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Plan today for peace of mind tomorrow. AUGUST 2023
THE IMPORTANCE OF ESTATE PLANNING FOR PARENTS From Planning Playdates to Planning Legacies
As parents, we want to give our children the best possible chance at finding success and happiness. We enroll them in various activities we believe they’ll enjoy while often sacrificing our free time in the process. I don’t mind giving up my free time for my kids, though. I think one of the greatest joys I experience as a parent is seeing the world through my kids’ eyes. I get to re-experience things from my childhood just by watching my children have fun and play. Since I have four kids, I spend ample time planning and strategizing to ensure they can participate in everything they want to do. I need to determine what’s age-appropriate and which particular ventures align with their interests. Once I enroll them in their activities, I try to create a balance between downtime, experiencing new things, having fun, and everything else happening in their lives. I know I’m not alone when it comes to planning my kids’ schedules to maximize their happiness and future success. Although we plan and strategize to help our children and their future, one area often gets left on the back burner. Many parents believe they have time before they need to create an estate plan that protects their and their children’s legacy. We never truly know what tomorrow holds or what life has in store for us. When we’re young and healthy, we like to think we have many years left; God willing, we do. But it’s never guaranteed. Creating an estate plan is like putting on your seat belt before a car accident; you have to do it before the unexpected occurs. One of the saddest situations that can affect children is when something unexpected happens to their parents without an estate plan designating a new guardian. They end up in foster care, and even if they’re only there for a few nights or a week, it can still be an incredibly traumatic experience for the children. Not only were they ripped from their families, but now, they’re inside “Creating an estate plan is like putting on your seat belt before a car accident; you have to do it before the unexpected occurs.”
a stranger’s home. That’s one of the primary reasons having something set up for your children is so important.
The estate planning conversation is not the most fun, but it is one of the most loving things we can do for our families. We assume that we’ll always be there to protect our kids and nothing will happen on our watch, but we can’t predict the future. An estate plan is the closest we can get to preparing for the unexpected. A significant reason I got into this industry is because I saw what happened to kids after they were placed in foster care. It is my mission to educate families so not only do they know what happens, but also so they can plan for and protect their families.
If you have a friend or family member with children who doesn’t have an estate plan, we’d be honored to help them. Now is the time to put a plan in place so you can gain peace of mind for the future!
–Andrea Shoup
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WHAT IS ETHICAL INVESTING? USE YOUR VALUES TO MAKE FINANCIAL DECISIONS
What is the difference between ethical and ESG investing? Ethical investing is similar to ESG investing, which evaluates a company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. The difference? Ethical investing takes it a few steps further. For example, ESG investing looks at issues that can include:
Do you want to start investing but are wary of funding large corporations with questionable ethics? Ethical investing is when people make investment decisions that align with their morals. When investing ethically, you support sustainable companies committed to widespread positive social change. Of course, “ethical” is subjective and means various things to different people. Ethical investors often research companies before investing to discover how the business impacts the world around them. These can concern human rights, environmental sustainability, and more.
It’s entirely up to the investor to decide which causes they want to invest in or eliminate from their investment portfolio through the companies they research and choose.
Do ethical investments have high returns?
While not all investments can guarantee a high return, one 2019 study by Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing found the return on investments focused on ethical choices was not noticeably different from traditional investments. It doesn’t hurt to care! Ethical investors actively work to support moral values in businesses and encourage sustainable practices. As more and more investors choose to support these companies, other businesses are pressured to clean up their acts and work harder to make a difference. Our ethical values, applied to investment choices, can make a huge impact! No one needs to throw away their values to start investing.
• • • • •
Climate change
Waste management
Gender and racial discrimination
Employee safety
Accounting practices
However, ethical investing follows a more comprehensive approach and considers ethical matters that may not be discovered when assessing a company’s ESG standards. Some ethical concerns may include:
• • • •
Fossil fuel usage
Weapons production
Human rights
Child labor violations
Empowering Clients Through Education At Shoup Legal, we have many knowledgeable professionals who work behind the scenes to ensure our clients are well-informed and taken care of. Behind every strong business is a solid marketing team and strategy. We recently expanded our marketing team when we hired Bryan Fiorito as our new marketing director this past April. MEET BRYAN FIORITO Like many others, Bryan had his first experience with the estate planning process after the death of a family member. When his grandfather passed away, Bryan saw firsthand the different dynamics that come into play during death and estate planning. He didn’t want others to experience the same stress that plagued his family. After graduating from college, Bryan started an estate management company with his dad. He worked there for several years before taking a position as a marketing director at an estate planning firm in Los Angeles, CA. After serveral years in that role, Bryan joined our team at Shoup Legal and has impressed us with his skills ever since.
information and effectively communicate the benefits of estate planning across all mediums (blogs, social media, workshops, and educational videos). He aims to keep our clients up to date on any changes in the estate planning industry so they can avoid probate and ensure their families are taken care of. His unique understanding of the CA Probate Process and seeing what it can do to families, is what motivates him to educate others. Outside of the workplace, Bryan loves to travel and hang out with his family. He greatly enjoys playing sports with his son, particularly basketball. He spends plenty of time outside camping, hiking, and participating in various other outdoor activities. We can’t wait to see what marketing strategies Bryan implements in the coming months! He continues to impress us with his work ethic and ideas. He’s been a great addition to our team!
Bryan has an obvious passion for educating our clients about the estate planning process. He loves to get creative with different ways to share this vital
Plan today for peace
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Raspberry and Fig Oat Bars Inspired by Delicious.com.au
Ingredients
•
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/4 cup raspberry jam • 1 1/3 cups raspberries • 3 figs, quartered • 1 tbsp turbinado or brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch • 1 tsp baking powder
In the next few weeks, kids from our community will return to school to start yet another semester in their academic journey. Some parents are even going through the exciting transition of sending their recent high school graduates off to college. This is a very interesting time in their lives because they’ll experience so many wonderful opportunities where they can build their potential. If you have children heading to college in the coming weeks, take some time to talk with them about how much potential and opportunity is in front of them. Let them know how much they can accomplish while away from home so they can enter this stage in their lives with a beneficial mindset. When they’re properly prepared, they’ll go into the experience with an awareness that they can create the life they want. When I started my first semester of college, I remember how odd it felt that no one was checking in on me to make sure I was completing assignments and receiving good grades. Teachers didn’t even care if I turned in assignments or not. It was such an extreme change when I realized I was the only one responsible for myself. Before heading to college, many of us can remember our parents asking how much homework we had or what grades we received on a specific test or assignment, but in college, we’re no longer completing things just because Mom or Dad asked us about it. It was at this moment I learned that I could choose what kind of student I would be. This might surprise you, but I wasn’t the best student in high school. I passed my classes and did well, but my grades weren’t perfect. After my first year of college, I started to get straight A’s in every class. This was because my self- motivation was greater than any external force. It was a great learning and development experience. I could form an idea of what success looked like for me and what I wanted to do with my life. If your kids are heading off to college, encourage them to reach for the stars and chase their dreams. They’re entering a new age of responsibility and should embrace it. Starting the moment they step foot on campus, they can create the life they want. THE TRANSITION TO COLLEGE You Control Your Future
• 1 cup and 1 tbsp rolled oats, divided • 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, diced • 2/3 cup caster sugar (superfine granulated)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line an 8x12-inch pan with parchment paper. 2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1 cup oats. Using your fingertips, rub in butter until crumbly. Stir in caster sugar, then add egg and vanilla. Stir until clumpy. 3. In the pan, smooth three-quarters of the mixture evenly. Spread jam over the top, then add fruit. Mix leftover oat mixture with turbinado sugar and remaining oats, then sprinkle over the fruit. 4. Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
TAKE A BREAK
e of mind tomorrow.
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Plan today for peace of mind tomorrow. 39755 Date St., Ste. 203 | Murrieta, CA 92563 (951) 445-4114 | www.shouplegal.com
1 | Secure Your Children’s Future 2 | Ethical Investing Explained 2 | Introducing Shoup Legal’s New Marketing Director 3 | A World of New Opportunities 3 | Raspberry and Fig Oat Bars 4 | Unleash Your Child’s Full Potential Inside This Issue
UNLOCK A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES How Extracurricular Activities Benefit Your Kids
As children return to school in August, they’ll likely be interested in one or more extracurricular activities. Opportunities both in school and in the community are numerous, such as participating in a local play, joining a school club or sports team, and many others. Extracurricular activities are perfect for getting kids out of the house, but these ventures will also help them gain valuable experiences along with these three benefits. Improves Social Skills One of the biggest concerns parents have had since we experienced lockdowns during the pandemic is that their children struggle to communicate with others. Most of these kids were away from their peers for a year or more, which weakened their social skills. Participating in an extracurricular activity gives your kids a chance to communicate with others outside of a school setting. They’ll learn how other people think and how to best respond to certain situations. Bolsters College Applications If your child wants to attend college after high school, joining a club, team, or organization will give them a leg up on other candidates. College admissions officers love to see students who participate in extracurricular activities because it shows they are involved in their community and possess leadership and teamwork skills. While extracurriculars are not as important as other
factors for college admissions, they still play a decisive role in the college’s choice to accept your child.
Helps Them Discover Their Passions There are countless examples of kids discovering their true passion through participating in extracurricular activities. Your child might not become a professional athlete, but they might discover an alternate career path, like becoming a physical therapist or personal trainer by playing a sport. If your kid likes animals, they might find a prospective career path by volunteering at the zoo. If one activity doesn’t appeal to them, try another. Before long, you’ll find the perfect interest for your child.
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