Have you taken my divorce survey yet? Head over to the link below to help me know what you want to know when it comes to divorce, and maybe you’ll be the winner of a $50 cash card!
Click Below http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/
A Chance To Win $50
January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
FREE Home Inventory Software
January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I want you to have the best tools available when dealing with the any life challenge. That’s why I’m proud to partner with the great folks at OwnDepot to offer a
FREE valuable online home inventory system
that is a terrific planning tool for any life stage and can help make your difficult transition to two households a smoother process if you are going through divorce.
OwnDepot provides customers with a FREE home inventory management solution to track and record your home assets.
Getting divorced? This can be a simpler way to divvy up those household items. Whether you married or divorced, having a home inventory can save you countless hours cataloging your personal assets and provide you with great peace of mind in the event you need this information fast. If disaster strikes you won’t have to worry about trying to proving what you own to the insurance company, your information will all be there waiting safely for you.
I’ve signed up and am well on my way to having our family home inventory completed. It’s fast and easy and I’m feeling grateful knowing that we have this valuable tool in our back pocket in case there was ever an emergency.
Sign up today for a FREE membership and begin the process to get peace of mind.
Divorce Planning: The Top 5 Things to Know About Your Properties Before Getting Divorced
January 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Top 5 Property Division Factors to Consider
When it comes to divorce and property division, one of the biggest mistakes people make is entering into negotiations without first accurately assessing current property assets. Successful divorce planning begins with careful research. If you are in the process of getting divorced, it is important that you protect yourself by understanding the particulars of your individual situation.
Not all property is created equal, so you will need to look into the details that apply to the property you and your spouse own.
As a starting point, consider the following five factors during your divorce property division:
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Identify the type of real estate you own and the basis of each property.
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Determine the ownership history for each piece of property.
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Establish how long you have held the property.
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Research what debts, such as loans and tax liens, the property might have.
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Calculate the income you will need to pay for and maintain the real estate property during the divorce and afterward.
Do you own a personal residence, land, investment or commercial properties or some combination of these? And what is the basis – the original price paid for the property, plus major improvements (NOT ordinary repairs and maintenance) plus selling costs (commissions, closing costs, etc.).
Is each piece of real estate marital or separate or some combination of both? How is the title held now – jointly or in only one name?
This is an important question to know to determine if there are any capital gains tax issues.
Most everyone thinks of the mortgage and possibly a second mortgage, but there could be other debts against the property you may have forgotten or possibly some of which you were never aware.
Be sure to take both major repairs and ongoing costs to properly maintain the property into consideration.
By engaging in careful divorce planning with the help of an expert in divorce and property division, such as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, you can avoid some of the common financial pitfalls of getting divorced.
Divorce & Money Secrets: Teleseminar Event
January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Attention: Those whose lives have been impacted by divorce – If you are wrestling with worry, fear and uncertainty about how unravel your finances and your life then you MUST…
“Discover Divorce and Money Secrets to Help You Get the Rock Solid Best Results From Your Settlement!”
Facing divorce feels overwhelming, doesn’t it? Maybe you’re afraid of what’s going to happen, how the divorce will go, and unsure of the financial future you’ll face. You want to get it done right, but you aren’t sure who to trust or where to begin in the process.
Or maybe you’re putting it behind you now and want to end it right or wrap up loose ends so nothing gets missed, but you aren’t sure what that looks like either. How could you? Nothing in life ever prepared you for this.
I understand your worries and fears and I want to help calm them for you. I’m Lisa C. Decker, Your Strategic Divorce Advisor™, and I’ve helped hundreds of people like you to “Divorce Your Spouse, Not Your Money®.”
Starting on the journey of divorce can be scary, lonely, and for some, downright crazy. You may not be sure where to begin or what come next. You may wonder who can you trust, who you need on your team (did you even know you need a “team” and who should be on it?) and where to find the right professionals for your unique circumstances? And coming to the end of your divorce can open up a whole other side of questions and concerns.
Do you wonder how to divvy up accounts and debts, get what you are owed on the retirement accounts, what to do about credit cards, have social security or insurance related questions and more?
If you are ready to learn the answers that will help you move from overwhelm to ACTION then I invite you to join me as a guest at my next FREE teleseminar event:
“Divorce & Money Secrets: FIVE Must-Know Essentials to Creating a Rock Solid
Settlement for Your Divorce that will Save Your Money and Your Sanity!”
This Event takes place
Thursday, January 26th,
2012 at 7 pm (EST)
If you’ve know me at all, you know that I have had a long standing teleseminars series, but in the past year my work log has kept me to busy to keep up with it, so this is my first teleseminar in nearly a year! I don’t know when I’ll be offering this again LIVE, so plan on catching this one if you need this intensive information I’ll be delving into! Here’s what I will be sharing with you on this complimentary, one-hour call:
- The FIVE essentials your Divorce MUST HAVE to Save Your Money and Your Sanity
- The TWO key reasons divorcing folks many times fail to get their best outcome
- When you should and SHOULDN’T listen to your attorney
- Lessons from cases of “Divorce Gone Wild!” and my personal experiences as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst that will help you avoid common mistakes made by others
- And get a sneak peak at details on my brand new “Money and Sanity Saving” way to get the guidance you deserve!
To see if this information is right for you, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you completely understand the money matters of your divorce?
- Does your attorney?
- Are you riding the emotional roller coaster of your divorce?
- Are you unsure where to begin and what comes next
- Are you making the worst money decisions of your life based on fear, emotion and lack of information?
- Are you near the end or post divorce and still left with questions and uncertainty about how to tie up loose ends?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then you absolutely must listen LIVE to this FREE call.
“Divorce & Money Secrets: FIVE Must-Know Essentials to Creating a Rock Solid Settlement for Your Divorce that will Save Your Money and Your Sanity!”
If you want to discover the secrets to getting the settlement results that you deserve, don’t miss this call on Thursday, January 26th, 2012.
I’ll be making an extra special offer for those who are listening LIVE on the call and are ready to take action for their financial future. Be sure to listen in live so you don’t miss out on this EXTRA Special Bonus Value Offer!
Wishing you peace and a future filled with prosperity,
P.S.I’ve consulted with hundreds of people in the midst of or past divorce. Many have shared their war stories of divorce gone wild with long, drawn-out, outrageously expensive and sanity-sucking experiences. You don’t have to go through the same. Get ready for sound strategies that will help you get a rock-solid divorce settlement!
Getting Divorced? How Getting the Best Divorce Help Starts With Taking Control
January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Divorce Help Starts With Taking Control
If you are ending your marriage, chances are you don’t know where to turn for divorce help. Before you look elsewhere, remember that the most important source of divorce help can be found right in the mirror. Remaining empowered and not allowing yourself to become a victim in the process – no matter how difficult – starts with taking control.
The first thing you must do is take time to educate yourself about divorce.
Divorce help is out there, but you have to know how to assess each professional’s ability to get the job done.
Be sure to interview the experts you want to have on your divorce team. When getting divorced, you want to have quality mediators, attorneys, therapists, and financial advisers involved in the process.
Whatever you do, do not base your choices solely on recommendations from your best friends, neighbors, or relatives. While often well-intentioned, be weary of anyone who is not an expert in the battle you are facing. They can sometimes make things worse… much worse!
Do your own divorce help research independently, and do not fall into the trap of feeling obligated to work with anyone just because you have a personal connection. This is too important.
As you face divorce, help with the financial matters can make a world of difference in your ability to successfully navigate the process without losing your shirt. Seek to work with someone who has experience and training specifically in divorce matters, such as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA).
And, of course, find a divorce attorney who will be your best ally. Remember that while a good divorce attorney is likely to be a busy divorce attorney, you should not settle for working with someone who doesn’t have time to give you proper attention. Many attorneys are in overload with more to do than they have time for and are notoriously known for not responding timely to phone calls and emails. Be sure to have a conversation about expectations from the start.
Learn as much as you can about the process and remain vigilant about who you bring onto your team. Finding qualified divorce help will serve your best interests when getting divorced.
Divorce Planning: 3 Steps to Getting Organized Before Getting Divorced
January 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
One of the keys to keeping your sanity in the midst of getting divorce planning is to get organized right from the start.
Successful divorce planning begins with being as clear as possible on your goals and determining what information you will need to move forward.
Once you’ve established your goals, be sure to develop, implement and use a system that will help stay organized throughout the divorce planning process.
Divorce planning will pay off in the long run if you follow these three simple steps:
1. Gather as many financial and legal documents as possible. A trained divorce financial professional, such as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), can help you determine what money-related documents you will need for the divorce. Planning ahead can prevent slow processing and headaches down the road. And always make extra copies for yourself! It can be very costly to have to go back to your attorney or financial adviser and ask for copies of your own documents.
2. Store everything in a safe place. You might choose to entrust important documents to a friend or family member, or better yet, rent a safe deposit box. A jump drive can be used for scanned documents, but be sure to update information on a regular basis. Use an accordion file, filing cabinet, or a notebook with tabs. You want to create a “history” of your financial life, in order by month.
3. Use a calendar to keep track of appointments. You will likely have numerous meetings and hearings to fit into your already busy everyday life. Make monthly, weekly, and daily to do lists. Develop new routines and, most importantly, don’t neglect take care of yourself. Remember, you can’t help yourself (or your children) if you are not at the top of your game while going through the divorce planning process.
Divorce planning can quickly become an overwhelming process, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Even when emotions run high, getting organized before getting divorced sets the groundwork for less frustration. It also helps contribute to a more amicable situation overall and it ensures you’re prepared if things take a turn for the worst. An organized approach allows you to protect yourself no matter which way the winds of your divorce blow.
Divorce Planning: The Top 5 Types of Documents To Have Before Contacting Your Attorney
January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Many people find one of the most difficult aspects of divorce planning is the seemingly never ending requests for financial information and legal documentation.
If you are divorce planning, you need a solid defense against drowning in a sea of paperwork.
Start by gathering every possible financial statement or document pertaining to you and your spouse’s financial life, whether held individually or jointly. And before you contact an attorney or a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), arm yourself with an organized set of documents.
Divorce Planning: The Top 5 Types of Documents To Have Before Contacting Your Attorney
Divorce Planning - Assets
Gather all information on your bank, investment, and retirement statements, as well as your life insurance policies and any cash surrender value. Secure real estate property records, including your primary residence, second home, rental and commercial properties, time-shares and land. For your vehicles, determine the make, model, year, mileage, features and overall condition to get an estimate of value.
Meticulously document other assets such as jewelry, artwork, and collectibles, and don’t forget potentially valuable intangibles, such as season tickets and frequent flier miles. If you own a business, you may need a business valuation expert.
Divorce Planning – Liabilities
You will need to obtain copies of any notes payable or mortgage documents. All debt documentation should include information on the creditors, balances owed initially and currently, interest rates, and credit limits.
Divorce Planning - Taxes
When obtaining divorce planning services, you should be prepared to submit three to five years of tax returns, W-2s, current pay stubs, including commission and bonus payments, real estate property tax information, and personal property tax information.
Divorce Planning - Insurance
Look for both personal and work policies. If you are in the process divorce planning, never remove your spouse from your insurance policies until after your divorce is final or without the consent of your attorney. Speak with your attorney and insurance agent for each policy regarding re-titling of your insurance accounts and possibly changes of beneficiaries for life insurance policies.
Other Divorce Planning Documents
Take the time to make a list of additional documents you might need to access during the divorce. Planning ahead, you will be able to retrieve wills, passports, birth certificates, credit reports, and other critical documents.
Gathering all of the documents and information you need when preparing to get a divorce can be a tedious process, but divorce planning is something that has to be done with care. Hastily gathering information as you need it will lead to wasted time, mounting frustration and more money needlessly spent. Remaining organized and systematized is one thing you can truly control to save you time, money, and your sanity in the process of divorce planning.
How to Cope with Divorce and the Holidays
December 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
How to Cope With Divorce and the Holidays
A trail of brown needles leads out to the curb where the Christmas tree, once fragrant and green, lies wilted and dying. Unplugged are the brightly colored lights and, along with the treasured decorations, boxed up and stored away. Gone too, are family and friends. And where so recently nights were filled with gala social gatherings, the only thing left on many to-do lists is return gifts and mop up.
To top it off, in many parts of the country dreary, gray days lengthen into cold, dark nights.
No wonder so many people find themselves at a loss once the holiday season is over. The Post-Holiday Blues—especially when dealing with Divorce and the Holidays, feelings of sadness, of let-down, of depression—are not at all uncommon this time of year.
As the name implies, these blues are seasonal and are likely to disappear as the routine of daily life sets in again and things get back to normal. But the symptoms are real and can make a return to that ordinary rhythm hard to come by.
Symptoms of the Post-Holiday Blues can include feelings of fatigue or lethargy, an increased need for sleep, a lack of interest in activities and a sense of loss or sadness.
Strategies to deal with Divorce and the Holidays:
- Extend the time of giving by continuing to be generous. With so many new toys, children can clean out their toy boxes and closets and give to a charity or church those which they no longer use or want. Adults can do the same with clothes, household items or their own “toys.”
- Recount the good times by writing thank you notes. Handwritten notes acknowledging the gift of time shared can be meaningful too – for the writer as well as the recipient.
- Instead of putting this year’s holiday pictures away in a drawer along with all those other photos of years gone by, set aside the time to put them in a holiday scrapbook. Make it a family project.
- When the weather permits, take walks outside. When the weather doesn’t cooperate, exercise inside. Put on some music and dance with yourself.
- Every day schedule in a pleasant activity for yourself. Even if it’s only a hot bath or a half-hour with a favorite book.
- Bring beauty into your home and your life. Taking down the holiday decorations can make a place feel dull and empty. Fill it up again with art, candles, flowers, bowls of fruit.
- Plan a trip or a project. Working on something and making plans gives you something to look forward to.
- Volunteer for activities through one of your favorite organizations.
- Recognize that this time and these feelings too shall pass, as the night to day and winter to spring.
Don’t let the holiday blues get you down when you are dealing with divorce and the holidays.
However, feelings beyond “the blues” or feelings that are more debilitating, or that extend much beyond the post-holidays, may signal depression. Seek help when you need it. Remember, you don’t have to do deal with divorce and the holidays alone.
Divorce
Getting Divorced: What To Do If You Need to Sell Your Home But Nobody’s Buying
December 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Can’t Sell Your Home Right Now? Options to Consider in a Down Market
If you are getting divorced and your home must be sold, possibly because the mortgage payment is not manageable by one spouse or you are ready to move on and leave the memories behind, trying to sell on the downside of a market may not be easy or desirable.
If you are unable to sell your home right away, some other options include Lease Purchase, Lease Option, Subject To, and Short Sale methods of buying and selling real estate. If you do not need all of the equity in your home at the time you are getting divorced, these options might be of interest to you.
- A Lease Purchase is where buyers “rent to own.” Many times buyers in this situation have cash, but credit problems do not allow them to get a mortgage at the time. By doing a lease purchase, they usually present a nice chunk of cash for the down payment and are committing to buy your home at a later date, typically one or three years down the road, giving them time to work on repairing their credit issues. Rental payments may or may not include extra toward the down payment. There are no hard and fast rules here. Everything is pretty much negotiable and allows for creative options on both sides to help you sell your home.
- A Lease Option is almost identical in its features to the Lease Purchase. The biggest difference is that the buyer has the “option” to buy, rather than the “obligation.”
- An option called Subject To entails a buyer essentially taking over your payments “subject to” your current mortgage terms. This should be carefully reviewed by a legal expert if you choose this route to sell your home as there can be big traps here.
- A Short Sale means that the bank or the mortgage company agrees to accept less than the balance that you owe on your mortgage. This is necessary when you are upside down in your home, meaning you owe more than what the house is worth.
- And finally, Loan Modifications have become increasingly important due to the difficult economic climate. This option seeks to change the terms of your current mortgage (modify it) to a rate and payment that you can afford to avoid foreclosure.
If you can’t sell your home now, you can explore your options.
Each option has its pros and cons and may still leave you open to considerable financial risk. You should work with financial and real estate professionals who are well-versed in divorce and real estate. When getting divorced and burdened with trying to sell your home, these methods can help you, but they also contain traps, so you are highly advised not to go it alone.
sell your home
The Top 7 Things You Should Know in How to Begin a Divorce
December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Top 7 things you should know before you begin
a divorce
This time of year I hear from a lot of folks who are thinking about how to begin a divorce and want to get started in the process after the holidays have passed. Here’s some ideas for you to consider.
- Don’t make decisions based on emotions. This is a critical mistake I see lots of folks make when they begin a divorce. They want the pain to go away and they make decisions based on emotions, not facts. Get someone who can be your voice of reason to guide you through this difficult, emotionally-laden time.
- Start out by learning your options. It’s been said that how you start your divorce is likely how it will end. Do you envision an amicable resolution or will your divorce head down duke it out drive? Do you understand how you may be able to steer your divorce in one direction or another? The closer you get to a full blown litigated divorce the more money you will spend.
- Plan ahead to have money to fund your divorce. When you begin a divorce you will need money to hire your legal, financial, and other potential experts. If you are a non-working spouse, you may not have access to money to get started. Here are a few suggestions that can help move you forward. Apply for credit in your name only. You may find that you can’t qualify for credit after the divorce until you are working and established, so this is a good place to start anyway. If you don’t have access to family funds another option could be to purchase money cards every time you buy groceries for instance, setting aside $25 here and $50 there can add up over time.
- Know what documents you need to gather and how to assemble them so you save money when you begin a divorce. Gathering and making copies (or scanning to a flash drive) of every financial document you can find is crucial in this process. When a divorce become imminent, sometimes documents have a way of disappearing. It can be extremely costly for your attorney to subpoena records or to pay a private investigator or forensic accountant to trace funds. The time to gather is now, in the calm time before the storm begins.
- Assemble an effective team. You need legal advice for sure, but many people don’t consider the other specialists who should be involved. A divorce financial expert and a therapist or coach, are two other must haves on this journey. There may be others depending on your particular needs as well.
- Be a proactive partner of your divorce team, not a passive participant. This is the business of your life happening here. Understand what’s being done, what comes next, why things are being recommended, what’s being asked of you and most of all, what you are agreeing to BEFORE you sign on the dotted line.
- Don’t wait too long to seek help. This is the saddest mistake of all. So many people call me at the 11th hour to get advice when mistakes have already been made or they are just out of time. Don’t make this critical error. Protect your financial future!
Get educated and get involved to get your divorce done right…the first time around!
Wishing you a peaceful resolution,
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