Month: October 2019

There are a few big life events that can happen to a person that can bring up the question “is it time I write my will?” This can sometimes happen after a medical diagnosis or when you have your first child. For everyone, deciding when to write your will is going to be different based on the individual’s experiences. Here are a few big life events where you should consider drafting up your will.

After The Wedding

Combining your family and assets is a perfect occasion to create a will. This will also have an affect on your beneficiaries. The same idea applies in situations of divorce as well.

Your First Child

This one is obvious. When drafting your will after having children, you are considering them first and foremost and what is important for you to leave behind. You will have more control of how to divide your assets and who you want to appoint as guardian. Once your child or children have reached legal age (or after your family has grown in numbers), it’s a good idea to revisit the will for any revisions you might want to make.

Medical Diagnosis

This can apply to you, a family member, or a friend. Witnessing tough medical diagnoses can have a big affect on how you see your future. Whether you personally are facing these experiences, or someone you know is facing a difficult time, this is a good time to consider creating your will.

Making Large Investments

Buying a house? Beach home? Rare collectibles? Whenever making a large investment, it’s a good idea to put some focus on the will, even if you are just adding assets.

It’s Just Time

No real excuse to write your will, but you’re still considering it? If you already have property and assets you want to protect, there’s no better time than now. Not much to your name? Maybe now isn’t the right time. Don’t overthink it. If you have any questions about Estate Planning, don’t hesitate to call us at 818-630-7280 for a free 30 minute consultation.

According to research done by the communications security firm First Orion, from 2017 to 2018, the amount of spam calls placed jumped from 3.7% to 29.2%. In 2019, it’s expected that almost half of all cell phone calls will be spam calls if this trend continues.

The first step you can take to minimize the amount of robocalls you receive is to put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, which is maintained by the Federal Trade Commission. However, since there are many marketers who will ignore the registry, another way to filter these calls is to let an app screen your calls. Some apps that carriers offer for free include T-Mobile Scam Block, Sprint Premium Caller ID, Verizon Call Filter, and AT&T Call Protect. Additionally, there are third-party apps which are designed and widely used to smartly block spam calls such as YouMail, Truecaller, Hiya, and RoboKiller.

If a specific spam caller continues to reach you after taking these steps, the good news is you can easily block that number. However, if several robocalls continue to get through after taking these steps, you can take advantage of your iPhone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature. This will allow you to change your settings so that you are only notified of calls and texts from the contacts you choose, sending any unknown numbers directly to voicemail.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) generally regulates advertising over the phone in-cluding robocalls and the sending of text messages. Unsolicited robocalls and text messages are harassing and annoying, and they can cost you by using your wireless-plan minutes or by having you incur other charges. The TCPA allows consumers subjected to prohibited conduct to file a lawsuit to recover statutory damage amounts of $500 to $1500 per violation.

If you believe you have received an illegal advertising call or text, please call us today at 818-630-7280 for a free consultation.