The Carmel Valley Life | Author Archives

Google Maps Now Goes INSIDE Businesses

For nearly 5 years, many of us have been using a very helpful feature of Google Maps to find our way around town. Launched in 2007, ‘Street View’ transformed the map as we knew it by virtually placing Google users in front of the address or business they were ‘Googling’. With this technology, users could […]

December 18, 2012 / No Comment / Read More

Working Toward Your Financial Goals

September 5, 2012 No Comment

When it comes to setting financial goals and figuring out how you’re going to reach them you can’t leave it to chance. By definition, a goal has a deadline, and in order to reach it you need a strategy—you have to do certain things, in a certain order, by a certain date. Whether your goal […]

Coping with your Inheritance

August 29, 2012 1 Comment

What would you do if a five- or six-figure check showed up one day? You might want to give that question some serious thought because, for some families, it could happen. No, it’s not the lottery, a federal stimulus payment or the result of your ability to pick hot stocks on Wall Street. It might […]

Marriage the Second Time Around!

July 25, 2012 No Comment

Sometimes life gives us another chance… a “do over.” We’re hopeful and with good reason. We’re also aware that a second marriage is a bit more complicated than the first time we tied the knot. When two families join together, it’s not always like the Brady Bunch. Remarriage creates instant extended-family responsibilities that can affect […]

We just had a baby!

July 13, 2012 No Comment

Children! There is nothing like them. They can be our sweetest blessing, as well as our most challenging frustration. But most of all, they are our greatest responsibility, our most important commitment. Raising children is not easy. Most parents would agree that it’s the most expensive, lowest paid hard work there is. Whether you are […]

Succession: If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail

June 26, 2012 No Comment

Succession Planning for the Family Business is Critical, But Not Always Easy The family business – the bedrock of the American economy – rarely survives the transition from one generation to another. Possible reasons are many, yet any working list will reflect an underlying problem: dealing with transition issues often leads to a plethora of […]

Thinking Ahead for Special Needs Care

June 12, 2012 No Comment

Special needs planning For the family of a child with special needs, it is necessary to implement a comprehensive estate plan because there will be several unique circumstances along with many decisions that may affect that child’s quality of life. Whether a family has substantial means or few assets, a child or adult with special […]

Social Security & An Uncertain Future

May 31, 2012 No Comment

This is a time of great change and economic uncertainty in America. With the stock market taking us on a loop-deloop rollercoaster ride, two polar opposite economic philosophies fighting it out in the Halls of Congress, and the passage of huge, high-impact healthcare legislation with consequences that will not be understood clearly for years, the […]

Go-it-alone Retirement Management Can Be Risky Business!

May 4, 2012 No Comment

Dick couldn’t wait to retire. He studied his projected retirement benefits from his 401(k) plan, ran a couple of “what-if” scenarios on what he could count on from other assets, and checked with Social Security to determine what he could expect in terms of his monthly check. He and his wife put their house in […]

Paying for College

April 9, 2012 No Comment

Paying College Expenses for Your Grandchild? Here are some important things you should know. Grandparents have been helping their grandchildren obtain a college education for decades. There are numerous ways in which that can be achieved. The following are a few things grandparents in the Carmel Valley community should keep in mind as they contemplate […]

For Better, For Worse: Communicating About Retirement

March 29, 2012 No Comment

A recent survey suggests that many couples are not communicating clearly about retirement goals and strategies, even as they approach retirement age. The couples surveyed were at least 46 years old with a minimum annual household income of $75,000 or at least $100,000 in investable assets.1 Only 41% said they handle decisions on retirement savings […]

Local Community Service Club Volunteers at Muscle Walk

March 12, 2012 No Comment

Torrey Pines High School Key Club has been volunteering all over San Diego throughout the year. As the biggest Carmel Valley community service club at Torrey Pines High School, the Key Club never fails to gather groups of eager and dedicated high school students to help the community out in a variety of ways. Every week, […]