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Goblins and Gatherings Halloweens Full of Heart
Sometimes, all you need to appreciate life better is to become someone (or something) else for a day. Halloween is probably my favorite holiday. As a kid, I loved dressing up in costumes, and it’s been a joy seeing my kids do the same. When I was growing up, my mom would make costumes for my sister and me. One year, I was an “old lady,” with gray hair (and curlers, of course) and a big rear end. Mom stuffed my heinie with a pillow for the full effect, and the results were really cute. Another year, I was a cat. We lived on the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, a tight-knit community where we knew all our neighbors. We’d dress up, trick-or-treat throughout the base, and say hello to everyone. Sometimes, we’d attend parties in the neighborhood. Today, as a mother of children ages 10 and 12, I’m lucky to live in a place with a similar spirit during spooky season. We’re a gated community, but those gates are opened on Halloween to invite everyone in. Our neighbors set up tables with treats and beverages at the end of their driveways, and everyone takes the time to stop by and catch up with one another. It’s always jam-packed and a nice way to connect with people in our area while the kids collect as much candy as possible. Although I don’t make my kids’ costumes, I pick a theme each year. Last year, we did a sports theme. My daughter, Elliana, wanted to be a cheerleader, so I dressed as a football player. My son, Ethan, was a basketball player. Sometimes, I try to develop a theme that incorporates the whole family, like “The Addams Family” or “The Wizard of Oz,” where we could all be different characters. They haven’t taken me up on that idea yet. Perhaps they’ll do it this year!
We decorate our home for all holidays, but we have quite the stash of Halloween decorations.
Our yard becomes a haven for ghouls, skeletons, and goblins, and we put up a lighted Halloween tree. We’ll usually have pizza or something else easy that night to get out trick-or-treating quicker. Usually, the schools will also have some type of Halloween party, and the kids often take special treats for their classmates. Ethan, who’s in seventh grade, loves basketball at the moment. Elliana, meanwhile, loves swimming and can often be found in the pool. She’s not so much into sports but loves FaceTiming with friends and other assorted girlie stuff.
One of my biggest jobs as a parent is doing whatever I can to help my kids smile with joy wherever possible. Whether they’re dressing up for Halloween, dipping into the pool, or hitting the basketball court, I love seeing my children have fun in life. It’s also my responsibility to do whatever is possible to help them live safe and secure lives. Being a part of the team here at The Sheppard Law Firm has taught me the value of considering estate planning, uncovering financial skeletons, and avoiding future nightmares. Halloween is a nice way to bring merriment to the macabre, but no one wants their families to witness a real-life horror movie due to a lack of proper legacy planning. This month, leave the scary surprises for when you open the door for a trick-or-treater, and give us a call to remove some of the suspense surrounding the rest of your life.
We’re now sharing short videos and helpful content on estate planning across our social media platforms. These accounts provide everything from alerts about common misconceptions to planning tips we wish more folks knew. They’re a great way to stay informed — and maybe even entertained! To see all our channels, please scan the QR code provided or visit SheppardLawFirm.com/social . Thank you for taking a moment to visit and follow our platforms. We appreciate your continued trust in our firm.
–Regina Sadoski
1 (239) 265-9779
OCTOBER 2025
Not Done Yet? Try Semi-Retirement Who says slowing down means stopping? While your 60s used to signal retirement was on the way, more and more people are using this time as a launchpad for a new kind of freedom: semi-retirement. Whether dialing back your 9-to-5, chasing long-held dreams, or turning a passion project into a new hustle, semi-retirement allows you to remain connected and do what you love while providing financial security. Scaling back and continuing to work can give you a additional contribution options, like catch- up contributions. Purpose Beyond the Paycheck Make Room for Life Without Ditching Work Completely
You may still enjoy your job or love the social setting of your office. Scaling back your hours rather than retiring completely has numerous emotional and mental health benefits. It can be difficult to abruptly make a huge change in your routines or suddenly lose the job-related identity you’ve possibly built over many years. Many people who opt for semi-retirement like the sense of purpose that continuing to work part time gives them. It allows you to continue fulfilling work and gives you a social outlet. Factors to Consider Semi-retirement isn’t for everyone, and there are various factors to consider when deciding whether to stay in the workforce. If you are thinking of going part time out of necessity, look over your finances to
sense of flexibility and safety. Stretch Your Retirement Dollars
determine how much you need to earn to cover your savings gap. It could also be a solid strategy to build more savings so you have a buffer for the unexpected or big plans like travel in the future. If you simply enjoy your work or want to pursue another passion, like freelance writing or running a small home business, semi-retirement could give you a flexible schedule to work with as you plan this exciting new time.
One of the main perks of holding off from fully retiring is the money. Though you will earn less income working part time, what you make allows you to build a larger nest egg, and even delay when you collect your Social Security benefits. You can continue contributing to your retirement accounts and 401(k). Workers 50 or older also get
n g e n c i e s H o l i d a y C o n
Ready to mix in some estate planning with your upcoming eggnog? With another holiday season fast approaching, the final quarter of 2025 promises to be both hectic and joyous. For many of us, the gift of spending time with loved ones during this time of year is preceded by weeks (or even months) of intense budgeting, travel arrangements, shopping, and other logistical mazes to maneuver. When the time finally comes for our families to gather, we can at last relax and mark the close of another year with those dearest to us. Although it may seem counterintuitive amid the festive spirits of the holidays, the next few months are the best to discuss and review your estate plan with family or ensure other members are secure and up to date with theirs. Here are a few legacy-related
pointers to consider adding to your holiday to-do list to ensure everyone involved in an estate can end 2025 confident that their plans are set. Review (and refresh) everyone’s responsibilities. Assuming your adult loved one(s) already have an estate plan, use your time with them over the holidays to confirm all beneficiaries and anyone assigned a specific role fully understand their obligations and benefits. Additionally, confirm whether this information is documented appropriately and stored in a way that ensures easy access. Chronicle critical changes in writing. Marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and relocations are some events that can drastically affect a person’s estate plan. If a significant change has recently
impacted a loved one, now is the time to help them ensure their documents reflect the most current status of their assets and represent their wishes under these new circumstances. Add light to life discussions. Estate planning is essential, but it’s not exactly on everyone’s list of cheery conversations. Discussing what happens when we or someone we love passes away can be deeply uncomfortable, especially when everyone’s more in the mood for carving turkey or watching TV. However, the holidays are still an ideal time to initiate an in-person talk about the future when everyone is relaxed and in good spirits. This doesn’t need to be a drawn-out discussion; sometimes, a simple check-in is all that’s necessary to ensure things are in order and the plan is poised for success.
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SCROLLS, SCREENS, AND SECURITY Estate Planning in an Unfiltered World
Thirty years ago, most of us switched on the news or opened our front doors to grab the daily paper to learn about what was happening in our neighborhood or worldwide. We used phones just for calling people, and the concept of artificial intelligence was mostly confined to science fiction novels or movies. Today, dozens (if not hundreds) of online news sources vie for our attention. We use our phones to have video chats with people on the other side of the world, and AI is rapidly changing how we receive and process images and information. Unfortunately, this technological evolution isn’t
And that’s a significant problem when it comes to estate planning. Whether you’re new to wills and trusts or already have documentation in place, you may be tempted to do an online search to determine whether new tax laws, financial trends, or property value changes may impact your plans. While information and data are just a click away, the quality of what you see may be questionable. Data can change in the blink of an eye, and the news you read today can be irrelevant tomorrow. This fact is essential to remember when you’re getting information about estate tax exemptions from a website that hasn’t been updated in years or watching a YouTube video posted by someone with limited knowledge on the subject matter or without the wisdom required to provide sensible solutions to specific issues. Don’t gamble on Google with your estate planning. Our firm has the expertise to sift through the fray online and separate fact from fiction. Before potentially falling down a
always as beneficial as we may think. Because we receive our media from many different (often conflicting) sources, seeking valid news and information is akin to strolling through the Wild West. Without dependable filtering and gatekeeping, legitimate facts on any number of topics can get buried under misinformation and uninformed opinions masquerading as truths.
rabbit hole of falsehood, contact us today for clear guidance in answering your questions
or concerns. In an era bombarding you with content, let us be the filter leading you to a secure legacy.
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TAKE A BREAK!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a 9-inch round cake pan, add butter for topping. Place in oven for a few minutes until melted. 3. Sprinkle brown sugar over melted butter. 4. Cut apples into half circles about 1/4-inch thick (no need to peel) and arrange them in circles, overlapping slightly until they fill the entire pan. Set aside. 5. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. 6. Add milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg. Whisk until combined. 7. Pour batter over apple slices, smoothing as needed. 8. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 9. Let cool to room temperature, invert on a plate, and serve.
Topping •
1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• •
3 Honeycrisp apples
Cake •
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• • • • • •
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• •
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
ANSWER ON TOP OF PAGE 4
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INSIDE this issue
SUDOKU ANSWER
Treat Bags and Traditions PAGE 1 Slow Down Without Stopping Cold PAGE 2 Successions Over Cider PAGE 2 Media Myths and Major Mistakes PAGE 3 Apple Upside-Down Cake PAGE 3 Wicked Wanderlust PAGE 4
The best compliments we receive are your referrals. When you refer us to your loved ones, we do all we can to exceed expectations.
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If your idea of fun seasonal travel is touring a spooky castle in October rather than hitting a sandy beach in July, here are three vacation ideas that will take your Halloween fun to spine-tingling new heights this year! Where Witches Wander When it comes to Halloween-themed adventures, no other place on the East Coast offers more macabre merriment than Salem, Massachusetts. Known for its infamous witch trials of the late 1690s, the city transforms its dark past into a destination that balances historical facts with tongue- in-cheek kitsch. The weeks leading up to Oct. 31 are filled with more magic shows, tours, special events, and Halloween-themed shopping opportunities than you can shake a broom at. If you decide to partake in the area’s devilish fun this year, visit the Salem Witch Board Museum — which boasts the
world’s most extensive Ouija board collection — and the Salem Witch Museum. Bourbon Bone-Chillers If you want to add Southern charm to your Halloween chills, a trip to New Orleans, Louisiana, is in order. From above-ground cemeteries and ghost tours to ghoulishly adorned shops in the French Quarter (including the must-visit Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo on Bourbon Street) and an annual Halloween parade, The Big Easy will surely put you in touch with your spooky side. Detour to Dracula’s Den From the classic 1922 film “Nosferatu” to the Francis Ford Coppola-directed cinematic masterpiece “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” that premiered 70 years later, our cultural interest in vampires has spanned decades — and, in the case of Transylvania, Romania, centuries.
Anyone with a passport and a desire to catch a glimpse at the real-world aesthetic that helped define the image of Dracula and other distinctive undead characters should visit Bran Castle, an amazing monument of Gothic architecture and the long-rumored residence of infamous 15th century-era prince and mass murderer Vlad the Impaler — widely believed to be the real-life inspiration behind the Dracula character. While many of the legends associated with Transylvania may be more fiction than fact, the locale remains the go-to spot for anyone with an affinity for apparitions.
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