buy half a house

If you would like to buy a property and can't afford to buy one alone, please check out www.buyhalfahouse.com to see how others have done this in the San Diego area. I own a property with another person as tenants in common. This type of ownership assures that my half will go to my heirs if I die and her half will go to her heirs. It can be a very convenient way to own a vacation property, which this property is for me. Call me with questions at 616 405 1932.

Titling of assets

The biggest problem many people have in estate planning is the proper titling of their assets. Joint with right of survivorship is only appropriate for spouses. Each person should have his or her own assets titled in the name of their living trust because if you just put someone else's name on your house you are technically giving them a gift of half of the value. Not a good plan........It is very simple to retitle an asset. Simply file a quit-claim deed in the case of real estate and give the bank a copy of your trust in the case of bank accounts. These simple steps can save a lot of time, money and heartache.

how you own assets

Hey Savvy Women, how you own your assets is more important than almost everything else. I will write more soon about this. Most everyone I ever meet has bad estate planning with huge consequences.

living trust

One major problem for most people that I have ever come into contact with is that they do not have proper estate planning. A living trust is essential for nearly everyone who has assets, not for just the wealthy. Holding assets jointly with anyone other than a spouse is very unwise, yet many people do this with property, brokerage accounts etc. The main purpose to have a living trust vs a will is to avoid probate which is costly and time-consuming. There are many sites online which can help you do this but you should have a good estate planning attorney review things to avoid pitfalls.

Conquer the elephant

This is the day to take action on your financial situation. It is the beginning of the year and time to make a fresh start. Resolve this day that you will work on one little piece of the puzzle. Do you have credit card debt? If so, run right out to the bookstore and buy a book by Dave Ramsey. He will teach you the little steps to conquer the elephant.

Welcome to my blog-New Year's Day 2008

My goal for 2008 is to help many women understand the whole financial thing-most women leave everything up to the men in their lives. Please read my blog often to hear about pitfalls and $mart choices all women can make.