Advanced Hearing Family Says Thanks

Lance F. Greer, Au.D

Doctor of Audiology

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just recently behind us, I can't think of a better time to talk about family and giving thanks for another successful year.  Each day that I come into the office I feel extremely blessed to work with the employees that really want to make a difference in the lives of those that walk through our doors needing help with their hearing or dizziness needs.  For me, coming to the office is really a home away from home.  Very often I arrive well before patients start to arrive for the day and very often I am not the first one here.  We have dedicated staff that come in early to make sure that your experience is as pleasant as possible.  I can't even begin to list the countless tasks that need to be done; from office cleanliness, to chart preparation, to aligning you with the best technologies, to preauthorization's and billing, to shipping/receiving, to cleaning and checking your hearing devices or to just putting on a smile each day, all day long.  Our Staff is full of people that are eager to assist you in any way.

As the managing partner in the day to day operations of Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists, there is no responsibility that is higher than taking care of our employees, as well as you, who we feel belong to our AHB Family.  I am proud at the accomplishments that we continue to make to be the best hearing care provider in Central and Southern Utah and Southern Nevada.  Kimball Forbes, being our most tenured Audiologist has been in St. George for over 33 years.  He is timeless and looks as young as the day he moved to St. George.  Dr. Eric Maxwell has been in Cedar City for 13 years.  You couldn't pry him out of there even if you had a crow bar.  I have been Servicing the St. George/Mesquite areas for nearly 18 years and enjoy the friendship I have made with my patients over the years. 

During these years, we have seen many hearing service offices come and go.  As I have thought of this, I have come to the conclusion is that these offices are more concerned about their pocket books than the service and relationships that they provide for their patients.  Over the years we have consistently had dedicated employees who pride themselves in providing honest, friendly service to you, our AHB family members.  They have delivered repaired hearing aids to patients home who had difficulty coming in to pick them up.  Others have stayed after hours to accommodate work schedules or those that come in on a weekend.  Customer service and friendliness is what we pride ourselves in.  We may not always get it right the first time, but we will always to find solutions and answers to the help you seek.  Every interaction we have with you is an opportunity to connect you with what's important in your life.  Sure, we are a hearing care office, but it's the human connections that we make in your journey that mean the most to us.

To serve you better we have added a new Audiologist, Spencer Stirland, Au.D and support staff, Hayli Heussner and Ashley Brimhall who you'll read about in their bio's.

So on behalf of the entire AHB Family, I'd like to thank you - the one's who really sign all of our paychecks and making it all possible - for offering us an opportunity to welcome you into our home.  It's an honor to serve you and we wish you many blessings and much joy in this New Year!

Sincerely,

Lance F. Greer, Au.D

Doctor of Audiology

Co-Owner, Managing Member of AHB

My Spouse Always Managed Our Finances. What Do I Do?

 

It is not uncommon for us to meet with a client whose spouse was responsible for paying debts, making investments, arranging for insurance and paying the taxes, but has become incapacitated or passed away.  The well spouse is left to deal with the emotions of losing their partner, whether that is due to incapacitation or death, and has the challenge of learning how to manage the household finances. This often becomes overwhelming to the well spouse.

If you are faced with this problem, you may need help to get through the financial questions.  You may want to gather a support team which could include a qualified attorney, accountant, investment advisor and a trusted friend or family member. The first thing will be to determine income, assets and expenses.  Hopefully, your spouse will have an organized method for paying bills, tracking income, and keeping track of investments.  If that is not the case, you will need to get organized.  One way is to create file folders with headings such as bills, credit card statements, banking, taxes, investment accounts, estate documents and life insurance policies. 

Review the checkbook and bank statements to see when bills have been paid.  Take care to pay bills on time so late charges do not accrue.  Payments may include mortgage, credit cards, car loans, utilities, property taxes, and insurance premiums.  You may want to cancel club memberships and monthly magazine subscriptions you no longer need or want.  Explain the situation and you may be able to cancel with no penalty and possibly receive a partial refund.

The best solution to this situation is for a couple to work together before a life changing event.  Make sure both of you meet with the family attorney, investment advisor, accountant, banker and insurance agent.  It is important that both of you have a good relationship with the advisors and that you trust their advice.  Both of you need to be educated on your joint and personal assets, insurance, sources of income, monthly bills, investments and even passwords.  Now is the time for you to be proactive.

JensenBayles, LLP provides a broad spectrum of legal services.  Thomas J. Bayles has been actively providing advice in the areas of trusts, wills, probate and tax planning in the St. George area for over 15 years. Please visit our web site www.jensenbayles.com or call 435-674-9718 and ask for Thomas J. Bayles or Phillip G. Gubler. The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as legal advice.

 

Phillip G. Gubler and Thomas J. Bayles, Attorneys at Law

 

Why Are Women Cranky or Why Women Mumble When They Talk?

Kimball B. Forbes, MCD, co-owner of Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists

Probably the most frequent complaint we hear as hearing and balance specialists from our male patients is that their wife mumbles when she talks.  Of course, women don’t generally mumble when they speak and they are not generally cranky, but most men with this complaint have hearing loss in the high frequency range of their hearing.  Since women have high pitch voices, their wife’s voice may sound like they are mumbling when they talk.  Children also have high pitch voices so their fathers and grandfathers may have difficulty understanding their voices. This could make anybody frustrated.

Exposure to loud noise attacks the hearing nerves responsible for hearing in the high frequency range.  People who shoots guns, hunt, use chain saws, operate heavy equipment or have served in the military may be experiencing this type of high frequency hearing loss.  Also, ringing in the ears is usually a sign of nerve damage in the inner ear.

If you have ringing in your ears, or a problem understanding your wife, daughters, or grandchildren especially in a group setting, it may be well to see a clinical audiologist for a hearing evaluation.

When you see an audiologist, your insurance will usually cover most or all of the evaluation because an audiologist is a hearing specialist.

People with hearing problems may tend to withdraw from their spouse, children or grandchild, church, friends or become irritable or embarrassed because they are afraid of asking others to repeat themselves or give the wrong answer.

Many times, a hearing loss causes the greatest frustration to the spouse and family than it does to the person with the hearing problem.  Many marriage relationships have been healed simply be improving the hearing of the spouse who cannot hear well.

If I don’t wear my hearing instruments when I am with my family, I feel like a am missing a few bricks out of my load and that I am not all there.  When I am wearing my instruments when I with my wife and children and grandchildren, I feel like I am a complete person and I enjoy my family much more and I don’t tend to withdraw. Recent studies from the Northwestern University Mayo Clinic have linked hearing loss with memory challenges.  If we can’t hear everything people say, we are not part of everything and so part of our memory of our enjoyment of our family and friends tend to suffer.

The hearing technology that I have worn regularly in the last few years has gotten better and better in it’s ability to help me understand speech in very noisy situations.

Over the weekend  my wife’s cousin and his wife from Idaho were visiting with us and as they were leaving, we were speaking with them as they sat in their car with the engine running.  I was struggling to understand everything my wife’s cousin was saying so I touched a button on my hearing instruments and immediately the car noise dropped, and I could easily enjoy our conversation.

Now we have wireless microphones that are helpful in the car, church, with TV, cell phones, ipods, landline phones and in any very difficult listening situation.

I have had the privilege of serving our patients in Southern Utah for thirty-two years.  I started our clinics in St George, Cedar City, Mesquite and Overton Nevada, Beaver, Panguitch, Delta, Milford, and Fillmore back in 1984.  I traveled to all the office myself, but now we have five audiologists (hearing and balance specialists) to serve all these areas. Call 319-8127 for a Free consultation.  http://www.hearingaiddoctor.com/

Kimball B. Forbes, MCD, has been in the St. George area for the past 27 years and is a co-owner of Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists. His wife’s name is Jonna and they are the proud parents of 8 children and 4 grandchildren. Kimball is passionate and enjoys helping to build better relationships through better hearing. He is the longest tenured Audiologist in southern Utah. In his early years in practice in southern Utah and Nevada, he established 11 hearing clinics which are thriving today under his direction and leadership. Kimball graduated with his Master’s of Communication Disorders in Audiology from Brigham Young University in 1982. He specializes in:
    •    Hearing Aid Sales, Service and Counseling Specialist
    •    Earmold and Hearing Protection Specialist
    •    Diagnostic Medical Hearing Assessments for Adults and Children

I am the Trustee of a Trust or Personal Representative of an Estate – What Are My Responsibilities and Obligations?

Phillip G. Gubler and Thomas J. Bayles, Attorneys at Law

            When someone becomes incapacitated or passes away, you may find yourself in charge of administering a trust, or the decedent’s estate.  You may have been nominated as successor trustee through a Trust, the personal representative (executor) through a Will, or the court may have appointed you to administer the estate.  Here are a few important things to remember:

            Personal Representative:  As the personal representative of an estate, you will be responsible to collect the property owned by the decedent, notify creditors and heirs or devisees, pay debts and taxes, finalize the decedent’s business affairs, file all documents required by the court and governmental agencies, transfer decedent’s property, and close the estate or probate when everything is complete. 

Once the court has appointed you as the Personal Representative, you can act on your own without the approval of the court; however, you will need to keep the court informed of progress by filing all required documents.  If an interested person thinks you are not doing a good job, that person can petition the court to remove you as the Personal Representative or ask the court to supervise your administration of the estate.  Supervised administration involves the highest level of court oversight and is usually granted only when there are serious concerns about your actions as Personal Representative.

Trustee:  As the Trustee of a Trust, you must keep trust assets separate from your own personal assets, treat beneficiaries equally unless the trust directs otherwise, keep accurate records, file tax returns, and report to beneficiaries as required by the trust and the law.  You must know the terms of the trust, where assets are held, and when distributions can be made.  Trust assets should be invested in a prudent manner that will effect reasonable growth with minimum risk.  It is important to remember the assets of the Trust are not your assets and you cannot use trust assets for your own benefit unless the trust authorizes you to do so. 

If you are the Trustee due to the Grantor (or Trustor’s) incapacity, you must also make sure the Grantor is provided for, understand insurance benefits and limitations, apply for disability benefits, notify banks and other financial institutions or advisors, pay bills, and keep accurate records and accounting. 

            Administering the terms of the trust and meeting obligations while maintaining proper reporting can be overwhelming.  You do not have to accomplish this on your own.  You should   retain an experienced attorney to help you through the administrative process.  An important thing to remember whether you are serving as Trustee or Personal Representative is that you have a duty to the creditors and beneficiaries.  If you breach your duty, you could be held personally accountable for the breach which is why it is important that you retain counsel to assist you with the administration process.

JensenBayles, LLP provides a broad spectrum of legal services.  Thomas J. Bayles has been actively providing advice in the areas of trusts, wills, probate and tax planning in the St. George area for over 15 years. Please visit our web site www.jensenbayles.com or call 435-674-9718 and ask for Thomas J. Bayles or Phillip G. Gubler. The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as legal advice

October 2015 Students of the Month Honored by St. George Exchange Club

St. George, Utah, October 30, 2015 — The October Students of the Month recipients were recently honored by the St. George Exchange Club.  The St. George Exchange Club sponsors the Student of the Month Program, which honors one student from the area high schools each month. This program recognizes the students’ accomplishments in academics, service and leadership in their respective schools. Dixie State University has partnered with the St. George Exchange Club and will provide a one-year, full-tuition scholarship to the Student of the Year from each high school at the end of the school year as selected by the St. George Exchange Club’s Student of the Month Committee. The Exchange Club is honored to work with Dixie State University in recognizing and supporting the outstanding high school students of our community.

In addition, two students from the area high schools who have been honored as Student of the Year will have the opportunity to go on to the Rocky Mountain Exchange Club District competition where they could win a $1,000 scholarship; and then if they win district, they can go on to national competition and win a $10,000 scholarship. The 2013 Student of the Year, EmRee Moody from St. George, was selected as the National Student of the Month and received a $10,000 scholarship from the National Exchange Club.

The St. George Exchange Club meets Thursday mornings at 7:30AM at George’s in Ancestor Square. For more information about the St. George Exchange Club, contact James McFadden at 435-632-7978.  We congratulate the St George Exchange Club 2015 October Students of the Month.

Front Row: Allison Lang (SCHS)
Back Row: Coby C. Oram (THS); Kayla Greer (DHS); Christian Crawford (MHS); Colby Heaton (DHHS); James McFadden (Exchange Club President)

Leading Utah CPA Firm Changes Its Name to Hawkins

 

Kevin Simister, senior partner, Hawkins

Orem, Utah, October 23, 2015 – Hawkins Cloward & Simister, one of Utah's leading professional services and advisory CPA firms, today announced that it has changed its name to Hawkins. The firm's full service retirement plan division will be known as Hawkins Retirement.  In conjunction with the name change, the company is launching a new branding campaign and corporate Web site, MyCPA.com.     
 

"We have made tremendous progress expanding the Firm's capabilities," says Mark Whittaker, Managing Partner.  "We are now strongly positioned to respond to the challenges and risks facing businesses today as a result of the changing economic and regulatory environment. Our strategic growth across each of Hawkins' services has been critical to establishing Hawkins as an independent resource and partner to many world-class corporations. We will continue making the necessary investments to align all aspects of the brand with the Company's evolution."      

The launch of the company's new branding campaign, "Hawkins" was developed to parallel the Company's approach to providing individuals, professionals and corporations with hands-on value. The campaign's primary focus is on Hawkins' project team members, emphasizing their seamless integration with client organizations. The Company's Website, which has undergone a complete redesign, reflects Hawkins’ presence and service offerings on a much wider scale.

The Hawkins name embodies the Company’s 64-year focus on excellence and service to employers and professionals and better represents the evolution of the Company into a powerful resource for all financial needs of its clients. 

"The name of our website says it all.  MyCPA.com reflects our goal to focus on our clients.  As the specialty destination for businesses, professionals and individuals, we will deliver a rich working relationship to you.  We are proactive and deliver ideas and analysis that will make a difference. We seek clients who want more and make every effort to insure that our services are so convenient; it feels like an in-house function.  Our RAVE guarantee assures our Relationships, Accountability, Value, and Expertise will meet the highest standards of quality and performance. We believe it is the right time to change our name to one that reflects the advisors we have become," Kevin Simister, senior partner of the Firm stated.

Hawkins has clients across the United States and will continue to serve the needs of individuals and privately held businesses, concentrating on solving the problems faced by professionals and families.

Hawkins has been serving Utah and national clients since 1951, and will continue to do so with better practices and capabilities. During that time they’ve established a reputation for excellent professional services. When you hire Hawkins you’re tapping into their reputation as the firm-of-choice for many of Utah’s most successful entrepreneurs.

Hawkins will maintain its location at 1095 South 800 East, Orem, Utah. For more information contact Kevin Simister at ‪801-224-1900.

###

Spencer Stirland, Au.D Joins Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists

 

Spencer Stirland, Au.D

Advanced Hearing and Balance is pleased to introduce to you the newest member of our team, Dr. Spencer Wm. Stirland. Dr. Stirland was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah where his parents were both teachers. Both his father and mother instilled in him the love for teaching. He admired his parents and their ability to make an impact on people lives. Although Dr. Stirland was unsure about what he wanted to be when in grew up, he knew that he want to do something that would be meaningful. He attended Utah State University where he fell in love with the profession of Audiology. He remembers being taught that Audiology, hearing and balance, is not about ears but about people. That is when he decided to be an Audiologist. Here was a way for him to have an impacted on people's lives and that of their loved ones.

After graduating from Utah State University, he continued his education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center where he obtained a Doctorate in Audiology. Dr. Stirland has worked at Cook Children's Audiology, Waco Ear, Nose and Throat's Physician's Hearing Center, and Hearing Counselors. Dr. Stirland is thrilled to be working and serving the community in beautiful southern Utah as a member of Advance Hearing and Balance. Dr. Stirland moves to St. George with his wife and four children, who are also excited to become your neighbors and friends. He looks forward to meeting, visiting with, and helping all those he can.

Dr. Stirland specialties in Audiology include adult and pediatric medical hearing exams, hearing instrument counseling, selection and fitting, assessments for dizziness and imbalance, and assessments for middle ear disease.

Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists has been providing audiology services for more than 40 years. With offices in 9 communities throughout southern Utah and Nevada, they make it convenient for you to receive the highest levels of hearing and balance care. The Audiologists at Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists always put their patient’s concerns first, matching each individual’s needs with the treatments and tools, which fit their lifestyle.

At Advanced Hearing and Balance Specialist we offer hearing solutions for all ages and hearing loss types. Come visit one of our Audiologists and learn how we can enrich your life. Call now at 435-688-8866 or visit http://www.hearingaiddoctor.com/ for more information.

What You Think You Know About Wills and Probate

Phillip G. Gubler and Thomas J. Bayles, Attorneys at Law

Most of us have a basic understanding of Wills and Probate but sometimes that knowledge is as basic as Wills are good, Probate is bad.  While there is some validity to that thought process, here are a few misconceptions:

If I die without a will, the probate process will take years.  The probate process, while time consuming, does not have to take years.  The biggest delay is the time given to creditors to file claims.  Once that time has passed, and the Personal Representative has paid legally enforceable bills and taxes, a final distribution can be made and the estate can be closed.  This will take some time but it does not have to be an extended period.    

There are a number of reasons why the probate process becomes long and complicated.  Some of those reasons include the decedent has a large taxable estate, or the decedent has an estate that continues to generate income.  Celebrity estates, such as those of Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson, have been known to generate income for decades.   The majority of us do not fit into the aforementioned categories and the likely reason for an extended probate is dissention within the family.  If a family member challenges the will, or the beneficiaries cannot agree on distribution, then the court may have to make the decision.  The best way to stop a protracted probate is for the beneficiaries to stop fighting. 

If I die without a will, the state will get everything.  Generally, the state does not inherit your estate.  The rules of inheritance, known as intestate succession, mean your estate will likely be divided between your surviving spouse and children.  If you leave no surviving spouse or children, your estate may go to your parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, or your long lost cousin.  The state will only get your money when no relatives can be located.

The cost of probate will be more than the value of my estate.  This is likely not the case especially if you own real property.  Costs will include court filing fees and publishing fees to announce the creditor claim period.  Additionally, there will be attorney fees, and possibly appraisals, real property recording fees, and certified copies of court documents.  This amount could be thousands of dollars all together but it will likely be a small portion of the value of the estate.  Of course, proper estate planning would be more cost effective.

I will be the Personal Representative because I am the oldest.  Neither birth order nor gender are determining factors when it comes to the Personal Representative of a deceased parent’s estate.  If the decedent named a Personal Representative in his or her will, the court will appoint that person unless there is a good reason why that person cannot or should not serve.  (A disability preventing the person from serving or a felony conviction are considered good reasons.)  The court will usually appoint a spouse or an adult family member to act as Personal Representative or the court may appoint two people to serve as Co-Personal Representatives.  

When choosing a family member to act as your Personal Representative, you should consider naming your most responsible and conscientious child or family member to act in that capacity.

JensenBayles, LLP provides a broad spectrum of legal services.  Thomas J. Bayles has been actively providing advice in the areas of trusts, wills, probate and tax planning in the St. George market for over 15 years. Please visit our web site www.jensenbayles.com or call 435-674-9718 and ask for Thomas J. Bayles or Phillip G. Gubler. The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as legal advice.

Hearing Loss Linked to Depression, Social Isolation in Seniors…If Left Untreated

Jacob Burrows, Au.D., Doctor of Audiology

Untreated hearing loss has serious emotional and social consequences for older persons, according to a major new study by The National Council on the Aging (NCOA). The study was conducted by the Seniors Research Group, an alliance between NCOA and Market Strategies, Inc.

James Firman, EdD, president and CEO of The National Council on the Aging reports "This study debunks the myth that untreated hearing loss in older persons is a harmless condition". The survey of 2,300 hearing impaired adults age 50 and older found that those with untreated hearing loss were more likely to report depression, anxiety, and paranoia and were less likely to participate in organized social activities, compared to those who wear hearing aids.

Statistics show that hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the United States, affecting more than 9 million Americans over the age of 65 and 10 million Americans age 45 to 64. But about 3 out of 5 older Americans with hearing loss do not use hearing instruments.

This study reveals that hearing instrument users reported significant improvements in many areas of their lives, ranging from their relationships at home and sense of independence to their social life. In virtually every dimension measured, the families of hearing aid users also noted the improvements but were even more likely than the users to report improvements.

At Advanced Hearing and Balance Specialist we offer hearing solutions for all ages and hearing loss types. Come visit one of our Audiologists and learn how we can enrich your life. 435-688-8866
Article information derived from: Audiology Today, Vol. 11:4, 99.

Tonaquint Networks Announces Gigabit Internet in St. George

St. George, UT, AUG 24, 2015  — Tonaquint Networks has announced construction of its fiber to-the-home gigabit network build out of St. George with plans to offer the network to all residential and business properties within the City.  Tonaquint Networks is the first fiber optic network in St. George to deliver a fiber-to-the-home data connection of 1 gigabit per second.  The average American broadband speed is 11.5 Megabits per second with gigabit service being about 100 times faster.  Construction will commence on selected neighborhoods within the City.

According to Matt Hamlin, Manager of Tonaquint Networks, each identified neighborhood selected for this technology is referred to as “fiberhoods”. Shadow Mountain has been selected by Tonaquint Networks as its first gigabit fiberhood in St. George with construction already underway.  To celebrate the announcement, Tonaquint Networks will host a celebration and ribbon cutting on Thursday, September 3, at 5:30PM at the Shadow Mountain St. George City Park, 305 North Stone Mountain Drive.  Utah’s Lt. Governor Spencer Cox and St. George Mayor Jon Pike will be the featured speakers.

According to Hamlin, “Tonaquint Networks is more than a typical broadband or television service provider. Gigabit technology provides Internet speeds not previously available to residential customers in St. George. You will be amazed at the speed of downloads and the digital quality for watching movies, live sporting events, video games and soon to be live television programming. We have had a great deal of interest and enthusiasm from St. George residents—even to the point of some offering to canvas neighborhoods and sign up potential customers!   We are also working with several major home builders who want to have gigabit technology available in their development to offer to new home buyers—this gives the builder a competitive edge.”

According to Hamlin, “Tonaquint Networks owns its own fiber infrastructure providing 100% redundancy with 24/7/365 local support.”  The Tonaquint Network team of network professionals has been doing business as a fiber optic carrier and provider in Southern Utah for more than 12 years providing data network services to governments, educational institution, and many large and small corporate customers with one of the fastest and most reliable data networks in the U.S.  Tonaquint Networks is a Kay H. Traveller Company.  For more information contact Matt Hamlin, Manager, Tonaquint Networks at (435) 772-8282 or go to http://www.tonaquintnetworks.com/


About Fiberhoods 1 Gigabit Internet Service
Your Internet service can now be 100 times faster providing a care free Internet experience. With gigabit speeds right to your home, you’ll never have to worry about movies buffering, slow song downloads, or multiple people dragging your Internet speed while using the same Internet connection in your home.
Fiber optics is a technology where laser-generated pulses of light are transmitted over hair-thin strands of glass fiber at the speed of light. Fiber is vastly superior to radio transmission over copper. Because traditional copper lines focus much of their available bandwidth on sending signals out, they’re extremely limited when it comes to uploading new information. Fiber optics, however, are capable of producing upload speeds that are just as fast as download speed. Uploading/downloading, image quality and phone clarity are all improved by the use of fiber optics. And when it comes to upload speeds, fiber optics cannot be matched.

About Tonaquint
Tonaquint has been building fiber and providing IP solutions in southern Utah for the past 10 years. Now Tonaquint is positioned to provide services directly to businesses throughout the region. With redundant fiber lines throughout St. George and the surrounding areas, Tonaquint is poised to provide your business the most secure and true business grade IP services in town, with the local support to match. Tonaquint is also a partner with Tonaquint Data Center, providing the most secure environment for resources to your business. Tonaquint is the only provider that can offer a true “Fiber to Customer” experience all over the region.

Why should you choose Tonaquint fiber?
Much faster upload speeds, Better image quality, Improved phone clarity, Enhanced Security, and we don’t use outdated phone technologies (copper wires). We only provide dedicated fiber optic services with flexible plans to fit your needs. With options to choose from in both residential and business applications, we provide a variety of speeds and installation options to best fit your unique situation.

My children are irresponsible and cannot handle money. What can I do to insure they will not waste their inheritance?

Phillip G. Gubler and Thomas J. Bayles, Attorneys at Law

My children are irresponsible and cannot handle money.  What can I do to insure they will not waste their inheritance?

You worked hard all your life, lived frugally, saved money and invested wisely.  As you start the estate planning process, you may have concerns related to your children’s ability to manage money.  You may worry that providing your children with a cash distribution will encourage them to stop working hard; the very thing you did to gain your wealth.  You may worry your child, who has a drug or alcohol addiction, will use his inheritance to fuel his addiction.  Obviously, these are legitimate concerns and should be considered in estate planning.

If you are concerned how your child might handle a cash distribution, you could consider testing them by making some distributions now.  You can gift up to $14,000 (2015) per year to whomever you would like with no gift tax consequence.  If you are married, you and your spouse can give $28,000 per person.  You could consider gifting your children with no restrictions on how they use the money and watch what happens.  Will your child spend the money, apply it towards debt or invest?

You could skip the step where you test your children and make a gift by paying down a debt, such as mortgage principal or student loan.  This will provide some relief of financial obligations without putting the cash in their hands.  Since mortgages and student loans are significantly higher than when you were young, this can be a tremendous help to your children.  You should always make sure there are no negative consequences or pre-payment penalties.

The distribution portion of your Trust can be linked to age and life events.  For instance, you can create your trust so your children receive a distribution when they reach certain ages, such as 35, 40, or 45.  You could direct the distribution to pay for college tuition, down payment on a home, or other major life events.  You can also construct your Trust to allow distribution when your child reaches a certain point in his sobriety, such as anniversary events at 5, 10 and 15 years.   

It is reasonable to worry how an inheritance will affect your children.  With  proper planning, you can put some of your concerns to rest. 

Exchange Club of St. George to Hold Yard Sale Fundraiser

N E W S   R E L E A S E

News Release: Immediate

For more information contact:

Contact:  Neal H. Smith
Committee Chairman
St. George Exchange Club
Ph: 435-634-5605
C: 435-632-5456
nsmith@sbhcutah.org

Exchange Club of St. George to Hold Yard Sale Fundraiser


St. George, UT, July 31, 2015  — The St. George Exchange Club is hosting a GIGANTIC YARD SALE on Saturday, August 8, from from 7AM to 1PM, in the back parking lot of the Independence House located at 960 North Dixie Downs Road. The purpose of this event is to raise money to be donated to the Sunday Feast and Friday’s Food Pantry sponsored by Solomon’s Porch Foursquare Church here in St. George.

The Church recently moved from the center of St. George to the South edge and have anywhere from 50 to 150 homeless people attend their small church each Sunday for a meal. According to Neal Smith, Exchange Club Committee Chair, "It is amazing what Solomon’s Porch Foursquare Church has been able to do with the Sunday Feast each week with limited funds and staffing. Pastor Jimi Kestin regularly seeks community volunteers to help with the Sunday Feast and he also accepts donations by calling him at (435) 669-9070.”

The St. George Exchange Club is a community service club that regularly seeks to assist the community in providing this type of event. Please come out support the Yard Sale that will have appliances, baby clothes, desks, dishes, a pool table, and much, much more for sale from 7AM to 1PM in the parking lot behind the Independence House located at 960 North Dixie Downs Road on Saturday, August 8.

Washington County School District to Premier Documentary Celebrating its 100-Year Anniversary

St. George, UT, July 22, 2015  — In conjunction with the 100-year anniversary of the Washington County School District, a variety of activities at each school location throughout the district are being planned during the coming 2015-2016 school year. Bob Sonju, Executive Director K-12 Student Learning for Washington County School District announced the kick off event will be the premier showing of the documentary film "On Dreams of Dixie", celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Washington County School District. Sonju stated, “We are committed to helping viewers understand that education is vitally important. As demonstrated in this heartfelt film, education weaves lives together, prepares us for life and demonstrates that through school, work and play, communities grow and prosper.”

The Washington County School District Foundation assisted in funding the documentary film, "On Dreams of Dixie", which was recently accepted to DOCUTAH, a Southern Utah International Film Festival presented by Dixie State University. According to DOCUTAH executives, "On Dreams of Dixie" will be one of the featured films at this year’s festival.

Pam Graf, Foundation Director for Washington County School District said, “From a once barren desert to a flourishing, vibrant community, southern Utah demonstrates the value that comes from keeping education a top community priority. We invite you to help us continue the legacy of education in southern Utah by purchasing your personal copies of this film. You may also offer a donation to the Washington County School District Foundation, which is dedicated to helping our students and teachers.”

Sonju stated, “We realize that while this film features a handful of personal stories, there are many not told here. We all remember a favorite teacher or experience and we would love to hear yours.”

To provide a personal remembrance of your days in the Washington County School District visit our stories page and post at ondreamsofdixie.com/stories.  You can also share them on social media using the hashtags #WCSD100 and #dixiedreamsmovie.

The public is invited to attend the World Premier of "On Dreams of Dixie" to be held on August 1, 2015, at Desert Hills High School, located at 828 East Desert Hills Drive, St. George, Utah. The general public showing of the premier will begin at 8:45pm and be on a first come, first serve basis. Theater seating is limited to 900 occupants. If the first showing is sold out a second public screening will be held immediately after.

To purchase DVD copies of "On Dreams of Dixie" go to ondreamsofdixie.com and click on the green Support WCSD Foundation button. A single copy of the documentary is $20, and all proceeds benefit Washington County School District Foundation. DVD's will also be available for purchase at the Premier and during DOCUTAH.

In association with its 100 Year Celebration, the Washington County School District launched a fresh looking website on July 14, to help parents, students and community members easily navigate and find information regarding their schools and district activities. It is located at www.washk12.org. The site was designed and developed by Cody Plumhof, Web Master and Developer, Design Specialist for Washington County School District. Cody was also the executive director for the documentary.

Cody said of the experience, “Working on this film has been a great opportunity to tell the history of WCSD through the eyes of those who lived it. Each story in the film is only a glimpse of the past 100 years, and there is so much more that could be said if time permitted. We are truly thankful for those who dedicate their lives to educating the children of Washington County - from the support staff to the teachers and administrators - and I believe they truly help our students work towards their dreams and futures.”

About "On Dreams of Dixie," a Documentary Film

It was 1861 when tattered pioneers began arriving in southern Utah's red, barren desert. Amid sacrifice and loss, many had traveled across wide oceans and unforgiving plains for a place they could call their own.

Committed to education, school classes were first held in the back of covered wagons and in the areas first church houses. In 1915, the state of Utah issued an order for the area's scattered schools to join together as one and Washington County School District was formed with 1,833 registered students.

Through heartfelt interviews and stories found in the archives of county history, 'On Dreams of Dixie' gives viewers a multi-dimensional experience and character-driven look at what it was like attending school in southern Utah's early settlement communities.

More than 28,000 students are now enrolled in Washington County schools with students learning skills that prepare them for life. Looking back over the shoulder of history, it is important to acknowledge that life in southern Utah started out at a much slower pace, when times were simple. Written and produced by Melynda Thorpe, narrated by Wilford Brimley, with an original score by Keith R Owen, "On Dreams of Dixie" provides a powerful viewer experience.

If you would like to see behind the scene experiences, photos and documents used in the making of this documentary go to facebook.com/ondreamsofdixie.