Can we talk?  By that, I mean that what I am about to say may hurt your feelings. It may also save your future.    The topic is student loans. You may be thinking about guaranteeing a student loan or taking out a loan in your own name to pay for college for your child or grandchild.   Don’t do it.    Student Loans Are Business Arrangements  A loan is a business arrangement. The lender gives you...

One day soon your kids will call to tell you that they want to come over to your place just to visit.   Don’t you believe it. That call is the opening salvo in a carefully coordinated campaign.    Yes, your children are descending upon your home for “The Talk.” It wasn’t something that came to them through divine inspiration; no, they’ve heard a podcast, read an article, or watched a show about...

I Need Your Help  I am nearing completion of my book — well, ok, just the first draft — that compiles a lot of my columns and adds commentary and helpful hints. The issue I am having is the opening line. The subject matter of estate planning, wills, trusts, probate and guardianship just doesn’t lend itself to something catchy.   Here are some of the lines I have come up with, but — and maybe it’s just me — they all seem a little off.  “Call me Virginia.”  “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family springs from a lack of...