Safe Document Storage 101
At Merlino & Gonzalez, We Know About Keeping Plans Secure Often, the people we work with on a daily basis know what’s going to happen to their property and assets in the future because they’ve planned it out with the experts here at Merlino & Gonzalez, written it down, and made it into a legally binding document. But what about the original? Do better than a desk drawer or shoebox; at the very least, you want somewhere dry with a lock. We recommend a safe (that cannot be easily moved) for home document storage. Don’t worry too much about fireproof models, as they’re expensive and misleadingly labeled. You made backups for a reason.
But what about the future of that document itself — the paper and ink their plan is printed on? Even if your will is destroyed, the act of having worked on one with an attorney can help, but there are no guarantees, so it is best to keep it safe. Step one is backups. We like the “two digital backups and a hard copy” rule. This could be scans of the plan on two computers, a computer and USB drive, or two USB drives. Cloud storage is easy to access, but there are a lot of reasons that can be a problem. Finally, print a third copy to store somewhere offsite, like a bank deposit box. That can be a good place to store one of the digital drives as well.
The last step? Make sure your executor or another trusted person knows how to access each copy of your estate plan. If you don’t, they may not know such a plan exists or may be unable to access it in time (safe deposit boxes require court orders, which can take too long). As estate planning experts, the Merlino & Gonzalez team has given this subject a lot of thought. Give us a call at 718-682-7015 to get the benefit of our experience in this or any other estate planning matter!
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THE BEST TEXAS-STYLE SMOKED BRISKET MICHELE’S RECIPE CORNER
and a really good attorney, and the stars aligned for one house in particular, in a suburban part of New Jersey. The neighbors were great, and so was the seller — and there was an instant connection between that seller and Freddy, as they were both veterans. Freddy’s service also helped when we were looking for a loan, and so did John’s office. He and Michele worked tirelessly on our behalf, mostly answering questions really quickly. At least a few times, we got saved by a “No, don’t do that — you’re going to get taken advantage of” message from one of them! Both of us will continue to commute for now, but we couldn’t be happier with our new place, the school district, the neighbors, or our team. And if you’re looking for a sign to start your own house search, we hope you consider this little letter of ours to be that omen! We promise, the house is out there — you just need to put it out into the universe, “I will get that house,” over and over again until it happens for you. And it doesn’t hurt to have a great attorney on your side. Even if you do buy in New Jersey, which doesn’t technically require a lawyer, we wouldn’t have done it any other way. –Freddy and Cinthia
Inspired by AllRecipes.com
Impress guests at your next barbecue with this perfectly smoked brisket. Plus, you’ll have plenty of leftovers!
INGREDIENTS
• 1/4 cup chili powder • 1/4 cup garlic powder • 1/4 cup onion powder • 1/4 cup salt • 1/4 cup pepper • 10 lbs brisket
• Wood chips • 1/4 cup paprika • 1/4 cup white sugar • 1/4 cup ground cumin • 1/4 cup cayenne pepper • 1/4 cup brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, soak wood chips in water overnight. 2. In a large bowl, mix paprika, white sugar, cumin, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Rub spice mixture on the brisket and refrigerate for 24 hours. 4. Preheat smoker to 230 F. Drain wood chips and place them in the smoker. 5. Smoke brisket until it has an internal temperature of 165 F. 6. Remove brisket and wrap it in aluminum foil. 7. Smoke brisket further until it reaches an internal temperature of 185 F.
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