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ALTON - Do you have questions about estate planning and taxes? A free dinner plans to help community members decode these issues.
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At 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, at The Wedge in Alton, Stephens Planning will partner with Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C., to share information about estate planning and how estate taxes can impact your family. Curtis Stephens and Liz Heller hope their combined 30 years of experience help attendees understand what they need to do to protect their assets and loved ones.
“[This is for] anybody who hasn’t taken the time to know their positions, their belongings, their accounts, their life insurance, everything is where it should be and it is structured appropriately,” Stephens said. “If you don’t have that peace of mind, come in, ask some questions. Take a look at your documents before you come in so you have real questions. But this is to get peace of mind and to know that you’re doing the right thing and everything you can do.”
Stephens and Heller emphasized that the free dinner has no obligations and no pressure, but instead is a way for them to answer basic estate planning questions. They are happy to work with you one-on-one after the dinner to ensure your documents are correctly filed.
They encourage attendees to come with questions. As a fiduciary, Stephens is focused on making sure your assets are protected. Heller, an estate attorney, often handles estate planning. The two professionals noted they can rely on each other’s expertise and “hold each other accountable” as they help you establish your estate.
Stephens added that financial and estate planning often go hand in hand. It’s important to help his clients understand every part of their estate and assets and how taxes will affect these things after their passing.
“A complete plan, a full plan, is also walking through every account, everything you own, and making sure it’s titled to pay out appropriately,” he explained. “If you don’t have your documents and your accounts matching your estate documents, that’s going to be a problem.”
But estate planning is more than just transferring wealth. Stephens and Heller noted that end-of-life care and power of attorney decisions are an important part of this process. Both have been surprised to realize that many people have a will in place, but no power of attorney.
“The power of attorney is really important because it’s affecting while you’re living,” Heller said. “If you’re disabled, if somebody has a stroke and can’t make decisions for themselves, then you’ve got to hire a lawyer. The court is going to appoint a lawyer for the disabled person. It’s very stressful, very expensive, and a very difficult time. So it’s just a no-brainer to get that done.”
Stephens and Heller added that talking through your estate and financial plans are surefire ways to “find the gaps” in both. Their job is to get to know you and your family so they can help you decide what is best for your circumstances. This helps them help you create plans that will protect your loved ones, avoid conflicts, and transfer wealth as painlessly as possible.
“At Stephens Planning, we find the gaps in your estate plan because that’s our job,” Stephens added. “It involves a conversation, because life does change, right? Sometimes people start making poor decisions, and they weren’t doing that five years ago. So sometimes it’s as simple as just confirming that that is what it needs to be. And if there’s a gap, you’ll find it, because there’s a disconnect between what people say and what their documents actually support. So sometimes just having a conversation.”
Stephens and Heller encourage people to sign up for the free dinner on Aug. 13 to learn more about these topics. They are both excited to share more information with attendees and help them make the decisions that will best protect their wealth and their families.
For more information about the event or the work done by Stephens Planning, visit their official website. For more about Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli, P.C., visit their official website.
This featured article is sponsored by Stephens Planning. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
