ARIZONA ESTATE SETTLEMENT SERVICES

www.ArizonaEstateSettlement.com

Site Last Updated: March 11, 2013

Welcome and Thanks for Coming!

We extend our greatest and sincere sympathy for any loss you may have experienced recently.  Notwithstanding the duress a death in the family can cause for all survivors, we welcome you to our home page and ask you to read a little, think a little, then simply mark this site as a favorite so you can find your way back if you start resourcing on our free information site and get interrupted. 

Please, be sure to check in first at the New Visitor Welcome Center. Some research and information that may apply to your actual estate situation, if your loved one passed away in Maricopa county, Arizona.  If you were personally invited by letter or postcard to visit us, thanks for coming online to resource and learn more.

Make no mistake.  Estate settlement will quickly become a daunting task if you try to do it all by yourself.  And, if you hire a law firm to do everything for you, obviously the cost factors can grind you down financially as well before it is all over. Finding a happy "medium" may be best.

The information you will find here is geared towards surviving spouses, children or other family members or advisors who are also named Executors or Executrix in the Last Will & Testament or Surviving or Successor Trustee in the living trust.  If your loved one you have lost died intestate (without a valid and properly signed Will or Living Trust), some of the Steps will fit your situation, but not all of them since these Steps only cover the procedures for informal probate or the administration Steps with a living trust.  However, let us be the first source to guide you to a qualified law firm that can handle your formal probate needs.  Many feel they must go through a formal probate, yet if no heir is contesting -- they find the much less expensive alternative of informal probate proceedings is much better form them.

A few will come to this rich resource estate settlement site to try and figure out what they must do if most of  the estate assets are protected from the probate process because of a valid living trust being in effect prior to the death.  Well, sadly, it happens more often than you might think - where a single money asset valued higher than the exemption limits ($50,000 for money accounts) is found out of the trust for funding purposes.  I will say it right up front, there is no free lunch -- you are going to have to go through a few more hoops then just trust settlement to finish your job as estate manager.

When you have the right mindset to tackle the task you have been given as the estate manager, start the process by reading the left side links in order from top to bottom so you have a full perspective of the work now required to be done for the estate. The first is a warning based on a real estate settlement case we worked on a few years ago. There is nothing wrong with most law firms in this state, but this example proves -- a few are not up to speed and can drain your estate funds if you choose a bad firm.  My personal belief is that a rare number of lawyers (just a few)... draft a trust and then fail to assist property during the funding process.... on purpose!  That way they get double fees. Poor Ms. Francis, one of the most famous women in the 1950's - died and her estate got broadslided with legal fees by a law firm that definetly knew better... 

Don't worry, this site is going to give you a lot of help and suggestions to assist you in cutting down on your costs if you desire to save money.  (I suppose a few reading this information totally love paying $450/hr to their local law firm and running up legal bills in estate management)  For everyone else, we publish the best information available to help you get by on a lower cost factor to settle any Arizona resident estate at death. 

That in turn, should help cut your stress levels as well!  If you feel ready now, just grab a cup of coffee or a nice cold glass of water (with lemon of course), or maybe even some "Sun" tea you may have brewing on a ledge so you can refresh yourself along the way.  As you read and learn and then start the estate settlement process for your Arizona loved one, we hope you find the TRUE value in the Steps process.  (I am giving the Steps away for free folks!!!) 

But with the free information, comes the constant warning to be sure you hire someone to watch your back during the way. Our firm does that as estate tax consultants and accountants/tax preparers and as an Arizona certified legal document preparer.  There's more -- we also network with other estate advisors and qualified estate listing Realtors so you can find help within one contact point co-ordinating the entire process until your journey in this new territory (for most, this is work never done before) is completed.

"Estate settlement will quickly become a daunting task if you try to do it all by yourself.  And, if you hire a law firm to do everything for you, obviously the cost factors can grind you down financially as well before it is all over.  Finding a happy "medium" may be best."

M.D. Anderson

We have designed this alternative to help you do what you want to do, and then offer our assistance in the areas you don't want to do or need professional help in.  Contrast typical $450 per hour Arizona law firm rates charged against estates for settlement work with our current discounted rate for estate settlement services of just $148.50 per hour.  (Our Special discounted internet rate gives an extra 10% off our normal $165 billing rate)

With the value of estates sometimes caught with lower property value, or sudden stock market price drops - this lower cost alternative has been praised over the years by many. In a sense, we provide services similar to Lowe's or Home Depot to help you do this yourself as much as possible. This enables you to pick and choose what areas you would like to try out on your own and what areas you discover you will need professional help in. But, we also are behind you watching your back in your Steps process, to be sure the work is performed in a timely manner and performed properly.  Just like hanging new wallpaper in your spare bedroom -- retaining us as consultants will be like having a spouse watch your first strip of wallpaper to be sure it is straight and properly installed. Having an overseer watch your estate manager work is invaluable according to our past clients.

When/or if legal advice is needed, we promise -- you will be referred to a qualified estate planning/settlement lawyer in your area. We will be the first to recognize and refer in this process in any legal matter that needs professional legal representation.  (Sometimes estates are involved in lawsuits, wrongful deaths, elder abuse, etc.)  If you haven't yet stopped in to our "Visitor Center", please take the time to read a few of our COMPANY TESTIMONIALS from clients so you may have full assurance that this alternative to hiring a law firm (and incurring a normally massive legal bill) is a legitimate option to save both YOUR TIME and estate money.  If you are also an heir.... well, this alternative is going to put more money in your pocket too! 

A Long Journey Begins With a Single Step

Your journey as estate manager should begin with plenty of resources and information at your disposal to make it easier, the path shorter, and to achieve the highest efficiency possible in your work.  START the estate settlement process by clicking on the first side button to get more details on our "concierge" level of professional services available.  A single step forward, especially if this is your first time -- warrants hiring qualified help to assist you.  You should review all the Steps in the first tab and then decide if you want to use the Steps process as a guide so you can understand the process, while hiring us to do all or most of the actual work.  Or, for that rare few that fully understand the steps, please still put us on retainer as your backup and overseer, knowing we can move to first position to complete any work that may become hard for you, or if you life changes making it difficult to finish the estate settlement process.  hiring us to be your overseer we can be engaged at any time along the way.

Either way, we are here to assist when you call on us and can be engaged by the simple retainer agreement you will discover every 3 Steps in Bold Red print.  Feel free to call and ask questions about our services.  You don't need to be a client to do that.

Call us at: 1-800-782-2806

And, please review the "Other Links" side buttons to find more important information or services available to you as the estate manager. (The term "Manager" is used to cover all three possible scenarios of your actual estate representative title. It covers if you are Executor or Executrix of the Last Will, Surviving or Successor Trustee of a Living Trust, or are appointed the Administrator or Administratrix of an intestate estate by the probate court.)  

During this difficult time, let this site information and resources comfort you and become your guide to lead you through the entire process quickly and cost effectively.  And, if you know of a friend who may need our services as well, by all means tell them about the FREE information website you have just discovered!  Thank You!

Sincerely,

M.D. Anderson, AZCLDP, Accountant, Realtor

President -- Financial Strategies, Inc.

What makes Financial Strategies, Inc. and M.D. Anderson qualified to offer extensive estate settlement services?

Just read what his Clients have to say:  Testimonials

Under his own firm, M.D. is a long term practicing accountant and fully understands the tax issues of selling an estate home and other property both residential and commercial. He also is proficient in all estate valuation requirements, estate settlement procedures and IRS/state of Arizona required tax returns that may be due.  M.D. is also nationally known and well respected as a large inherited IRA specialist and consultant.  His quotes in the Wall Street Journal, Fox Business News, BankRate.com and other publications are respected and relied on by some of the richest families in the United States. He is also a long term licensed insurance advisor and consultant.

M.D. has practiced as an estate planner, consultant and document preparer for over 37 years.  As an Arizona Certified Legal Document Preparer (AZCLDP) he is licensed to prepare estate settlement forms for the Executor/Trix of a Will in Probate, or for the Trustee/Successor Trustee of a Living Trust. M.D. has assisted in over 100 estate settlements for both state, national & international clients with estates as high as 5 million in values!  Most estates however, range between $300,000-$1,500,000 in final valuations.

Also serving as a Professional Realtor he implements modern tools that help sell your estate property quickly and at top dollar.  Listing clients get MLS listing, custom home websites, photo sessions and professional staging.  Also, open houses and neighborhood events are scheduled to increase home sales exposure.  Every home gets it's own domain name and custom website as well!   On larger estate home or luxury homes, additional listings are always placed on luxury home websites that help promote and find a buyer for even the most exclusive and expensive homes! 

All real estate services are also available by other Arizona based Realtors who have estate experience in listing and selling estate homes and property.  If your Realtor isn't well versed in these matters, he or she can partner with M.D., creating a combined package for survivors to have the very best program to sell estate property.  Call M.D. for more details.

In summary, Mr. Anderson has spent his entire adult life working in the estate planning arena.  With decades of estate planning and settlement experience behind him, the corporate celebration on July 4th, 2010 was a milestone for also being in business 20 years in Arizona.  He is well qualified to do all of the Steps for you, or fill in wherever you need him in YOUR estate settlement work.  At the very least, consider him your "Coach" ready to help you when you want him to.  The first step?  Call MD at 1-800-782-2806. 

Notice: Realty One Group provides Real Estate Sales Services only and is not affiliated with Financial Strategies, Inc.  To review the most premier and elite estate home listing information available for your Arizona estate home and properties CLICK HERE.  (A disclosure statement will appear first so that you acknowledge that real estate services are distinctly separate from all other services offered on this website)

Avoiding Inherited IRA Hell

Our firm gets an email or call almost every day on this subject. Some days, we get 4-5 emails or calls. Hundreds visit our website each week around the country. Quite a few hire us to help them in this area. And many have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars of needless instant taxation by doing so.

The reason? They are all trying to avoid Inherited IRA hell. What is it?  It is where your deceased heir's money goes when it is improperly left to a living trust that does not qualify under the specific 5 IRS rules. Or when they left the beneficial funds to their estate instead of the IRS required "Designated Beneficiary/ies" they should have left it to.

And the cost of those kind of mistakes is as much as 40-80% if the estate is also going to owe inheritance tax on the funds! Yes, because steps weren't taken before death, the heirs watch most of the money on statements of account just burn up in front of them and only inherit a fraction of what should have been theirs by keeping the tax deferral going another generation!

And, for the heirs that address this issue after a death has occurred for a large IRA estate owner, failing to invest a few hundred dollars in consulting time with us as Inherited IRA experts in many cases is a big mistake. We can help insulate heirs and estate managers from making really stupid mistakes about inherited IRAs, known by professional advisors as the most complicated under the tax code. Sadly, mistakes that will still cause the funds to become immediately taxable or over a short 5 year period are now common.

The beauty of these accounts is to let them become a money tree for your children and grandchildren to keep paying required minimum distributions for decades while preserving the rest of the growth in the account so it grows. And grow they do when you know how to avoid inherited IRA hell properly. Our cases would make your ears peel and your eyes pop! Bad advisors (including those who claim to be knowledgeable), bad trustee departments at banks, etc. all cause money to fall into Inherited IRA hell for their clients as well. Don't let them do that to you or your heirs!

For immediate consultation, call us now on this subject at: 1-800-782-2806

Phone Contact Information:

For Immediate Service or For Retained Clients please call: 

Valley -- Business Line: (480) 345-1616

Out of the Valley -- Toll-Free Line:  1-800-782-2806

(Please use only if you are outside of the Valley)

Estate Accounting Services

Financial Strategies, Inc. serves as an estate accounting and tax preparation firm for Arizona clients as well as for clients throughout the United States and U.S. Citizens living in foreign countries. Consider us first in your accounting and tax needs during this difficult time of loss.

Estate managers don't always understand that IRS Form 1040 ends at the death and all reporting post-mortem is required on IRS Form 1041. (And state versions if applicable) Let us help you understand your tax reporting requirements "early" so full compliance can be achieved. Our firm is a registered tax preparation firm and an IRS authorized Orginator for Electronic Filing.

Honoring your loved one's

thoughts, plans and deeds

while they were alive as well as yours,

 is our strategic goal as your

Arizona Estate Settlement Advisor.

THE LIGHT IN OUR HEART REMAINS FOR THOSE WE HAVE LOVED AND LOST

When those we love go away,

they never really leave us you know.

One can sense their spirit during a sunset,

or feel their touch from a random flake of snow.

Wherever we are, they go with us.

With precious memories always in our mind.

Though their love remains in our heart,

At first -- we may feel left behind.

Yes, it's difficult at first to see the light,

when tears of sorrow create a haze.

But before long, the darkness goes away,

and there will be much better days!

By: M.D. Anderson

Do You Have a Funeral Trust?

 If not, please review this important estate planning instrument by

clicking on the icon below:

A Note About Giving It All Away For Free

Many may read a few pages of this site and pinch themselves. They may not believe someone is giving it all away for free.  Especially when you discover the quality and quantity of the content on this website. You either can pay someone to do everything for you, not understanding the procedures -- or you can take a more proactive approach and "educate" yourself so that you better understand the Steps process. Unlike a book or workbook you can buy at your local bookstore which becomes obsolete as soon as the next tax law change takes place, this content is designed to keep YOU current and is restricted to cover only Arizona procedures and statutes. 

Attorneys, CPA's, AZCLDP's, Realtors®, Financial Planners, Estate Planners and other professional financial advisors may not agree with every single statement or procedure, or they may feel the Steps to settle an Arizona estate should be in a different order.  After being in business here in Arizona for over 20 years (our company's 20th anniversary was celebrated in July, 2010), and many years in our home state of Iowa, few advisors are even qualified to argue about this content or the Steps we are GIVING AWAY FOR FREE to the public. They are "our" company steps used successfully many times over for many years.  For the advisors that ARE qualified, we would like to work with you and welcome your inquiry! Or suggestions if you have them.

For that reason, we openly invite and encourage ALL financial advisors here in Arizona that ARE long term and qualified professional estate advisors or Realtors®, to support this pro-bono work being given away to Arizona consumers.

Even if you are just starting out as an attorney, CPA, Insurance or Investment advisor, we have interest in helping your practice take off quickly in joint work that may be possible between our firms. If you have a correction or idea we missed, please help us improve this site by letting us know!

We feel that by giving the information and "Steps" away for free for all to see will most likely encourage estate managers to embrace and hire our professional services. The Steps reveal in the details that this is not a job for the timid or unprepared. Those of us that have settled estates for decades can attest to the fact that it can be some of the most difficult work on the planet but also very rewarding knowing we help when people need us most. 

It could appear that we are somewhat crazy to publish so much free information at no cost or obligation while not knowing the outcome or result.  Or it is a sign that we have properly read the future of what Arizona residents really want.  With your support and word of mouth advertisements to point others this direction, we are now becoming busier than a one armed paperboy working with Arizona families during their greatest time of need. Many clients hire us online and work with us in the comfort of their own home in this modern electronic age.

Arizona residents are looking for alternative lower cost estate settlement services! We know people are searching for discounts and "deals" in everything... including reductions in the total cost to administer the Arizona estates they are suddenly put in charge of when a love one passes away. Your search is over.  You have now found the best estate settlement information site for Arizona residents on the internet!  Congratulations!

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