Estate Planning for the Newly Divorced


September 13, 2018
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  Divorce is a time of massive change.  Change in schedule, change in routine, change in living situation, change in dynamic, change in budget – you name it, it changes after a divorce.  Many divorcing couples do not understand, however, that divorce should also be accompanied by a change in estate plans.  (An estate plan […]

Tidbit #57 on Life Insurance


July 12, 2018
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I read a lot. I much prefer non-fiction over fiction though the other day, the (very) fictitious article entitled, “Whole Life Insurance vs. 529 College Savings Plans…Who Wins?”, got my interest as no other piece of fiction that I can recall. The author’s position (which I deduced from the title alone), is that whole life […]

Life Insurance as an Estate Planning Tool


August 3, 2017
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Life insurance is not something many people think of when it comes to estate planning. Let’s face it, it’s a boring product that people tend to think of when they are getting a mortgage! However, you may not realize that top professionals in estate planning work along with insurance pros to use life insurance as […]

Excluded Assets for Medical Assistance: Burial Space and Burial Space Items


December 10, 2015
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This article focuses on burial spaces, burial space items, and irrevocable insurance-funded burial agreements. There are various types of burial agreements, but only one type of burial agreement is discussed below because of the potential to exclude the entire amount for MA purposes if it is properly written. Medical Assistance (MA) is a means-tested program […]

Carrier Errors: The Importance of Life Insurance Policy Review


July 23, 2015
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In a previous post, I discussed the importance of having a life insurance policy analysis done on a regular basis. I was recently reminded of the importance of policy reviews when I received correspondence from a life insurance carrier whose policy expenses exceeded what was necessary to support the death benefit. Though the mistake was […]

After Hours with Bob Cohen


May 22, 2014
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Name: Bob Cohen Employer: Tamar Fink, Inc Position: Principal Location: Mpls, MN Education: B.S.B. Accounting – University of Minnesota How long have you been in your career field? I have been in the life insurance and charitable planning arena for over 27 years. What led you to work in this area? A personal experience with […]

What To Do & Ask When Seeking A Professional Advisor


March 19, 2013
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Anytime you are looking to hire a professional advisor (which for purposes of this article shall include, but is not limited to, a financial advisor, attorney, insurance agent, banker and/or accountant), you should do some preliminary homework to determine the type of person with whom you would like to work and prepare some questions to […]

The handy dandy super easy estate planning checklist


January 17, 2013
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Make this your new year’s resolution.  Or don’t.  Either way, these six things should give you peace of mind that your family and friends will not struggle through the probate process. 1. Make a list of your stuff Create a simple list of your assets with corresponding values – use a ballpark value if you don’t […]

Life Insurance – for Kids


November 14, 2012
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Let’s face it.  Needing to buy life insurance for your kids tops the list of Things No One Wants to Think About.  It’s difficult to look at the long-term and financial reasoning behind a topic which is full of emotion.  Parents often can’t address it and many life insurance agents don’t broach this awkward conversation.  […]