillips is a nationally recognized expert in the field of finance, asset protection, and asset protection. Lee is licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court and also holds licenses in insurance and securities. Lee is an engaging, dynamic speaker and has spoken to over a half million people throughout the United States, Canada and the Pacific Rim helping them understand the law and how to use it to their benefit.

His goal is to reposition you in the law so you can actually use the law to make more money, and keep it! His ability to present critical information in a clear manner has made him a highly sought after guest on hundreds of radio and television shows.

His specialty is in creating easy to understand, do-it-yourself legal systems. For more information, visit asset protection.

car service from Midway Burlington .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a malware app called SpyLend is posing as a financial tool, hitting 100,000-plus downloads.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Clone Robotics’ Protoclone mimics humans with 1,000 muscles – too human for comfort.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson urges you to use Apple’s App Privacy Report to see what your apps are really up to.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how to smoothly transfer your data from an old laptop to a new one using cloud storage or external drives.

Kurt the CyberGuy offers tips to safeguard your personal information as scammers become more sophisticated with scam texts and other methods.

WeRide's unmanned electric delivery van, the Robovan W5, has 194 cubic feet of cargo space and can carry payloads up to about 2,205 pounds

Kurt the CyberGuy recommends deleting 16 browser extensions immediately in response to a report saying more than 3.2 million web users were affected by a security breach.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A robotics firm in China claims a robot has performed the world's first humanoid robot front flip, which is significantly more difficult than a backflip.

A digital ID may be even more secure than a physical ID. Storing your driver's license in your Apple Wallet is an ideal solution for commuters.

A cybersecurity firm has shed some light on just how common tax scams have become. Kurt the CyberGuy offers his advice for how to protect your refund.

Lifesize Plans offers immersive walk-throughs that allow customers the opportunity to tour a home's design before construction actually begins.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A man invested $4 million in bitcoin and lost it all with a single click when he was targeted by a vishing scam, which uses phone calls to trick people.

Expandable's Touchdown is a designer trailer that promises a luxury off-grid living experience and unfolds into a home in about 15 minutes.

Major employee screening company data breach affects 3.3 million people. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what happened and gives five ways to protect your data.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals mind-blowing tech that gives you sunlight on demand.

New malware "FrigidStealer" targets Mac computers. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers four ways to stay safe from infostealer malware.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how lab-grown muscles power a biohybrid hand for scalable prosthetics and research.

Reports of task scams have significantly risen in the past four years, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Kurt the CyberGuy offers some red flags.

iPhones have a hidden folder that eats up storage without you knowing it. Kurt the CyberGuy offers some tricks to free up storage on your device.

A recent ransomeware attack targeted Zacks, an American investment firm, and a cybercriminal claimed to have stolen records for millions of customers.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Researchers unveiled a new soft prosthetic hand that combines the natural coordination patterns of our fingers with the decoding of motoneuron activity in the spinal column.

Accidentally deleting a text message on your iPhone or iPad is not a problem if you still need the message. Apple has a built-in way to recover it.

Building Blocks of a Financial Foundation

Wealth Building