The Power of Planning

In celebration of April being National Donate Life Month, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes Ginny McBride, the Executive Director of OurLegacy, which is the organ procurement organization in Central Florida, for a detailed discussion on organ donation, including the myths and misconceptions. Dr. Ruth Baskerville, a lifelong educator who is a champion for education about organ donation, also shares her personal and inspiring story about her late husband’s decision to be a donor and the far-reaching impact of his decision.

The new year is a perfect time to make sure your financial house is in order, including your insurance coverages. In this episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes Drew Havron of HUB Florida for a detailed discussion about the different types of insurance that are an integral part of any estate planning and asset protection conversation.  

Consider taking time out of your holiday preparations and celebrations for some year-end tax planning. In this month’s episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes Carol Felsing, a certified public accountant with decades of experience, to share certain tax tips you may want to consider before the close of 2023.   

In celebration of November being National Veterans and Military Families Month, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes Brad Flournoy, who retired after 22 years of active duty service in the U.S. Marine Corps, to discuss key benefits available for veterans through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These include benefits under the new PACT Act as well as service-connected and non-service connected compensation.

With this year’s Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period underway, which runs October 15th through December 7th, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes John Kennedy, CFP, who has been doing Medicare planning for 13 years, to provide a detailed roadmap outlining Medicare coverage options, premiums and deductibles.

In this episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner sits down with nationally syndicated columnist and author, Marni Jameson, to discuss her latest book: What To Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want. Jameson uses her trademark practical wisdom to provide from-the-heart estate planning guidance for everyone, whatever your financial situation.  

Due in large part to the #FreeBritney movement, guardianships have been in the news a lot in recent years. In this month’s episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes Orange County Circuit Court Judge Leticia Marques to further shine a spotlight on guardianships and discuss the process in Florida, including recent reforms and how it can be distinguished from the issues in the Britney Spears case.

In this episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner will talk about estate planning documents that are important for college-aged children to have in place before heading off to school this fall. She will also discuss the recent jury verdict reached in the Aretha Franklin estate battle and spotlight several more Medicaid planning strategies as a follow-up to the May episode regarding Legal Issues Facing Seniors Today.

In this episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner, welcomes her litigation partner, Attorney Trippe Cheek, to discuss the most common types of disputes involving estates, trusts, and guardianships, and spotlight some planning considerations to help mitigate the risk of disputes.  Since the recording of this episode, Priscilla Presley has reached a confidential settlement regarding the petition she filed disputing the validity of an amendment to the estate plan of her late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.  

In celebration of National Elder Law Month in May, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes legendary broadcast journalist Martie Salt to discuss a variety of legal issues for seniors, including the importance of planning for incapacity, residency considerations and paying for long-term care costs, with a spotlight on Medicare, Veterans Benefits and Medicaid. Please note that the Florida Medicaid planning techniques discussed in this episode are by no means exhaustive, and due to time constraints, certain techniques, including spousal refusal, personal service contracts and the transition program, were not addressed. These techniques will be discussed in future episodes so stay tuned.

Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes family law attorney, Lori Caldwell Carr, to discuss the various ways estate planning intersects with family law, including the role of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, receiving an inheritance outright or in a trust, and special planning considerations with a second marriage.

If you are like most Americans, you have worked hard for many years and scrimped and saved to accumulate a certain level of wealth. Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner explains why asset protection planning is an integral part of any estate planning discussion and outlines different techniques that can be considered to protect your nest egg from attack by future potential creditors.

In this episode of The Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner discusses in detail federal legislation passed in recent years that significantly impacts how you plan for retirement. She also addresses the unique estate planning considerations with retirement accounts.

Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner focuses on this powerful estate planning tool and explains why it has become so popular over the years by spotlighting its benefits, including avoiding probate and controlling the distribution of your assets from the grave. She also explains how this type of trust is established, administered and funded.

During this season of giving, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes Nicole Donelson, the Vice President of Philanthropic Strategies and Partnerships at the Central Florida Foundation, to discuss what motivates people to give and the variety of ways that you can carry out your charitable giving goals both during your lifetime and at your death.

In this episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner focuses on the second critical purpose of estate planning – planning for lifetime incapacity – and the particular documents that are designed to serve this purpose, including a Designation of Health Care Surrogate, Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney. She will also discuss the complications that can arise if these documents are not in place.

In celebration of national Special Needs Planning Awareness Month in October, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner welcomes a special guest, Charlotte Smith-Wilkes, who has a daughter with autism, in this episode of the Power of Planning Podcast to discuss the various considerations when planning for someone who has special needs, including special needs trusts, government benefits, guardianship and the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account.

In this episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner focuses on the Will and explains why it is an integral part of any estate plan. She addresses the common misconception that a Will avoids a probate and outlines the unintended consequences that can arise when you die without a Will. She also explains the different types of Wills that are available.

In this inaugural episode of the Power of Planning podcast, Attorney Vanessa J. Skinner asks the fundamental question – What is an estate plan and why do I need one? She discusses why a majority of people do not have an estate plan in place, the pitfalls that can result from a lack of planning, and why an estate plan is important for everyone, regardless of their level of wealth, by spotlighting the multiple purposes it serves.