Membership News

The board and staff are working to understand what our members want from our programming.  Over the last three seasons, we've taken significant efforts to collect  your feedback, both in the paper evaluations turned in at our meetings, and in the on-line electronic summary information collected immediately following each meeting.

A summary of three years' worth of programming and commentary can be found here.

This assessment reveals a successful group of professionals gathering for monthly education and networking in an accessible location with affordable pricing and outstanding value.  As a volunteer led board and organization, providing varied and quality programming that responds to our members' needs isn't easy with a small budget.  Over time, some programs have been more useful to all members than others, but your comments are being gathered, read, and responded to, in an effort to provide the greatest overall value possible to the broader array of professional disciplines now involved in estate planning. 

Please keep telling us what you think...It Matters Very Much!

Attention EVEPC members....there is a members' only discussion forum, for your use with other members.

Our first member posted a question for comment from other members this morning, following our monthly meeting.

Curious?  Want to jump start the kind of helpful dialogue an estate planning council can provide?  Log In, then, and visit the Member Only Discussion area, and share your thoughts on the EP question posted.

EVEPC members and friends,

Don't forget, if you are on "linked in", that there is a new EVEPC group.  This is a great place to comment on programs, make program or speaker suggestions to the board, post questions that you are facing in your practice, share news like firm promotions, new address', or name changes.

Here's the link:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/East-Valley-Estate-Planning-Council-4588193

Congratulations to Matt Dana for delivering an extremely well received presentation this morning.  Matt's outline suggested several practical and useful ideas for planning strategies to help clients "use it or lose it', but the real nuggets weren't in the outline.

Matt offered his insights into where we are headed come Jan 1, 2013 (he is betting we will not have any congressional action in time to prevent the return to a $1mm exemption world), and how he sifts through the best strategies for his tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 clients.

Matt next offered insights into the single best estate planning tool ever, the FLP, and why he believes you can and should be ready to use this tool in even those situations where the facts are tough....because the discounts are real, and if you conduct your practice thoroughly and diligently, that transfers into real savings for your clients.

Next came some suggestions for how to walk your clients through a currently funded spousal gift trust (the secret?  use flowcharts, not pages of documents and stacks of numbers), and how to address the most direct issues with them (divorce, or the death of the spouse and kids who don't cooperate).

There was barely enough time to touch on Rainy Day trusts, and other tactics to "use it or lose it"....so if you want more from Matt, you'll have to call him.

The flowcharts referenced today are available to members in the Presentation Archives section of the EVEPC website.  Just log on, and head to that section.

See you next month, on November 14th (the 2nd week of November).

The board has agreed to support a membership renewal and outreach campaign through September, 2012.  If successful, EVEPC will reach 90 members this season, by retaining at least 65 members from last season (an 80% renewal rate), and adding up to 25 new members this season.

Today, we are pleased to report progress toward this goal: We are well over the halfway point, with one week to go until our first meeting!

Currently Active Member:  59

The board has agreed to support a membership renewal and outreach campaign through September, 2012.  If successful, EVEPC will reach 90 members this season, by retaining at least 65 members from last season (an 80% renewal rate), and adding up to 25 new members this season.

The board has agreed to support a membership renewal and outreach campaign through September, 2012.  If successful, EVEPC will reach 90 members this season, by retaining at least 65 members from last season (an 80% renewal rate), and adding up to 25 new members this season.

Today, we are pleased to report progress toward this goal: We are well over the halfway point, with two weeks to go until our first meeting!

Renewals:  48
New Members:  14
Total:  62

Still to renew: 34

The board has agreed to support a membership renewal and outreach campaign through September, 2012.  If successful, EVEPC will reach 90 members this season, by retaining at least 65 members from last season (an 80% renewal rate), and adding up to 25 new members this season.

Today, we are pleased to report progress toward this goal: We are well over the halfway point, with three weeks to go until our first meeting!

Renewals:  48
New Members:  14
Total:  62

Still to renew: 34

If you are interested in sponsoring an East Valley Estate Planning Council meeting....ACT FAST.  There is only one meeting left (May 2013) that hasn't yet been confirmed.  Rumor has it, though, that an inquiry has been made.

We are so pleased to report the renewal of 6 of 7 sponsors from last season...only 1 new position in our sponsorship line.

Uber Kudos to our kick off season sponsors: Lohman Company

It is always a relief to a board and sponsorship committee when they know the first meeting of the year is covered with a great presenter and a local sponsor! 

For September, its a great combination:  Ed Zollars will tell you what is new with Arizona Tax Legislation.  Lohman Company will help you deal with the new rules, forms, and compliance!