Podcasts about Probate

Planning for the future isn't only about who gets your belongings—it's also about protecting your wishes, your family and your ability to make important decisions before a crisis occurs.Wendy Jones sits down with elder law attorney Mike Rutkowski of Rutkowski Law Firm to simplify the essentials of estate planning. They discuss:• The key differences between a will and a trust • Why a will does not automatically avoid probate • Medical and financial powers of attorney • Choosing the right person to act on your behalf • How planning ahead can reduce family conflict • Why estate plans should be reviewed regularly • What to look for when choosing an elder law attorney • The importance of faith, prayer and trusted guidance during difficult decisionsWhether you're planning for yourself or helping an aging parent, this conversation offers practical steps to protect the people you love and make the road ahead a little less overwhelming.Connect with Rutkowski Law Firm: 248-792-9193About Next Steps 4 Seniors: Conversations on AgingConversations on Aging brings together trusted experts, practical resources, and meaningful conversations to help seniors and their families navigate aging with greater confidence.Need help finding the right senior living or care options? Next Steps 4 Seniors provides personalized guidance and support to families at no cost.

Are you prepared for the unexpected? Unfortunately, many of us put off thinking about our mortality until it's too late. But what if you could take control of your family's future and ensure that your loved ones are protected? This episode of Love, Death and Money explores the importance of end of life planning and how it can save your family from a world of financial and emotional stress. In this episode, Attorney Naz Barouti shares his expertise on the consequences of not having an end of life plan. She explains how the state of California has a plan for those who don't, and it's not a good one. Probate court is a lengthy and expensive process that can leave your family with a huge financial burden. Attorney Barouti also discusses the importance of having a trust, will, and financial and medical power of attorney in place. He shares a personal story about a client who was paralyzed from the waist down and had to make difficult decisions about her healthcare, highlighting the importance of having a clear plan in place. Attorney Barouti also talks about the importance of long-term care planning, particularly for those who may need assistance with daily living activities. He welcomes guest Tina Barouti, founder of New Capital Insurance Solutions, who shares her expertise on long-term care insurance and how it can help alleviate the financial burden on families. If you're putting off thinking about your end of life plan, this episode is a must-listen. Attorney Barouti offers practical advice and insights on how to protect your family's future and avoid the pitfalls of probate court. Don't wait until it's too late – tune in to learn more about the importance of end of life planning and how it can make a difference for you and your loved ones. To get started on creating your end of life plan, visit Attorney Barouti's website at Baroutilaw.com or give his office a call at 444-659-003.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Probate Weekly, Bill Gross talks with Rob Silverman, an estate planning and probate attorney in Walnut Creek, California, about the proactive steps executors, administrators, and agents should take before a probate property ever hits the market.

In this episode, Randall speaks with Oreoluwa "Dupe" Oloyede about her legendary Spring Semester at Florida A&M. She speaks about her viral Delta Sigma Theta propate performance, performing at the Oscars, being the first woman head drum major of the Marching 100, and studying acting abroad in London. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thousands of retirees relocate every year looking for lower taxes, a lower cost of living, better weather, or to be closer to family.In this episode, Kevin sits down with estate planning attorney and financial advisor Ryan Smith to discuss the estate planning issues that many retirees overlook after relocating. From wills and trusts to powers of attorney, healthcare directives, probate laws, and beneficiary designations, they explain what should be reviewed when you establish residency in a new state.While this conversation focuses on retirees relocating during retirement, the same planning considerations will apply to just about any retiree.In this episode, you'll learn:Why moving to another state can impact your estate plan Which legal documents should be reviewed after relocating Tennessee-specific estate planning considerations Common mistakes retirees make when changing residency Practical steps to protect your family and your legacy Making life easier for your fiduciary relationships and beneficiariesWhether you're moving for family, lower taxes, or a better retirement lifestyle, this episode will help you avoid costly planning mistakes before they're discovered when it's too late.Connect with Ryan Smith here:Next Frontier Estate PlanningFacebook

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches! In this week's All The Leads Mastermind, the conversation focuses on building stronger relationships with prospects, referral partners, and attorneys to create a steady pipeline of future business. The coaches discuss the importance of humanizing conversations, asking better questions, keeping organized referral lists, and staying consistently top of mind rather than jumping straight into a sales pitch. Members share real-world examples of how providing resources, remembering personal details, and maintaining long-term relationships have led to listings and referrals months or even years later. The episode also dives into value-first prospecting, attorney referral strategies, and creating a reliable network of service providers that can help families with needs beyond the property itself. The group reinforces that these principles apply across probate, reverse mortgage, and other lead types, and closes with advice for agents and investors who offer multiple solutions: understand the prospect's motivation first, then let their needs determine whether a listing, cash offer, or another solution makes the most sense. Key Takeaways Build relationships before making the pitch. Humanize conversations and understand the person before focusing on the property.  Stay top of mind with referral partners. Regular calls, emails, notes, and personal touches help turn relationships into future referrals.  Lead with value, not the sale. Offering useful resources and solutions differentiates you from competitors focused solely on getting the property.  Build a trusted network of service providers. Contractors, roofers, locksmiths, and other vendors can solve immediate problems and create long-term loyalty.  Bring value to attorneys before asking for referrals. Referring potential clients to attorneys can open the door to reciprocal, long-term relationships.  Today's conversations can become tomorrow's business. Consistent, empathetic follow-up can produce opportunities months or years later.  Let the client's needs determine your solution. Agents and investors should ask questions first, then decide whether a listing, cash offer, or another option fits best.  To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market.  #RelationshipMarketing #LeadGeneration #RealEstateProspecting #ReferralMarketing Previous episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A PlaylistSupport the show

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches! In this week's All The Leads Mastermind, the team introduces several new opportunities designed to help members generate more business, including the launch of the live Probate Mastery training series, expanded ISA calling support, and a new Property Tax Delinquent lead program. The discussion explores how professional follow-up, consistent outreach, and responding quickly to qualified leads can dramatically improve conversion rates across probate, late mortgage, reverse mortgage, and other life-event lead types. The conversation also emphasizes the value of building repeatable follow-up systems that keep you top of mind long after the initial contact. Members share real-world examples of converting long-term nurture leads by providing helpful resources, maintaining consistent communication, and leading every interaction with value. The episode concludes with practical advice on using AI to streamline business processes, improving lead response times, and creating stronger relationships through educational content and thoughtful follow-up. Key Takeaways Respond to qualified leads immediately. The fastest follow-up often produces the highest conversion rates.  Consistency wins over time. Long-term nurture campaigns frequently convert leads that aren't ready today.  Lead with value first. Helpful resources and educational content build trust before asking for business.  Use AI to work smarter. Automation can improve follow-up, marketing, and daily workflows without replacing the personal touch.  Explore new lead opportunities. Property Tax Delinquent leads provide another way to identify motivated sellers before competitors.  Build systems, not one-time campaigns. Consistent calling, organized follow-up, and repeatable processes create long-term success. To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market.  #LeadGeneration #LeadFollowUp #RealEstateProspecting #RealEstateMarketing  Previous episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A PlaylistSupport the show

Mark Cianciulli is a real estate broker, attorney, CPA, and founder of The CREM Group. Mark leads a highly proficient Los Angeles team that has successfully closed some of the most unique transactions in the specialty real estate space.Visit his website here: https://cremgroupre.com/agent/mark-cianciulli

Choosing a Trustee: Why Naming Your Kid May Be a Mistake — Marguerite Lorenz Short answer: Naming your child as trustee, executor, or agent under your power of attorney is the default choice for most American families — and it is frequently the wrong one. In this episode of Wealth Actually, host Frazer Rice talks with California Licensed Professional Fiduciary and Master Certified Independent Trustee Marguerite Lorenz about why roughly two-thirds of American adults still have no estate plan, why the job of a trustee is far more intimate and technical than families expect, and how to decide between a family trustee, a bank or trust company, and an independent professional trustee. https://youtu.be/56bzuORe8YI Episode Overview: Who Will Actually Run Your Plan? Most estate planning conversations stop at the documents. Marguerite Lorenz argues the documents are the easy part. The hard part is staffing — deciding who steps in when you can no longer make new decisions, and whether that person can absorb the technical, financial, and emotional weight of the job. Lorenz has served as trustee, executor, agent under power of attorney for finance, and agent for health care for hundreds of families since 2003. She is the author of three books — Luck or Control? The Life-Improving Power of Estate Planning, How to Be a Successful 90-Year-Old, and the newly updated Ethics for Trustees 2.0 — and she is Vice-Chair of the Independent Trustee Alliance. Her framing line, and the one that should stick with every listener: “If you don’t get your estate plan done, you’re suing your family. You’re making them go to court. And who would want to make anyone else go to court?”— Marguerite Lorenz This is the second time Marguerite has joined the show. Her first appearance covered the mechanics of individual trusteeship: EP.75 — Individual Trusteeship with Marguerite Lorenz. Key Takeaways •Only about a third of American adults have any written estate plan — and Lorenz argues half of those plans would not actually function when needed. •Professionals are barely better than the public. When Lorenz polls rooms of attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, roughly one-third raise their hands for a complete, up-to-date, ready-to-go plan. •The trustee role is intimate, not administrative. A trustee sees your paperwork, your bills, your medications, and your bedroom. “Who is going to be the first person in your bedroom when you are no longer able to make new decisions?” •Incapacity, not death, is the long tail. Many people live for five or six years unable to make new decisions. The trustee’s job often runs during your lifetime, not just after it. •A professional trustee can be temporary. Lorenz recounts stepping in for a client during cancer treatment, providing a full accounting, and stepping back down when he recovered — then serving again after his death. Would your child step back down? •Estate planning is about preferences, not predictions. “Our power in estate planning is not prediction, it’s setting our preferences” — and preferences can only be set while you are competent. •Quality of life belongs in the plan. Not just tax, legal, and financial terms — but how you want to live, where you want to live, and what small things matter (for Lorenz, an international selection of dark chocolate). •Digital assets are now a core trustee problem. Phones, social accounts, and daily transactions all require someone with access and authority. •A will does nothing while you are alive. “The will doesn’t operate at all if you go to the hospital and you haven’t granted authority to anyone.” •Cost is usually overestimated. Both an estate plan and an independent professional trustee typically cost far less than probate court. •Revisit every five years. Calendar a five-year check-in with your attorney to review law changes, marriages, divorces, births, and deaths. Chapters and Timestamps •[00:00] Cold open: “If you don’t get your estate plan done, you’re suing your family.” •[00:32] Welcome back — introducing Marguerite Lorenz, California trustee and author •[01:14] Luck or Control? — why fear keeps families from finishing an estate plan •[02:22] What a full-time trustee actually sees: trustee, executor, agent for finance, agent for health care •[03:49] Why families default to naming a child — and where that breaks down •[05:00] The skill set nobody screens for: negotiation, calm, empathy, and grief •[05:40] Case study: serving as temporary trustee through a client’s cancer treatment — and stepping back down •[07:51] Why even attorneys need their own attorney: nobody is objective about their own circumstances •[09:09] The five-year estate plan check-in as a life milestone •[09:39] How to Be a Successful 90-Year-Old — living well to the very end •[10:20] The “black box” problem: privacy, dignity, and care in your own home •[11:54] Preferences over predictions — planning for your future vulnerable self •[13:40] Rewriting an advance health care directive after hundreds of hospital bedsides •[16:13] The statistics: only a third of adults — and only a third of professionals — are actually ready •[17:47] Frazer’s challenge to advisors: you can’t advise well if you aren’t practicing what you preach •[18:22] The first question in Luck or Control?: “Hey professional, do you have your estate plan done?” •[19:21] Ethics for Trustees 2.0 — what’s new in the updated audio and PDF edition •[20:27] Family trustee vs. bank trustee vs. independent professional trustee •[21:52] The looming crisis: the great wealth transfer, incapacity, and digital assets •[24:54] Documenting the “why” behind hard trustee decisions •[25:23] Probate courts overrun, bioethics committees, and next-of-kin defaults •[26:54] Where to find the books, the podcast, and the Independent Trustee Alliance directory About the Guest: Marguerite Lorenz, MCIT, CLPF Marguerite Lorenz is a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary (CLPF #319) and a Master Certified Independent Trustee (MCIT). She has served as Trustee, Executor, Agent for Finance, and Agent for Health Care for more than 200 families since 2003 as managing partner of Lorenz Private Trustees. Marguerite is Vice-Chair of the Board of the Independent Trustee Alliance, past Chair of the California Professional Fiduciaries Bureau Advisory Committee, and host of the Plan For This podcast. She is the author of Luck or Control? The Life-Improving Power of Estate Planning, How to Be a Successful 90-Year-Old, and Ethics for Trustees 2.0. About the Host: Frazer Rice Frazer Rice is the author of Wealth, Actually: Intelligent Decision-Making for the 1% and host of the Wealth Actually podcast, where he interviews experts, entrepreneurs, and commentators on preserving assets and enjoying wealth. Resources and Links Mentioned •PlanForThis.com — Marguerite’s books, the Plan For This podcast, and a free First Steps toolkit. Ethics for Trustees 2.0 is now exclusive to this site (audio + PDF bundled with purchase). •TrusteeAlliance.com — the Independent Trustee Alliance directory for locating certified independent trustees by state. •Marguerite Lorenz on LinkedIn •California Professional Fiduciaries Bureau — state licensing for professional fiduciaries •Related episode: EP.75 — Individual Trusteeship with Marguerite Lorenz •Related episode: What If You Are Named in a Will or Trust? Frequently Asked Questions Should I name my child as trustee? Not automatically. A child understands the family but may lack the technical skill to handle tax, legal, financial, and medical decisions — and may be grieving or in conflict with siblings at the exact moment judgment is required. Marguerite Lorenz notes that a trustee must be a good negotiator, stay calm under pressure, set aside personal feelings, and enforce rules the grantor set. She also raises a test most families never consider: if you recover, would your child voluntarily step back down and hand you a full accounting? What is the difference between a family trustee, a corporate trustee, and an independent trustee? A family trustee is a relative or friend serving in a personal capacity, usually unpaid and untrained. A corporate trustee is a bank or trust company with institutional infrastructure, minimum account sizes, and staff turnover. An independent professional trustee is a licensed or certified individual — like a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary — who serves full-time, carries a succession plan, and can often be engaged at a lower cost than families expect. The Independent Trustee Alliance maintains a national directory of independent trustees. What does a trustee actually do while I am still alive? A trustee acting during incapacity manages assets, accounts for every dollar, handles taxation, pays bills, coordinates care, and increasingly manages digital assets such as phone-based transactions and social media accounts. Lorenz emphasizes that many people live for five or six years unable to make new decisions, so the trustee’s lifetime role is often longer and more demanding than the post-death administration. How often should I update my estate plan? Roughly every five years, or sooner after a major life event such as marriage, divorce, birth, death, a liquidity event, or a change in tax law. Lorenz recommends putting a five-year reminder in your phone to call your attorney and ask what has changed in the law and in your life. What happens if I go to the hospital without an estate plan? The hospital and its bioethics committee will do the best they can and will look for next of kin to make decisions for you — potentially people with whom you have never discussed your personal wishes. A will does not help here, because a will only operates after death. Financial and health care powers of attorney are what grant someone authority while you are alive. Is an estate plan expensive? Usually less than people assume, and materially less than probate court. Lorenz makes the same point about professional trustees: “Independent individual professional trustees cost a lot less than you think also. And you need to ask, because this is your life we’re talking about.” Do financial professionals have their own estate plans? Often not. When Lorenz polls audiences of attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, only about a third report having a complete, up-to-date, ready-to-go plan — barely better than the general public. Her challenge to the profession is that clients will increasingly ask advisors directly: “Do you have your estate plan completed?” Pull Quotes “Our power in estate planning is not prediction, it’s really about setting our preferences.” “Who’s going to be the first person in your bedroom when you are no longer able to make new decisions?” “I’m not in charge. I’m a servant-manager.” “Once I get my estate plan done and updated, I don’t think about it anymore. My head space is so clear because everything I was worried about has been thought about, considered, allowed, and put down in writing.” Full Transcript Transcript lightly edited for clarity. Timestamps are approximate. [00:00] Marguerite Lorenz: You know, if you don’t get your estate plan done, you’re suing your family. You’re making them go to court, right? And who would want to make anyone else go to court? [00:08] Announcer: Welcome back to the Wealth Actually podcast, the show that features experts, entrepreneurs, and commentators that will give you the right knowledge, planning, and guidance so you can preserve your assets and enjoy your wealth. Learn more and subscribe today at wealthactually.com. This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes. It is not investment, legal, nor tax advice and does not represent the opinion of the employers of the host or guests. [00:32] Frazer Rice: Welcome back. Friend of the podcast Marguerite Lorenz is on the podcast this week. She’s a California trustee and has a new book called Luck or Control? out. We’re going to talk a little bit about fiduciary matters and what it takes to have good staffing within your estate plan. Welcome back, Marguerite. [00:54] Marguerite Lorenz: Thank you, Frazer. [00:55] Frazer Rice: Since the last time you were on, you have a couple of books out and we’ve gotten to see each other a couple of times with the Independent Trustee Alliance. Let’s talk a little bit about the new book that you just published and what you’re trying to do with it. [01:14] Marguerite Lorenz: So that book is Luck or Control? The Life-Improving Power of Estate Planning. And I wrote it because I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of families really struggle with how this is going to get done, and many people don’t get their estate plan done at all because they’re so afraid. They don’t know what to expect, they don’t want to talk about their mortality, they don’t want to have serious conversations with their loved ones. And if we don’t have those conversations, we really lose all control when we need it the most — when that medical crisis happens or when life changes in a big way. [01:52] Frazer Rice: No question about it. And I went through the book and it’s an important read, because for those people who really have to get their affairs in order and feel stuck for some reason, I think you do a good job of laying out why you need to get unstuck and then how to take a couple of steps to initiate those conversations and get the important things down so that you can then have the deeper conversations that help out later on as you’re structuring things. What part of your experience being a full-time trustee helped to inform all of this? [02:22] Marguerite Lorenz: Well, as a trustee professionally, I’ve met with lots of different families in lots of different circumstances. And for many of them they’ve named me, and so I’m serving in that role. It’s not just trustee; it’s trustee, executor, agent on the power of attorney for finance, and even as agent for health care. And so that’s a very intimate job. It’s a job where you end up seeing someone’s entire life, or as much as you can of another person — their paperwork, how they do things, how they pay their bills, how they live, what medications they take. It’s really very intimate. And I think a lot of us assume that our children know us and they’ll do what we want them to do. But the thing is that it’s very likely you haven’t lived with your children in the same household for decades. And now you’re asking them to come back, drop their life, and come in and be that person for you. Be the person who’s going to protect your privacy, be that person who’s going to protect the way you want to live. And they may disagree with the way you want to live. They may actually have issues with some of the choices that you’ve made or how you’ve proceeded. So now, in addition to having a medical challenge where you’re not able to make new decisions — maybe temporarily, maybe permanently — now you have someone who wants to run the show or actually be in charge. In my job as a professional trustee, I’m not in charge. I’m a servant-manager. I’m really taking the trustor’s wishes and how they’ve structured things and really looking at that to be sure that I can continue it as best I can with all the changes that have occurred. [03:49] Frazer Rice: One of the things we were talking about before we got on board, and something we’ve discussed generally through the Independent Trustee Alliance, is that people who are asked to serve in those roles usually are family members. And for people who are uninitiated in the field, that seems like an obvious choice, because they’re really trying to put somebody in there who understands the family. But as you and I know, they may not be necessarily qualified to deal with the technicalities of the different roles that we just discussed. But also, the idea of taking on the emotional toll of these new conditions can be something different and unapproachable for many people. [04:30] Marguerite Lorenz: Well, I think it helps to kind of look at some of those issues. So you might have more than one child. Even if you have an only child, these issues apply. And now you’ve been in the hospital and you’re expecting this person to deal with your tax, legal, financial, and medical decisions. This person has to be a good negotiator. This person has to be calm when there’s issues that arise, and they may have feelings — they may be grieving that things have changed for themselves and in their relationship with you. So I think to be really empathetic and to be really kind and compassionate, we have to get our own stuff in order so that we can really have a good experience for our last days. And again, some of these roles that I’ve served in have been temporary. Let me give you an example. I worked with a gentleman whose wife had passed away because of cancer. She had been gone about two years and he himself was diagnosed with cancer. So he already knew what that might be like, right? She had already had chemotherapy; he was right there with her through all of that experience. Well, now faced with it himself, he said, “In order for me to do this, I don’t have a partner. I need somebody who’s going to deal with the business of my life so that I can focus on my health.” He named me as his trustee. I became active. I reported to him because he was still able to receive those reports. He was certainly mentally able, but physically it was really hard. He was exhausted most of the time. And he was going to grief support for the loss of his wife and going to chemotherapy treatments. So you can imagine just how full his day was. So we’re into this two years. He met a woman at grief support. He was feeling better because the treatment worked, and he decided he wanted to travel the world before he died. And he married this woman, and they were very happy together. And he asked if he could be trustee again. So — I’m a professional trustee. It’s part of my duty to step back and step down when the trustor who wants to be trustee again wants that job back. So I gave him a full report, he had an accounting, he knew exactly what had happened during my term. He went on with his life, and then he passed away and I became trustee again. So I just wanted people to know that it could be temporary. It’s not necessarily a permanent job. Would your child step back down? [07:14] Frazer Rice: No question. Once in the role, sometimes it’s difficult to get out of it. But you did the right thing in terms of getting an accounting, making sure that your duties stopped when you were told to get off, and then when you were ready to come back on, that those sightlines are very clear. And that’s what comes with talking to a professional like you. You understand those parts so that you’re not having things bleed from one role into another and having liability issues or misunderstandings with the next generation. [07:51] Marguerite Lorenz: Right. And let’s talk about working with professionals from the beginning. We don’t know what we don’t know. And even attorneys need to go to an attorney to get their estate plan done. There may be attorneys who disagree with that, but none of us can be truly objective about our own circumstance. And we need someone who’s going to ask us some tough questions and really help us figure out: what is our intention? How do we feel about this? What’s important to us? So, getting my own estate plan done — I was a single mom in a new profession. I had just become a fiduciary and I had just learned about estate planning. I was learning so much at that time and realized, every time I drive on the freeway, I’m risking my children’s future. I’m their only parent. What can I do about that? So estate planning isn’t just about money, and it isn’t just about death. It’s also about taking an inventory. What do I have? What have I accomplished? Who do I love? What do I really care about? And once we get to have those kinds of conversations, our whole perspective on life improves. And I’ve used my own estate plan, every time I’ve gone to update it, as sort of a milestone check — where am I now? [09:09] Frazer Rice: Maybe the standard procedure is every five years to check in and make sure that life has not advanced as far as divorce, deaths, new kids, marriages, things like that, to make sure that the plan is in place. And it’s a great milestone to reflect on things. And then, as we move up the ladder wealth-wise, if there are changes in tax laws and things like that, it’s important to make sure that the plan understands that change and is able to accommodate what’s going on on that front. Let’s take that as a segue. You have another book that you came out with, How to Be a 90-Year-Old — or a well-functioning 90-year-old. [09:36] Marguerite Lorenz: How to Be a Successful 90-Year-Old. [09:39] Frazer Rice: More than well-functioning — actually successful. How to Be a Successful 90-Year-Old. I have not read that yet, so tell us a little bit about what’s going on there. [09:47] Marguerite Lorenz: Well, I want everyone to have that blue ribbon feeling at the end of their lives. And I picked 90 because I have had clients that have reached a grand old age of over 100. My last client passed at 105. So it is possible to live well until the very end. And I’ve been working with people for over 20 years that are much older than me, who have lots of wisdom and experience to share. Their stories are important. So for people that are serving as trustee — whether you’re a family member trustee or you’re a professional — this book might be helpful, because I actually talk about the relationships with those clients. And I also talk about some things we could do now so that life is simpler, better, and more comfortable when we might need some help. And that’s another barrier that a lot of us have. We have this barrier to having someone come into our home and help us. Our home is our sanctuary, it’s our private space. But I want everyone who’s listening right now to just think about it: who’s going to be the first person in your bedroom when you are no longer able to make new decisions? And do you want that person to see everything that might be in your bedroom? Many, many adults have what I call a black box. We have something that’s private that really, really we keep to ourselves. But everything gets exposed once you are not able to care for yourself. So then what? Well, many people want to stay in their home no matter what, as long as possible. So imagine, if you will — some of my clients have lived in the same home for 30, 40, 50 years. And now they have to get care. Can we arrange to have that care in their home? So this exploration is really about living well to the very end. There are some really great tips, things I’ve learned from my 90-plus-year-old clients that I’ve employed and deployed for myself. [11:23] Frazer Rice: Just as an example there — I’m a ripe old age of 53 shortly. The idea of getting things in place while you’re at the peak of your powers, and you don’t have the difficult decision of having the car keys taken from you, or being in a home that isn’t appropriate for you anymore, meaning you don’t have the necessary safeguards for showers and stairs and things like that. Do you get into that, as far as trying to look five years ahead to make sure that the things that you can do now in a more comfortable environment take place before maybe the emergency happens and then all of a sudden we say, “Oh my gosh, we’ve got to do a complete overhaul here”? [11:54] Marguerite Lorenz: Well, as you know, Frazer, our power in estate planning is not prediction, it’s really about setting our preferences. And if we don’t do that while we feel good, while we’re competent, while we’re thinking clearly, we don’t get a chance to express that or do that once we’ve lost our competence. So this is really important — that I’m thinking about my future vulnerable self. I’ll give you a small example for me personally: dark chocolate is part of my life. I like having an international selection of dark chocolate and I don’t want the same kind every day. I feel the nuances and the taste and the flavors; it’s important to me. For some people that might be wine, for other people it might be fine literature. It really depends on what you’re into. Well, our estate plan can be just about tax, legal, and financial stuff, but it really should be more. It should be about our quality of life. And that’s really what I’m instructing and what I’m talking about in a very warm, personal way in How to Be a Successful 90-Year-Old. And even in Luck or Control?, I want people to understand the function of the documents. So we talk about the documents and what they’re supposed to do to assist your person. But you have to have a person. And you might choose to have a trust company or a bank serve as your trustee, you might have a family member, you might have an individual like me — an independent trustee. You can find more independent trustees at the Independent Trustee Alliance. But the point is: how do I want to live? Who do I want to have help me? What does that help look like? Well, you might not know all the answers right now, but if you begin now, your eyes open to different possibilities. I’ll give you an example: I have visited lots of hospitals. I’ve been to people’s bedsides many, many times. I’ve learned that there are certain procedures I’m just not willing to go through. So in my mind I had to update my advance health care directive to basically say: this shell that I’m in, the case I walk around in, the machine that I live in, needs to be kept alive long enough so that my boys can say goodbye. And that’s not for me, that’s for them. But I don’t want it to go on interminably. [15:00] Marguerite Lorenz: So I’m pretty specific in my documents about what I want. So I’m hoping to help people have a little perspective — use that energy you have, use the power that you have right now to make decisions for yourself, and allow yourself the opportunity to update your estate planning documents from time to time, so that what you learn goes into your documents, and what you decide and what your intention is, is clear. [15:23] Frazer Rice: One of those points that you bring up that I think is important is that you can be a really good user of professional services with some forethought. To muse a little bit about what the end of life looks like is somewhat an unpleasant thought, if you feel like you’ve got less than your full faculties and that ends up being your future. But thinking about that and putting some planning around it, and real ideas about what you want others to take away from your end of life, in many ways I think is a great way to really get the documents put in place and reduce tension and questioning later, and any ambiguity that there might have been ahead of time. [16:13] Marguerite Lorenz: Well, that’s the thing too that we don’t necessarily consider when we avoid estate planning. And I’m talking to all the professionals who listen to you, Frazer. The percentage of professionals who have their estate plans completed might be just a little bit more than the average person, but only a third of American adults have any kind of written plan — and I would argue that half of them are not really going to work. And when I speak to professional groups — attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors and so on — I get that same raise of hands: only about a third of them have a complete, up-to-date, ready-to-go estate plan. Why do I need it ready to go? Because I don’t know what’s going to happen or when. So yes, it is hard to contemplate the end of our lives; it’s not something we want to think about. But how do you stop thinking about it? How do you stop worrying about it? You do everything you can about it right now, and then you set it aside. And our cell phones are so powerful that I can put in my calendar five years from now to call my attorney and ask if anything’s changed in the law, and to consider then if I need to think about anything that might have changed in my life that I want to update. So once I get my estate plan done and updated, I don’t think about it anymore. I’m so relieved. My head space is so clear, because everything I was worried about has been thought about, considered, allowed, and put down in writing. And now I don’t worry anymore. [17:47] Frazer Rice: I scolded a group of financial professionals I was giving a talk to. I asked probably a similar question, which was: how many of you have your estate plan documents up to date? And they all shot up, out of shame. I said, “How many of you have looked at them within the last two years?” And then that shot down to about a third, maybe less. I just said, “Shame on you.” People are looking to you for help on these things and you’re not leading by example. And so — point taken, and not just the trusts and estates lawyers, but for everybody else around the ecosystem. To not go through that exercise yourself — you can’t possibly advise correctly if you’re not practicing what you’re preaching. [18:22] Marguerite Lorenz: Well, here’s my challenge, and here’s my challenge to every professional in our mutual space: bank trust officers, administrators, paralegals, everybody. In Luck or Control? and on planforthis.com, which is where you can find my books and get a free First Steps toolkit, the first question is, “Hey professional, do you have your estate plan done?” It’s the first question. Why? Because I want to be sure I’m dealing with somebody who has some empathy for the emotional decisions I’m going to have to make. I want someone on my team that understands what this feels like — not just the wise, tax-smart decisions that they made. It’s a whole package. And so I’m putting it out there and I’m saying: I’m challenging everyone in our mutual space. Make sure you have your estate plan done, because more and more clients are going to be asking you, “Do you have your estate plan completed?” [19:21] Frazer Rice: So then let’s talk about your third book, which is sort of an update — and we talked about it in the previous podcast that we did a while ago, and I’ll have that in there — which is Ethics for Trustees. What’s in the update? I know it’s now in an audio version, which I haven’t sampled yet but I’m sure it’s really good. What’s new now versus when it first came out? [19:54] Marguerite Lorenz: So I’ve simplified it a bit, because I recognize that each of us can look up the probate code for the state that we live in, and it was really much more of a California-specific book. Look, I’m a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary and I’m also a Master Certified Independent Trustee. So having the audiobook, and also having it in PDF form, I think is very helpful for people so they can make notes, take a certain page with them. And the book now is exclusively available at planforthis.com. And when you purchase it, you’re getting both the audio and the PDF version. [20:27] Frazer Rice: Cool. Well, we’ll make sure that’s in the show notes. Let’s take the last little bit of time we have here and talk about the decision to have an individual trustee — and by individual, I mean family trustee — versus a more professional trustee, whether it’s an individual or a bank trustee. You and I sort of nod our heads in agreement every time we talk on this topic, and I’ve done podcasts with others where I feel this looming crisis is coming, where people put all these documents together in trusts and then they staff them with people who may be initially qualified, barely, but then six months after the ink is dried, their interest wanes, their technical capability wanes, life intervenes, something different happens — and the problems just multiply at that point. I guess my big question is — and from the Independent Trustee Alliance, where there is a group of people who can operate as a trustee without having to go to a bank — how bad do you think this problem could get? We have this great wealth transfer and we have a lot of assets shifting, not just from the ultra-high-net-worth but regular people shifting to the next generation, with people at the wheel of these structures that I don’t think really understand what’s going on. How bad could this get? [21:52] Marguerite Lorenz: In my view, we’re not just dealing with a transfer of wealth — because that’s where a lot of people focus. Where’s the money going, right? It’s going from one generation who died and then the money’s going to the next generation. But in that interim — and by the way, many people live for years unable to make new decisions for themselves. So it’s during their lifetime that they might need their trustee to step in, not just after they die. And that’s really important to consider: that you might need someone for five or six years when you need someone to make decisions. What kind of decisions? You have digital assets, you have your social media accounts, you might be doing transactions on your phone all day every day — but someone else will need to get into your phone to actually do those things, maybe. Is that somebody you want from your family to do that for you? Maybe you still say yes. But that family member has to have the ability to enforce the rules that you’ve set in your trust. They need to communicate really well with other people. And they have to set aside their own feelings. They have to put you first. And that’s a big challenge. So when you think about the word fiduciary — and I know that the financial industry has used the word a lot — the technical aspect of that is that I’m putting my needs aside and putting that trustor, that person who created the trust, their needs first. Then I also have to consider their beneficiaries and the future of those beneficiaries. So I’m dealing with transactions and having to account for every single penny of where the funds are now and where they’re going, what the assets are, what the character of those assets are. I have to deal with all the taxation that goes with that. I have to manage those assets. So that’s one set of skills, right? But then there’s the softer skills about communicating with other people and understanding their doubts and their concerns, and not taking that personally, and putting things in writing. So this is a big job. It’s not the simple job that it might have been at one point, where someone just wrote a will on their cocktail napkin and said, “Okay, I’m leaving you all my money.” The will doesn’t operate at all if you go to the hospital and you haven’t granted authority to anyone to be that person for you, to go to your house, get you some clean underwear and socks and bring it to the hospital for you. So I think we have to look at our lives as more complex. It’s not just driving a car; it’s deciding where that car goes, and if the car is maintained, and is the car clean, and can we have other people in the car with you? There are just so many decisions that I’ve had to make for other people that I don’t take any of this lightly — and nor should anyone who’s writing their estate plan. You need that attorney to ask you those questions and walk you through your day-to-day, so you can keep your day-to-day as long as possible. [24:54] Frazer Rice: Well, the other part too is the people who assume those roles — and I’ve been in it too — when you are asked to make tough choices, sometimes you have to make tough choices that favor one person over another, and you may be called to account for that. And the idea of keeping diligent records and writing — in a sense putting down the reasoning behind what you’re doing and making sure that everyone, to the extent it’s possible, understands the why of what’s happening — I think that is going to help people really save themselves some issues going forward when those tough choices have to be made. [25:23] Marguerite Lorenz: You know, if you don’t get your estate plan done, you’re suing your family. [25:27] Frazer Rice: Ah — good way to put it. [25:29] Marguerite Lorenz: You’re making them go to court, right? And who would want to make anyone else go to court? I mean, it’s just such a sad thing. And by the way, our courts are overrun with people that did no planning. And none of it happens quickly. So if you end up hospitalized and you haven’t selected a person, then the hospital and their bioethics committee is going to do the best they can. They’re going to ask for next of kin to make decisions for you — people that you may never have discussed your personal life with now have to be making decisions for you. So I’m asking people to be a little more proactive. I know you’re busy. I know it costs money to get an estate plan — probably less than you think, and certainly less than probate court would cost. A lot less than probate court would cost. Independent individual professional trustees cost a lot less than you think also. And you need to ask, because this is your life we’re talking about. I’m good. I have my plan, I keep up to date with my successors. I have a succession plan that’s worked beautifully. I’ve tested it. I know. And that’s why I can be so calm and so confident everywhere I go in my life. I’m feeling so good and so happy. Well, I want that for everyone. I want everyone to have that calm, true confidence that comes with knowing you’ve done everything you possibly can for yourself and the people you love. [26:54] Frazer Rice: Terrific. Marguerite, how do people get the books? How do people find you and your podcast, the Independent Trustee Alliance, and any other points of contact? [27:04] Marguerite Lorenz: Great, thank you. So planforthis.com is where you can find the books, where you can find me. We do have a podcast that has some wonderful discussions, case studies, and other topics to help people better understand the choices that they have. The Independent Trustee Alliance has a wonderful directory to find all kinds of professionals, but especially independent trustees, and you can find that at trusteealliance.com. And I’m going to be out there — I’m on LinkedIn. Come find me, connect with me. And Frazer, once again, thank you so much for the opportunity to visit with you. [27:40] Frazer Rice: Oh, it’s always great to get your expertise. And you bring a great sense of empathy to what can be a very technical and dollar-driven process. And I think the empathy, when it gets avoided or missed, there’s something really lost. So I really value your perspective on it. Thank you so much. [28:00] Announcer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes. It is not investment, legal, nor tax advice and does not represent the opinions of the employers of the host or guest. Subscribe to Wealth Actually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you listen — and if this episode was useful, share it with the person you have named in your documents. https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

Kevin Bemel is the president of the Bemel Companies, which provide trust and estate administration, financial and real estate management, startup and early stage company advisory services, and media project production.Visit his website here: https://www.bemel.com/about~

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches! In this week's All The Leads Mastermind, the team discusses how real estate websites are evolving as AI, search engines, and consumer expectations continue to change. Alyssa explains why simply having a website is no longer enough, emphasizing the importance of creating a professional online presence with a clear brand voice, customized content, strong SEO, AI optimization, and lead capture tools that work together to support every marketing effort. The hosts also introduce new website packages, AI-powered features, and educational resources designed to help agents stand out in competitive niche markets. The conversation also highlights the launch of a free 12-week Probate Mastery training series for active subscribers and concludes with an in-depth discussion on building stronger relationships with probate attorneys. The coaches share practical strategies for creating long-term referral partnerships by leading with value, providing helpful resources, and consistently positioning yourself as a trusted expert who makes an attorney's job easier. Key Takeaways Your website should be a growth tool, not just an online brochure. It should build trust, generate leads, and support every marketing effort.  Differentiate yourself with your brand voice. Customized messaging, local content, and authentic branding help you stand out from generic competitors.  Use AI to enhance (not replace) relationships. AI can automate lead capture, answer questions, and improve the customer experience while keeping your personal touch.  Keep your website fresh and optimized. Regular content updates, SEO, AI optimization, and ongoing maintenance improve visibility and performance.  Lead with value when building attorney relationships. Consistently provide resources and solutions that make an attorney's job easier to become a trusted referral partner.  Never stop learning. The new Probate Mastery program reinforces that ongoing education and skill development create long-term success.  To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market.  #RealEstateMarketing #LeadGeneration #ProbateInvesting #RealEstateWebsites Previous episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A PlaylistSupport the show

You hang up thinking you got blown off. Probate lead objection handling says otherwise, and this call proves it.This is a real call breakdown, not a script read out loud for effect. You'll hear exactly how a probate seller who tried to push things off for 30 days ended up agreeing to a walkthrough in the same conversation, and why that shift had nothing to do with luck or pressure.Inside this episode:✅ The exact question sequence I use for real estate cold calling roleplay practice that actually holds up once you're on a live, unscripted call✅ Why "call me back later" is almost never the call me back later objection real estate agents assume it is, and what it actually signals from a probate seller✅ How a simple probate investor script structure gets you past beneficiary confusion and legal delays without sounding pushy or rehearsed✅ The exact beneficiary question that turned a stall into a conversation about a $1 million property✅ Real cold calling probate leads tactics pulled straight from an actual recorded call, not a hypotheticalIf you've been calling motivated seller leads and keep hitting the same wall when someone says they need more time, this breakdown will change how you hear that response. This is real estate cold calling techniques that really work applied to an actual probate file, with a real number attached to it, not a theory.You'll also see how a basic probate cold calling script gets adjusted mid-call the moment the seller's story doesn't match the plan, which is exactly where most agents freeze and lose the lead. Whether you're brand new to probate real estate script work or you've been doing this for years, the point is the same. How to overcome objections in real estate comes down to asking better questions, not pushing harder.Get probate lead objection handling right on calls like this one and you'll never hear "call me back later" the same way again.

Love, Death, and Money podcast is a thought-provoking show that delves into the complexities of end-of-life planning, probate court, and asset protection. In this episode, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a plan in place, as 70% of Americans don't have one, leaving their families to navigate the costly and time-consuming probate court process. This can lead to frozen assets, public records, and a lengthy wait for loved ones to access their inheritance.The speaker shares a personal anecdote about a client who had to navigate the probate court process after their father's passing, highlighting the challenges and expenses involved. They also discuss the benefits of creating a revocable trust, which can help avoid probate court and provide control over asset distribution. However, the speaker clarifies that a revocable trust does not protect against creditor claims, and that acid protection trusts are a better option for those at high risk of being sued.The episode also touches on the importance of asset protection, particularly for business owners and high-risk professionals like physicians. The speaker shares a cautionary tale about a dentist who lost everything due to a lawsuit, emphasizing the need for multiple lines of defense, including insurance, protected accounts, and proper business entities. They stress that a revocable trust is not enough to protect against lawsuits and that acid protection trusts are a better option.If you're concerned about end-of-life planning, probate court, or asset protection, this episode is a must-listen. The speaker offers valuable insights and practical advice on how to create a plan that works for you and your loved ones. Tune in to learn more about the importance of having a plan in place and how to protect your assets from lawsuits.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What really happens to your money after you're gone? For many families, the answer is probate, a legal process that can be time-consuming, emotional, public, and complicated. Nick and Eric break down the difference between a will and a trust, and how to handle more complex situations like multiple properties or special needs planning. Ultimately, estate planning isn't just about money, it's about giving your family clarity and reducing stress during an already difficult time. Here's what we discuss in this episode: ⚖️ Probate Basics: Why it matters for families

Probate court is the worst.Things are being revealed, and it's our job to recognize the truth.Nobody thinks Mitch McConnell is alive.Who wanted Lindsey Graham dead?

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches! In this week's All The Leads Mastermind, the discussion centers on the habits and systems that consistently produce results in real estate. David shares how disciplined prospecting, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), and focusing on daily conversations turned one probate lead into multiple listings over the course of a year and a half. The coaches reinforce that success comes from consistent action rather than shortcuts, emphasizing the importance of making calls, tracking progress, and staying top of mind through ongoing follow-up. The conversation also explores effective lead conversion strategies, from using professional ISA services to increasing contact rates with multiple phone numbers and repeated call attempts. Members discuss building momentum through daily prospecting, creating memorable personal brands, and leading every conversation with a clear value proposition. Throughout the episode, the recurring message is simple: measure the right activities, stay consistent, and trust that persistent effort will lead to long-term success.  Key Takeaways Track the activities that produce results. Focus on conversations and measurable KPIs instead of busy work.  Consistency beats intensity. Daily prospecting and follow-up create long-term success, even during slow periods.  Conversations drive real estate. The more meaningful conversations you have, the more opportunities you'll create.  Stay top of mind. Consistent mail, calls, and follow-up help you reach prospects when they're ready to act.  Lead with a strong value proposition. Focus on understanding each person's needs before offering solutions.  Gamify your prospecting. Setting goals, tracking streaks, and measuring progress helps build lasting habits. To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market.  #RealEstateProspecting #LeadGeneration  #RealEstateInvesting #RealEstateCoachingPrevious episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A PlaylistSupport the show

Nobody likes thinking about death, but getting your finances in order now can make things much easier for the people you leave behind. To help with this, our favorite Bookkeeping Mensch, Paul Rosenblum, is here to explain the basics. He covers which debts are typically forgiven when someone dies, when an estate is responsible for paying what's owed, why family members usually aren't liable for debts they didn't co-sign, and how naming a beneficiary on a bank account can help avoid probate. It's a practical look at an uncomfortable topic that's worth planning for. Send us Fan MailSupport the showAbout the hostPaul Rosenblum has been doing hands-on bookkeeping for over 30 years, starting with QuickBooks Desktop and adapting to the world of cloud-based QuickBooks Online. He shares practical, in-the-weeds lessons from real client files every episode.

Selling a home after a loved one passes away isn't as simple as putting up a "For Sale" sign. Nick explains why probate can delay the sale of estate real estate, what legal steps must happen before a home can be listed, and the common mistakes that create even longer delays. Whether you're serving as an executor or helping settle a loved one's estate, Nick helps you understand what to expect and how to keep the process moving. Here's some of what we discuss in this episode:

Join Wendy Norman, End‑of‑Life Planning Consultant, and Steven Schindler, Estate Attorney, for a grounded, practical conversation about the essentials of legacy planning — something every adult needs, no matter their age or stage of life. Together, they'll break down what a Will actually does, when a Trust might be the better tool, and what really happens — financially and procedurally — if someone dies without either. You'll also learn how a Durable Power of Attorney works while you're alive, why its authority ends the moment you die (and what takes over afterward), and how the absence of planning can leave families facing court processes they never expected. Finally, Wendy and Steven will explore the part of planning that often gets overlooked: documenting and communicating your wishes. How you want your assets handled. Who do you want to receive what? Which charities or community organizations do you want to support? When you share these decisions ahead of time, you give your loved ones clarity, confidence, and one of the kindest gifts possible — peace of mind. Wendy Norman has been researching and engaging with end-of-life issues for over 15 years. Wendy's interest was sparked by her mother's diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's in 2006. This is when she learned how important it is to have a plan before becoming ill, especially when cognitive decline is involved. Wanting to help others understand the value of pre-planning, Wendy became an end-of-life planning consultant in 2017. In 2019, she left a 25-year career in marketing and program management to invest her time and energy toward end-of-life planning, education and awareness. In 2020, she helped create and lead a team of volunteers to launch an education and awareness program called End of Life Ready hosted by End of Life Washington. Building on that experience, Known Wishes was created to broaden and deepen end-of-life education. Steven J. Schindler is an estate attorney who helps individuals and families design comprehensive strategies to achieve their family, business, and charitable goals. His practice includes estate, will, trust, and tax planning and administration; planned charitable giving; nonjudicial dispute resolution; and the preparation of gift and estate tax returns. Known for his ability to tailor solutions to each client's unique circumstances, Steven guides clients through everything from optimizing tax advantages to developing meaningful charitable giving plans to navigating sensitive family dynamics with clarity and care. As an active member of the community, Steven serves as treasurer of the King County Cultural Development Authority (4Culture). He has also held leadership roles as president of the Estate Planning Council of Seattle, president of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Section of the King County Bar Association, and served as a board member at End‑of‑Life Washington. Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Known Wishes.  

For most families...Their home represents far more than four walls and a roof.  It's where children were raised. Where birthdays were celebrated. Where holidays were spent. It's often the largest financial asset a family owns. But today I want to ask a question that very few homeowners have ever considered.  What happens to your home if it goes to probate? Who takes care of it? Who pays the mortgage? Can someone sell it? How long does the process take? And perhaps the biggest question of all... Could probate have been avoided?  Today we're going to walk through what actually happens to a home after its owner passes away.

Most people think of life insurance as something that protects a plan they've already built. We'd argue it does something stranger and a lot more useful — it creates wealth on its own terms, and it starts doing the job on day one. In this episode, we dig into the part of life insurance nobody spends enough time on: the death benefit. Not as a hedge against dying young, but as an active wealth-building tool that keeps working long after "replace my paycheck" stops being the reason to own the policy. It's about as life-insurancey as life insurance gets — and, for once, a good deal less technical than our usual fare. What we get into: The instant estate. A modest premium creates a large, guaranteed, income-tax-free sum the day the policy is issued — you're buying dollars at a discount. No brokerage account, no piece of real estate can replicate that on day one. Replenishing wealth in retirement. Using a death benefit to refill a drawn-down portfolio at the exact moment a surviving spouse needs it most — and why Wade Pfau's research found this kind of backstop can free up roughly 22% more spending while you're alive. The Social Security gap. When one spouse dies, household benefits typically drop by 30–40% permanently. We talk about how life insurance buys the survivor time, breathing room, and a buffer against rushed decisions in an emotional fog. Long-term care. How accelerated death benefit riders for chronic conditions help defray care costs — without the "use it or lose it" problem of traditional long-term care coverage. (They're a supplement, not a replacement, and we say so.) The real cost of dying. Probate, funeral costs, carrying costs on illiquid real estate, retitling headaches — and why a death claim that pays in weeks beats an estate that takes months. Here's the honest part: we're not claiming permanent insurance beats the market on raw return. It doesn't, and we'll tell you that plainly. The argument is narrower and more useful — there are specific jobs a portfolio structurally can't do, timed to the moment they matter most, that a death benefit does automatically. That's the difference between "protection" and "wealth building." Think the death benefit you already own — or are weighing — might be doing more work than you realized? We'd be glad to help you figure out where it fits. Send us a message or book a 30-minute call, and we'll talk it through.

As an estate planner, your job is to capture your client's wishes. But what happens years down the line when those wishes are challenged, family relationships have fractured, and memories have faded?In our latest episode, we sit down with Judge Johnston (Ret.) to look at estate planning through the lens of litigation. We dive deep into how you can create an unassailable contemporaneous record today, so your files can withstand intense scrutiny tomorrow.In this episode, you'll learn:The exact red flags that predict a future capacity or undue influence lawsuit.Why your file notes might actually be more important than the estate document itself.The hidden dangers of videotaped signings (and when they do more harm than good).How to safely handle remote contingencies to prevent accidental intestacy.Our Guest: Judge Gerald Johnson (Ret.)Judge Gerald G. Johnston served over 24 years on the Orange County Superior Court, retiring in 2023. From 2014 to 2023, he was the supervising judge of the Probate and Mental Health Division, overseeing thousands of cases involving trusts, probate, guardianships, conservatorships, elder abuse, and mental health matters. He also served on the Judicial Council Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee from 2016 to 2019, appointed by the Chief Justice.Before his judicial career, Johnston worked as Deputy Secretary for Law Enforcement and General Counsel for the California Environmental Protection Agency and began his legal career as a Deputy District Attorney in Orange County. He has also taught trust, probate, conservatorship, and mental health law for over 20 years through the Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER)Our Hosts: Ben Schwefel and Jeff LoewBenjamin R. Schwefel is a partner at Murtaugh LLP in Irvine, California, and a certified specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate law by the State Bar of California www.murtaughlaw.com. His practice focuses on trusts and estates, including estate planning, trust administration, probate, and fiduciary litigation. He advises a wide range of clients, from high-net-worth individuals and families to trustees, beneficiaries, entrepreneurs, business executives, and professional fiduciaries. He is a member of the TEXCOM executive committee of the California Lawyers Association.Jeff Loew is the managing partner of Trust Law Partners LLP, with offices in Silicon Valley, Pasadena and Newport Beach.   Jeff's primary areas of practice include trust and estate litigation, fiduciary litigation, and financial elder abuse actions.  Jeff is certified as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Jeff is the Chair of the Education Subcommittee for TEXCOM, the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the California Lawyers Association and is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). He is licensed to practice in California, Nevada, and Texas.Thank you for listening to Trust Me!Trust Me is Produced by Foley Marra StudiosEdited by Cat Hammons

Have you ever held Premium Bonds for years without winning a prize? You're not alone. In this week's AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Charlene Young reveal fascinating insights into Premium Bonds and explain what millions of holders who have never won a prize could have earned elsewhere. They discuss the eye-watering increase in probate costs, a report branding student loans as ‘mis-sold', and what Terry Smith's latest shareholder letter could mean for investors in the Fundsmith Equity Fund. In the markets section, we cover Sky's move for parts of ITV, the latest twist in EasyJet's takeover story, and some intriguing developments at SpaceX. Dan also discusses the market sell-off as Donald Trump says the US/Iran peace deal is over. Finally, AJ Bell investment experts Ryan Hughes and James Flintoft join Hannah Williford for a lively debate on artificial intelligence, its investment potential, and whether the hype is justified. 0:00 Introduction 2:05 Premium Bonds: what millions of savers may be missing 5:19 Probate costs set for a dramatic rise 12:06 Student loans branded 'mis-sold' 18:11 Is Terry Smith reinventing Fundsmith Equity fund? 24:39 World Cup fever and the UK economy 26:34 Sky buys parts of ITV 30:06 EasyJet takeover speculation 31:59 Market sell-off as peace deal falls apart 33:45 This is what brokers are saying about SpaceX 36:20 AI investing debate

"The best estate plan is the one your family never has to fight over." The Lawyer Stories Podcast Episode 275 features Felicia Williams, Founder of Williams Law Firm in Palmdale, California. After serving as a Deputy District Attorney with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Felicia launched her own practice focused on estate planning, probate, contracts, real estate, and criminal defense. Her mission is simple: help families protect what they've built and avoid the legal challenges that too often arise when proper planning is overlooked. In this conversation, we discuss why estate planning isn't just about wealth, the realities of probate, estate disputes families never see coming, selecting the right trustee, and why protecting your legacy starts long before it's ever needed. Felicia also shares her journey from prosecutor to law firm owner and why educating clients has become one of the most rewarding parts of her practice. A thoughtful conversation about planning ahead, protecting your loved ones, and building a lasting legacy. This episode is presented by CallRail. Integrated into your case management system, CallRail helps law firms capture every call, respond faster, spot high-value leads instantly, and drive growth. Join over 3,000 law firms using CallRail to follow up faster, land bigger cases, and grow smarter. Start your free trial: https://www.callrail.com/legal-services?utm_medium=influencer&utm_source=lawyer-stories

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches!   In this week's All The Leads Mastermind, the team explores the systems and strategies that help investors and agents generate more opportunities from every lead. Matt shares why consistent outbound calling, multiple contact attempts, and high-quality lead data dramatically improve conversion rates, while the hosts explain how All The Leads' multi-step verification process delivers more accurate probate, divorce, late mortgage, and reverse mortgage leads. The conversation then shifts to practical prospecting techniques, as David demonstrates a value-first probate call focused on offering a free resource packet instead of immediately asking about selling a home. The group discusses how educational resources, trusted vendor referrals, and thoughtful follow-up build stronger relationships and create more opportunities over time. Additional insights cover attorney referrals, vendor partnerships, reverse mortgage opportunities, and ways to leverage professional relationships to reduce marketing costs while growing a referral-based business. The episode wraps up with a preview of upcoming website enhancements, probate role-play coaching, and new resources designed to help members continue growing their businesses. Key Takeaways Quality data leads to better results. Accurate contact information and multiple phone numbers increase the chances of reaching the right person.  Persistence pays off. Calling leads multiple times at different times of day creates more conversations and opportunities.  Lead with value first. Offering helpful resources builds trust and opens the door for future conversations.  Differentiate yourself from the competition. Resource packets and practical guidance make you memorable instead of sounding like every other investor.  Build a referral network. Relationships with attorneys, vendors, title companies, and lenders can generate a steady stream of business.  Create systems that scale. Combining quality leads with calling services, follow-up, and marketing partnerships produces consistent long-term growth.  To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market.  #ColdCalling #LeadFollowUp #RealEstateProspecting #ProbateInvestingPrevious episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A PlaylistSupport the show

Ready to stop treating wholesaling like a hobby and start closing massive, six-figure assignments? In part two of this explosive live masterclass, Brent Daniels and Eugene Latson dive even deeper into the high-stakes world of complex probate and tax-delinquent deals. Eugene breaks down the exact mechanics of identifying Tier 3 properties, explaining why you must physically door-knock hidden heirs when traditional skip tracing fails. You will discover his proven framework for overcoming cash-conversion cycle delays, how to negotiate directly with Superior Court judges at tax status hearings, and why utilizing the Four Triggers of Distress guarantees a lucrative deal regardless of your market. Stop settling for crumbs and start building the skills required to take down the biggest properties in your county. Be a part of the TTP training program now.---------Show notes:(0:00) Beginning of today's episode(1:13) The psychology of working with heirs of completely destroyed properties(2:45) Why hiring a specialized attorney is required for D.C. tax status hearings(5:29) The exact formula for calculating your offer on an Assignment of Interest(6:51) How to bulletproof your assignments by forcing notaries to record video(9:19) Breaking down Eugene's (Three Tiers) of complex real estate transactions(16:50) The blunt and no-nonsense opening script to use when contacting distant heirs(18:50) Why hiring a local genealogist is better than spending hours researching yourself(21:42) How to accelerate the process by physically door-knocking hard-to-find heirs(30:50) Why making 100 contacts a day for 30 days straight guarantees wholesale deals(35:02) The Four Triggers of Distress that guarantee a massive wholesale deal----------Resources:Skip GenieDealMachineMojo DialerReal SupermarketCallRailWholesaling LaunchTo speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeGo to Wholesalingincgroup.com to become part of one of the fastest growing Facebook communities in the Wholesaling space. Get all of your burning Wholesaling questions answered, gain access to JV partnerships, and connect with other "success minded" Rhinos in the community.It's 100% free to join. The opportunities in this community  are endless, what are you waiting for?

Are you tired of fighting massive wholesaling companies for the exact same slim-margin deals? In this explosive masterclass, Brent Daniels and Eugene Latson prove why niche, highly distressed properties are the ultimate secret weapon for the solo investor. Eugene breaks down the exact mechanics of how he secures six-figure assignments by targeting complex tax-default and probate deals that massive companies simply ignore.You will learn how to pull the tax-delinquent list directly from the county, the step-by-step process of securing an "Assignment of Interest" from distant heirs, and why controlling the estate is the ultimate key to negotiating down massive tax liens. Stop casting a wide net and start going deep on the 1,000 ugliest houses in your market. Be a part of the TTP training program now.---------Show notes:(0:00) Beginning of today's episode(2:17) The 90-day consistency rule to guarantee wholesaling success(4:19) How to easily secure a tax-default list via a FOIA request(9:28) Navigating code violations and tax defaults through property ownership(12:10) What it actually means to become the executor of an estate(13:02) Why solo investors must go deep on niches to beat massive companies(17:55) Securing an "Assignment of Interest" to gain economic benefit from heirs(21:26) Using a contract for deed strategy to solve upside-down tax liens(30:00) Unraveling complex probate lines of succession to find hidden heirs(35:21) Breaking down a massive $1.6M ARV probate deal in Washington, D.C.(38:07) How to probate the estate of a deceased heir to achieve quiet title----------Resources:Skip GenieTrue People SearchChatGPTWholesaling LaunchTo speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeGo to Wholesalingincgroup.com to become part of one of the fastest growing Facebook communities in the Wholesaling space. Get all of your burning Wholesaling questions answered, gain access to JV partnerships, and connect with other "success minded" Rhinos in the community.It's 100% free to join. The opportunities in this community  are endless, what are you waiting for?

Most people inherit more than a house—they inherit stress, memories, deferred maintenance, and one big question:Should we sell it as-is or fix it up first?In Episode 221 of Real Estate with Soul, Lori Alvarez shares how the  REsolved Concierge Program is helping families maximize the value of inherited homes, probate properties, trust sales, and outdated houses—often without paying renovation costs upfront.After helping hundreds of families navigate life-changing real estate decisions, Lori explains why selling an inherited home isn't just about putting a “For Sale” sign in the yard. It's about creating a strategy that protects your equity, minimizes stress, and helps you make informed financial decisions.In this episode, you'll learn:• When it makes sense to sell a home as-is• Which home improvements typically provide the best return before selling• How concierge real estate services can simplify renovations and repairs• What families should know about probate, trust, and inherited property sales• Why strategic preparation often leads to stronger offers and better resultsWhether you've inherited a family home, are helping aging parents downsize, own a rental property that needs updating, or simply want to know how to sell your home for the highest possible price, this episode provides practical guidance you can use today.If you're facing an inherited property or wondering where to begin, this conversation could save you time, money, and unnecessary stress.Have questions about an inherited home or preparing a property for sale? Connect with Lori Alvarez and the Real Estate REsolved team at www.realestateresolved.com or call 909-551-3144. We'd love to help you create a strategy that maximizes your home's value. Because Home Starts With You. ❤️

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches!  In this week's All The Leads Mastermind, the discussion begins with an inspiring reverse mortgage success story from Brian Griffin, who shares how a simple direct mail campaign helped an elderly couple avoid foreclosure, remain in their home, and continue caring for their disabled son. The story highlights how reverse mortgages, when used responsibly, can provide life-changing solutions for families facing financial hardship. The team also explores proven lead generation and follow-up strategies, including the importance of consistent outreach through mail, phone calls, and nurturing campaigns. Matt and Chris from Appointments Today explain how prompt follow-up, multiple touchpoints, and treating every lead—whether an appointment or a nurture—with urgency can dramatically improve conversion rates. Later in the episode, Roger shares his servant-leader approach to working with distressed homeowners, emphasizing the importance of leading with value, building trust, and connecting families with practical resources such as credit counseling, hardship assistance, and other solutions before ever discussing a sale. Throughout the conversation, the hosts reinforce that empathy, consistency, and a genuine desire to help are the foundation of long-term success in real estate investing.  Key Takeaways: Lead with value, not a sales pitch. Focus on solving problems and providing helpful resources before discussing real estate opportunities.  Consistent follow-up creates more opportunities. Multiple touchpoints and timely outreach greatly improve the chances of connecting with motivated prospects.  Build trust through a servant-leader mindset. Show empathy, understand each family's goals, and position yourself as a trusted advisor.  Use the right resources to help clients. Connect homeowners with credit counselors, hardship assistance, reverse mortgages, or other practical solutions when appropriate.  Treat every opportunity seriously. Whether it's an appointment or a nurture lead, prompt follow-up can turn conversations into future closings.  Leverage partnerships to scale your business. Combining direct outreach with services like ISA calling and local referral partners helps maximize lead conversion. To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market.   #ReverseMortgage #RealEstateInvesting #LeadGeneration #RealEstateProspectingPrevious episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A Playlist  Support the show

What does the new threat look like for inherited properties right now? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Tammy Legette. Tammy is a Charlotte based real estate broker, inherited property specialist, author, and founder of Inherited Property Navigator. In this episode, she shares how her own family experiences with probate, foreclosure risk, heir disputes, and deed fraud shaped her mission to educate families and real estate professionals before inherited property becomes a crisis. Tammy explains why inherited property is not the same as a normal real estate transaction. She breaks down the importance of opening an estate, identifying rightful heirs, securing proper authority to sell, checking deeds, understanding family dynamics, and protecting generational wealth before grief, confusion, or fraud takes control. Listen to the full episode, share it with a family member or real estate professional who handles inherited property, and subscribe to the Real Estate Excellence Podcast for more conversations that protect clients and strengthen the industry.   HighlightsTop of FormBottom of Form 00:00 - 16:52 Inherited property begins with grief and responsibility Tammy's path from moving company owner to real estate broker Early real estate marketing and client building REO work and mortgage industry experience Her mother's passing and the 15 inherited homes Why inherited property is not a normal real estate listing 16:52 - 30:46 Estate planning before the family crisis Tammy turns her personal experience into public education Families learn why an estate must be opened Legal heirs and administrators create early confusion Wills, trusts, and planning protect generational wealth Legal costs can drain the value of inherited property 30:46 - 47:05 The fraudulent deed that exposed the system The story behind From Death to Disposition Her grandfather's estate reveals a false affidavit A deed appears after death with impossible signatures The property is nearly sold without rightful heirs included Tammy begins fighting for deed fraud prevention 47:05 - 55:19 Family myths that destroy inherited wealth Why property does not automatically transfer after death Living in the home does not guarantee ownership Siblings need clear conversations before grief arrives Administrators carry serious legal responsibility Families need a plan before conflict takes over 55:19 - 01:03:05 What agents must verify before the deal Buyer agents should ask for estate authority documents Listing agents must confirm who can legally sell Title problems can appear late and stop the closing New deeds should be compared with prior deeds AI makes deed fraud harder to detect 01:03:05 - 01:16:44 Protecting homeowners from title fraud Paid off homes can become easier fraud targets Mortgaged homes can still be vulnerable Families should regularly check property records Agents need better probate and fraud awareness Tammy shares how education can protect family wealth   Quotes: "Inherited property is a different, totally different animal." – Tammy Legette "Selling homes, that is the end product. The beginning product is the grief." – Tammy Legette "One small disagreement can destroy your whole estate." – Tammy Legette "All it takes is a pen and someone willing to go and record a document that says they own your home." – Tammy Legette   To contact Tammy Legette, learn more about her business, and make her a part of your network, make sure to follow her Website, X, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.   Connect with Tammy Legette! Website: https://inheritedpropertynavigator.com X: https://x.com/tammyblegette Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy_legette/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tammybarbourlegette/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tammylegette LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammylegette/   Connect with me! Website: toprealtorjacksonville.com   Website: toprealtorstaugustine.com    SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW as we discuss real estate excellence with the best of the best.   #RealEstateExcellence #TracyHayes #RealEstateExcellence #TammyLegette #InheritedProperty #InheritedPropertyNavigator #ProbateRealEstate #EstatePlanning #DeedFraud #TitleFraud #GenerationalWealth #RealEstateAgents #RealtorEducation #RealEstatePodcast #FamilyProperty #HeirProperty #ProbateSpecialist #EstateAdministration #RealEstateTraining #PropertyRights #TitleSearch #HomeownerProtection

In this coaching call, we break down what it really means to become a probate real estate specialist. You'll hear practical conversations around probate referrals, low answer rates, contested wills, auction properties, foreclosure issues, AI tools, and where to start if you're exploring probate as a real estate niche.Timestamps:00:55 Why probate becomes more powerful when it turns into a referral-based business04:40 Why low answer rates are not always a tech problem, and how to use your call statistics to improve your ratios12:05 What agents need to understand when a probate case involves a contested or potentially fraudulent will16:14 How to think about probate properties that are already moving toward auction20:04 Why probate properties can end up in foreclosure, even when the family is trying to handle things properly31:16 How AI is starting to shift the real estate business, and why most agents are still only scratching the surface41:46 Where to start when AI feels overwhelming and you do not know which tool or task to begin with42:15 How long it can take to get a probate business going, and what agents should understand before expecting quick results43:30 The best place to start if you are exploring probate, and why your own database may be your strongest first move

Most agents aren't bad at real estate cold calling scripts. They're practicing the wrong thing entirely, on the wrong leads, in the wrong niche.A former firefighter with zero real estate experience closed 29 transactions in his first active year using one system. He didn't have my database. He didn't have my sphere. He had probate, a role play schedule, and someone further down the path willing to show him how the game actually works. He retired from the force. That's not a motivational story. That's a blueprint.Here's what this session covers:✅ Why probate real estate listings consistently outperform every other lead source, and the math behind why sellers in probate have no choice but to transact✅ How to build a real estate prospecting system that puts you in control of your own leads instead of paying platforms that raise prices the moment you depend on them✅ The exact real estate lead sources ranked by probability, and why chasing optional sellers in a tightening market is the fastest way to get exposed✅ What a real real estate agent coaching relationship actually looks like versus buying access to a course and hoping something sticks✅ The role play schedule that separates agents who sound natural on the phone from agents who are still winging it, and why niche lead generation without practiced scripts produces nothing✅ How to position yourself with sellers when the market shifts and most agents around you are confusing luck with skillThe agents who survive what is coming are not the most charming or the most connected. They are the most adaptive. Probate leads give you a niche that forces transactions. Scripts give you a skill the market cannot take away. The combination is how you get real estate listings when everyone else is waiting for the phone to ring.Stop waiting. Start building.

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches! In this week's All The Leads Mastermind, Bill Byrd returns to share how he closed five probate transactions in a single month, breaking down the conversations, referrals, and long-term follow-up that made each deal possible. His success stories reinforce the value of consistently nurturing probate leads, building relationships with attorneys and senior care professionals, and maintaining a strong network of investors to help clients quickly when the time is right. The episode also features a live role-play session with Coach Bruce Hill, who coaches attendees through real probate scenarios, including handling objections, asking thoughtful questions, and confidently guiding conversations toward an appointment. Rather than relying on sales tactics, Bruce demonstrates how curiosity, trust, and strategic communication help uncover a client's true needs while building credibility. Throughout the discussion, the team answers questions from both new and experienced members, offering practical advice on handling family dynamics, overcoming common objections, improving appointment-setting conversations, and developing confidence through repetition and practice.  Key Takeaways Consistent follow-up leads to more deals. Staying in touch with probate leads over time creates valuable opportunities.  Build a strong referral network. Relationships with attorneys, senior care professionals, and investors generate more business.  Lead with curiosity, not pressure. Ask thoughtful questions to uncover needs and address objections naturally.  Build trust before offering solutions. Understand the family's goals before recommending the best path forward.  Practice creates confidence. Role-playing and repetition help improve conversations and appointment success.  Small commitments move deals forward. Focus on the next step to keep conversations progressing toward a successful outcome.  To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market.  #ProbateInvesting #RealEstateInvesting #RealEstateProspecting #RealEstateCoaching Previous episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A PlaylistSupport the show

On this episode: Many retirement plans fail in the first 5 years of retirement…why? Is an IRA-to-Roth conversion a good move for you? One article says be careful. How one man had to wait 5 years to settle his father’s estate, only to find out about a big tax surprise. Subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode! Check out Fire Your Financial Advisor on YouTube! Learn more at GoldenReserve.com or follow on social: Facebook & LinkedIn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've been asking is probate certification worth it, I'm going to give you the honest answer most people in this space won't say out loud.It's not.Not because the information is bad. Because the letters mean nothing to the family on the other end of the phone. Consumers don't know what those designations are. They don't care. What they care about is whether you sound like you actually know what you're talking about when you're sitting across from them in the hardest moment of their life.That's what this is really about. And if you're grinding probate real estate for agents content looking for the edge that's going to change your numbers, this is it.☑️ Why mastering probate real estate has nothing to do with letters behind your name and everything to do with the legal language you speak on the call☑️ The difference between testate and intestate and why understanding that procedural layer is your actual differentiator as a probate lead source for agents☑️ What probate prospecting strategy actually looks like at a high level versus what most agents are doing wrong right now☑️ Why the agents who learn to dominate probate leads are the ones who went through the hard part of learning the legal process instead of skipping it with a certification shortcut☑️ The real reason most probate scripts for agents stop working before you ever get to the close and what fills that gapMost agents approach probate from a pure sales angle. They learn what to say. They don't learn the game. And the family on the other end of that call knows immediately. You can feel when someone actually knows what they're talking about. That feeling is what builds trust. That trust is what books appointments. No certificate gives you that. Mastery does.This is what separating yourself in probate real estate actually looks like.

Paul Deloughery, also known as Paul E. Deloughery, is an experienced estate planning and probate litigation attorney with over 25 years of experience. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Paul is dedicated to helping families protect their wealth, maintain harmony, and create lasting legacies.Visit his website here: https://suddenwealthprotectionlaw.com/meet-the-attorneys/

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches!  In this week's All The Leads Mastermind, the discussion focused on the mindset and habits that help real estate investors succeed. Steve shared coaching insights for newer investors, emphasizing that everyone starts somewhere and that confidence is built through consistent action. The group explored the importance of leading with value, asking questions, and acting as a problem solver rather than a salesperson. Tim and Jim discussed the entrepreneurial mindset, the challenges of prospecting outside your comfort zone, and why successful investors focus on building relationships instead of pitching themselves. They also highlighted the "180-degree prospecting" approach, where you provide the opposite of what most competitors do by listening first and offering multiple solutions. The episode wrapped up with a preview of next week's guest and an invitation for members to bring more questions, ideas, and experiences to future mastermind sessions.  Key Takeaways:- Lead with value before selling. Focus on understanding the person's situation and offering help rather than jumping straight into a sales pitch.  - Be a trusted guide. Ask questions, uncover challenges, and present multiple options instead of pushing a single solution.  - Don't be afraid to be new. Everyone starts somewhere, and confidence grows through practice, not perfection.  - Success comes from repetition. Making calls, having conversations, and learning from experience are what build long-term results.  - Make the most of the mastermind. Arrive with questions, ideas, or challenges so you can learn from the group's experience and insights. To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market. #RealEstateInvesting #LeadWithValue #EntrepreneurMindset #RealEstateProspectingPrevious episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A PlaylistSupport the show

Joshua Ramirez is the founder of the firm California Estate Planning services. Visit his website here: https://www.californiaestateplanningservices.com/

Probate is one of the most misunderstood topics in estate planning. Many people know they want to avoid it, but few understand what probate is or why it exists in the first place. This week, attorney Kyle Rinaudo of Reeves Law, P.C., joins us for an in-depth conversation on the facts and fiction surrounding probate, including its purpose, the role it plays in settling estates, why it often carries a negative reputation, and what families can realistically expect when navigating the process.Original Air Date: June 13, 2026Read the Article: https://www.henssler.com/before-you-try-to-avoid-probate-understand-it 

Bill Gross talks to Darren Findling, a probate attorney based in Michigan. Darren is the President of The Probate Pro, the nationally recognized, leading probate and trust coordination law firm.Visit his website here: https://theprobatepro.com/darren-findling/

Probate is one of the most misunderstood topics in estate planning. Many people know they want to avoid it, but few understand what probate is or why it exists in the first place. This week, attorney Kyle Rinaudo of Reeves Law, P.C., joins us for an in-depth conversation on the facts and fiction surrounding probate, including its purpose, the role it plays in settling estates, why it often carries a negative reputation, and what families can realistically expect when navigating the process.We also explore one of the most common sources of stress in any relationship: money. A recent survey found that four in 10 adults in committed relationships admit to keeping financial secrets. From spending habits and saving priorities to differing investment philosophies, we'll discuss the financial disagreements couples face most often and how open communication can help create alignment around shared goals.Finally, after discussing emergency funds a few weeks ago, we take the next step in the financial planning journey: investing for the future. Whether you're just getting started or looking to better understand your options, we'll break down the fundamentals of retirement investing, including 401(k)s, employer matches, Traditional and Roth IRAs, and the importance of letting time and compounding work in your favor.From estate planning and family finances to long-term investing, this episode focuses on building a stronger financial foundation for every stage of life.Join hosts Nick Antonucci, CVA, CEPA, Director of Research, and Managing Associates K.C. Smith, CFP®, CEPA, and D.J. Barker, CWS®, and Kelly-Lynne Scalice, a seasoned communicator and host, on Henssler Money Talks as they explore key financial strategies to help investors navigate market uncertainty. Henssler Money Talks — June 13, 2026  |  Season 40, Episode 24Timestamps and Chapters4:40: Probate: Fact, Fiction, and what Really Happens32:27: When Mom and Dad Fight: When Couples Disagree About Money50:18: From Safety Net to Nest Egg: Investing for the FutureFollow Henssler:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HensslerFinancial/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/HensslerFinancial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/henssler-financial/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hensslerfinancial/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hensslerfinancial?lang=en X: https://www.x.com/hensslergroup “Henssler Money Talks” is brought to you by Henssler Financial. Sign up for the Money Talks Newsletter: https://www.henssler.com/newsletters/ Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.See important disclosures at Henssler.com

Want to quit your job and build a real land investing business?

Tune in to our weekly LIVE Mastermind Q+A Podcast for expert advice, peer collaboration, and actionable insights on success in the Probate, Divorce, Late Mortgage/Pre-Foreclosure, and Aged Expired niches! Today's episode focuses on strategies for working late mortgage leads, maintaining long-term follow-up, and using technology to stay connected with prospects throughout extended decision-making cycles. Much of the discussion centers on how to approach late mortgage conversations without creating defensiveness, emphasizing value-driven outreach, relationship-building, and positioning yourself as a trusted resource rather than leading with a homeowner's financial challenges. The coaches share practical prospecting approaches, including circle prospecting techniques, home value conversations, and other low-pressure methods for opening meaningful dialogue. The conversation also explores the challenge of staying visible with prospects who initially engage but later become unresponsive, leading to a broader discussion about follow-up systems, drip campaigns, marketing funnels, and digital tools that help agents remain top-of-mind until prospects are ready to act. Throughout the episode, a recurring theme is that consistent communication, patience, and providing genuine value are often more important than any single script or marketing tactic. Ultimately, the discussion reinforces that building trust, staying visible, and creating effective follow-up systems are key to converting leads into long-term opportunities.  Key Takeaways: - How to approach late mortgage leads without creating defensiveness or resistance.  - Why leading with value and curiosity builds more trust than focusing on financial distress.  - Practical prospecting techniques, including circle prospecting and home value conversations.  - The importance of consistent follow-up when prospects become unresponsive or go quiet.  - How marketing funnels, drip campaigns, and digital tools can help keep you top-of-mind.  - Why long-term success comes from combining patience, visibility, and relationship-based communication. To learn more, visit https://www.AllTheLeads.com or call (844) 532-3369 to check how many leads are available in your market.  #LateMortgageLeads #LeadGeneration #RealEstateProspecting #RelationshipMarketingPrevious episodes: AllTheLeads.com/probate-mastermindInterested in Leads? AllTheLeads.comJoin Future Episodes Live in the All The Leads Facebook Mastermind Group:  https://facebook.com/groups/alltheleadsmastermindBe sure to check out our full Mastermind Q&A PlaylistSupport the show

A probate real estate specialist cannot rely on one method forever.As calling gets harder, the business has to lean more on content, sharper messaging, and better judgment about which cases deserve deeper time.This coaching call walks through what changes when outreach slows down, where AI fits into a probate business, and how content can become a steady source of trust and opportunity when built the right way.It also breaks down a live probate case that shows why stepping back is sometimes the smartest move.Timestamps02:17 – 03:01Why calling gets harder, and where your time starts to shift as a probate real estate specialist building for the long term.03:09 – 04:25Using AI the right way so your content still sounds like you, not a generic script.05:20 – 06:46What goes wrong with AI scripts, and how to fix them quickly so your message stays useful and natural.07:01 – 07:41A simple content flow a probate real estate specialist can repeat every week without overcomplicating the process.09:18 – 11:15What editors can handle today, and where you still need to guide the message so your probate real estate marketing stays aligned.11:26 – 13:23Why content becomes the steadier source when outreach slows down and phone-based prospecting gets less reliable.13:35 – 18:31What changes when a probate deal involves court approval, multiple parties, and more moving pieces than a standard sale.19:01 – 27:35A live probate case that shows when stepping back is the right move, and why a probate real estate specialist needs judgment as much as drive.This replay is especially useful for anyone building as a probate real estate specialist and wanting a clearer strategy for content, AI, outreach, and deal selection.If you are trying to create steadier lead flow, better messaging, and stronger decision-making inside your probate real estate business, this call will give you a practical framework you can use right away.

When Brian died, Adrienne thought there was a will.They had talked about it. He told her it was done. It wasn't until after he died that she learned there was no will—and felt the rug pulled out from under everything she thought had been planned for her family's future.What followed wasn't just grief. It was probate, paperwork, debt, uncertainty, and a thousand questions Adrienne never expected to answer while trying to keep her family afloat.In this deeply personal episode, Adrienne shares what the past few months have really looked like: widow brain, decision fatigue, financial uncertainty, and the guilt and shame that can come with money struggles. If you've ever lost someone, worried about what would happen if you did, or found yourself responsible for things you never planned to manage, this conversation is for you.Send us Fan MailFor those who have reached out asking how to support Adrienne and her family during this time, click here to donate. There is absolutely no expectation—just sincere gratitude.We Didn't Plan For This Special SeriesThis series exists because so many of you reached out and said, “I didn't plan for this either.”If you've gone through a diagnosis, a loss, a life change, a career shift, a divorce, becoming a caregiver, moving, starting over — we want to hear your story.You don't have to have it figured out. You just have to be willing to share honestly.How Yoga Changed My Life a PodcastSend Us Your Stories!If you have a story about how yoga, meditation, breath work, journaling, or movement changed your life, we want to hear from you! These podcasts are really about the same thing — how people move through the seasons of life they didn't plan for, and what helps them along the way.If you'd like to be on the show or share your story:  Fill out our guest form or email us at yogachanged@gmail.com Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yogachanged...

Attorney Todd Marquardt addresses probate, Howard Hughes wills, and more on this bonus edition of Talk Law Radio! Attorney Todd Marquardt brings you insightful topics every Saturday morning, but he's not stopping there! Join Todd every Sunday afternoon at 4:30pm for a special bonus segment! He addresses trending and specific topics in more detail with a professional perspective. The mission of Talk Law Radio is to help you discover your legal issue blind spots by listening to me talk about the law on the radio. The state bar of Texas is the state agency that governs attorney law licenses. The State Bar wants attorneys to inform the public about the law but does not want us to attempt to solve your individual legal problems upon the basis of general information. Instead, contact an attorney like Todd A. Marquardt at Marquardt Law Firm, P.C. to discuss your specific facts and circumstances of your unique situation. Like & Subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/@talklawradio3421 Listen here! www.TalkLawRadio.com Work with Todd! https://marquardtlawfirm.com/ Join attorney Todd Marquardt every week for exciting law talk on Talk Law Radio!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharon Vornholt is a seasoned real estate investor, marketing strategist, and nationally recognized probate investing expert with nearly three decades of experience in the industry. Since 1998, she has built a reputation for helping investors and agents generate consistent, high-quality leads—particularly through probate and direct mail marketing strategies. As a real estate and business coach, Sharon specializes in teaching entrepreneurs how to create effective marketing plans, attract motivated sellers, and stand out through powerful personal branding. She is the creator of the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog, where she shares actionable insights, training, and resources for investors at every level. Sharon is also an accomplished author, podcaster, and educator, hosting the popular "Let's Talk Real Estate Investing" podcast. Through her content, coaching, and speaking, she empowers real estate professionals to build scalable, profitable businesses with confidence. During the show we discuss: Why probate investing is a hidden goldmine most investors overlook—and how less competition creates better deals How to consistently generate high-quality leads using probate data and direct mail marketing The exact mindset shift needed to approach probate deals with empathy (and still close profitably) How to build a scalable marketing system that brings in deals month after month Why branding and positioning matter even in real estate investing (and how to stand out) How to turn one niche strategy into a full business model instead of chasing random deals Common mistakes investors make when entering probate—and how to avoid them How Sharon built longevity in the industry by focusing on systems, not just transactions Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonvornholt/ https://louisvillegalsrealestateblog.com/

If you are struggling to get sellers to open up about their true motivation or asking price, this episode is exactly what you need. In the second half of this live lead conversion masterclass, Brent Daniels and Chad Coulter reveal the exact framework to dominate the Discovery Phase. Chad explains how a simple phrase like "Catch me up to speed" can completely lower a seller's guard and why having the MLS open during every call is non-negotiable for real time negotiations.You will also learn exactly how to handle homeowners who bought at the peak of the market, how to get past the "I have a number but I will not tell you" objection using a highly effective script, and why asking yourself "Would I buy this property" is the ultimate cheat code for unwavering confidence. Be a part of the TTP training program now.---------Show notes:(0:00) Beginning of today's episode(1:06) Why asking "Catch me up to speed" is a legit way to uncover a seller's true motivation(3:23) The true definition of a lead and why you shouldn't waste time on undecided sellers(5:06) The virtual deal process and comping properties for the acquisition team(8:49) Why having the MLS or PropStream open during calls is an absolute necessity(9:49) How to handle sellers with zero equity who bought properties at the peak of the market(13:30) Why short sales are positioned to make a massive comeback in the next few years(16:57) How to educate sellers on true ARV vs. Zillow price builds equity during negotiations(21:07) The exact script Chad uses to get sellers to safely reveal their asking price(23:11) Why asking yourself "Would I buy this property?" protects you from getting pushed around by cash buyers(30:04) Uncovering all decision-makers during discovery before ever making an offer(30:53) A sneak peek into the upcoming Rhino Tribe meetup on Tax Default and Probate deals(34:12) How to transparently answer the question, "Are you going to be buying the house?"(41:17) The power of role-playing and active listening to level up your sales game(43:49) Why you are the combination of the five people you want to be the most like----------Resources:US Lead List PropStream ZillowRedfinContact Eugene Latson at:(301) 541-7752@realbrentdaniels on InstagramTo speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeGo to Wholesalingincgroup.com to become part of one of the fastest growing Facebook communities in the Wholesaling space. Get all of your burning Wholesaling questions answered, gain access to JV partnerships, and connect with other "success minded" Rhinos in the community.It's 100% free to join. The opportunities in this community  are endless, what are you waiting for?

Today's show is sponsored by Huion, makers of the Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) — a 21.5" pen display with a gorgeous 2.5K screen and really smooth performance. Bottom line: it feels great to draw on — and it punches way above its price. • Check it out at https://comiclabshop.com • Use code COMICLAB5 for an exclusive 5% discount! (Valid through June 14th) Brad and Dave tackle a listener question that gets to the heart of creative careers: Can you make a living telling shorter stories, or does success demand long-form work? As always, the answer is equal parts practical advice and creative philosophy — grounded in real-world experience and delivered with ComicLab's signature mix of humor and honesty. TODAY'S SHOW • Can you build a career on individual short stories? • Market expectations around story length (comics, film, TV) and perceived value • Creative problem-solving as a business tool — making unconventional formats work • Strategies for packaging short stories (genre consistency, shared setting, through-lines) • Examples of experimental storytelling formats (anthologies, vignette structures) • PROMO: Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) — features, workflow integration, and discount code ComicLab5 at https://comiclabshop.com • Estate planning for cartoonists — what happens to your IP after death? • Debate: Should creative work become public domain sooner? • Should kids continue your comic… or make their own work? • The reality of legacy comics vs. modern independent publishing You get great rewards when you join the ComicLab Community on Patreon$2 — Early access to episodes$5 — Submit a question for possible use on the show AND get the exclusive ProTips podcast. Plus $2-tier rewards.If you'd like a one-on-one consultation about your comic, book it now!Brad Guigar is the creator of Evil Inc and the author of The Webcomics Handbook. He is available for personal consultations. Dave Kellett is the creator of Sheldon and Drive. He is the co-director of the comics documentary, Stripped.

Brent Daniels breaks down the ultimate strategy to supercharge your wholesaling business without spending a single dime on marketing. Brent shares his top five untapped referral sources that you need to start leveraging immediately. From utilizing your friends and family to connecting with local probate attorneys, he explains exactly how to approach each group, what to say, and how to build mutually beneficial relationships. If you want to stop relying solely on paid leads and build a self-sustaining pipeline of highly motivated sellers, this episode is your blueprint. Be a part of the TTP training program now.---------Show notes:(0:00) Beginning of today's episode (1:08) Why building a referral network is the third and most powerful way to source real estate deals for free (1:47) Source 1 Your friends and family and why you should never be a secret agent about your real estate business(2:59) The exact question you need to ask your personal network to uncover distressed properties(3:12) Source 2 The neighbors of the worst house on the street and how they can give you the inside scoop on vacant homes(4:30) Source 3 Real estate agents and why they actually prefer to pass rundown properties to cash buyers instead of listing them(5:55) The exact script to use when calling listing agents to ensure you become their go-to cash buyer(6:36) Source 4 Other real estate investors and wholesalers who have deals they cannot close or fund themselves(8:27) Source 5 Probate attorneys and how sending them business will result in a flood of highly motivated leads----------Resources:Realtor.comZillowTo speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeGo to Wholesalingincgroup.com to become part of one of the fastest growing Facebook communities in the Wholesaling space. Get all of your burning Wholesaling questions answered, gain access to JV partnerships, and connect with other "success minded" Rhinos in the community.It's 100% free to join. The opportunities in this community  are endless, what are you waiting for?