Monday, May 7, 2012

CLA USA Wins Lawsuit


On August 26, 2011 a jury handed down a verdict in favor of CLA USA.  CLA was awarded lost revenue and attorney fees.  CLA USA has endured this litigation since 2007 and has vigorously defended its business and operations.  Charles A. Loper Jr. stated “we are happy this lawsuit was decided in our favor.”

CLA USA was founded by Charles A. Loper Jr. and has been in the business of preserving peoples assets since 1984.  CLA’s representatives have special knowledge in assisting our client with issues that are of a particular interest to the retired and elderly. CLA provides estate planning services to over 40,000 families in 38 states.

Civil Action File No. 07-1-6962-34

PLAINTIFFS VOLUNTARILY DISMISS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST CLA ENTITIES

Update. March 29, 2012

TEXARKANA - After four (4) years of extensive discovery, the Plaintiffs voluntarily filed a Motion to Dismiss their class action claims against CLA Estate Services, Inc., CLA USA, Inc. and other CLA Entities.  On March 5, 2012, the Honorable Chief U.S. District Judge, P.K. Holmes, III, granted the Plaintiff’s Motion to Dismiss.

On December 19, 2007, James P. Birts, Nate S. Orben and Darlene M. Orben filed a class action suit in the Circuit Court of Miller County, Arkansas against several CLA companies, including CLA USA, Inc. and CLA Estate Services, Inc.  This lawsuit was later removed to the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas – Texarkana Division.

The lawsuit makes several allegations regarding the business practices of CLA Estate Services and CLA USA.  It is important to note that information outlined in a Complaint are merely allegations and have not been proven to be accurate or true.  CLA Estate Services and CLA USA, along with the other named CLA entities and associated individuals, denied any wrongdoing and vigorously defended the allegations as being unfounded and inaccurate assertions as to their business practices.

After conducting extensive discovery, it was determined that the allegations set forth in the Complaint were not verified and without merit. For example, in his deposition, Mr. Birts was asked whether he was aware of the allegations set forth in the complaint, Mr. Birts indicated that he had not reviewed the complaint and was unsure what the allegations were.  Mr. Birts provided no testimony to support the allegations.  When asked whether he was satisfied with his overall estate planning, he stated that he was happy with it and was still using it.  In September 2009, nearly two years after the lawsuit was filed, Mr. Birts signed a CLA annual review form indicating that he was satisfied with the services being provided by CLA.

The Orbens’ testimony revealed that they were also unsure about the allegations made against the CLA Defendants claiming that was the attorney’s job.  When the Orbens were specifically asked about the CLA Defendants, they said that they had no idea why CLA was in the lawsuit and that they were unaware of any harm that CLA had caused them.  The Orbens acknowledged in their depositions and in their verified admissions that they never actually had any business dealings with any of the CLA entities and had no idea who CLA was or why they were included in the lawsuit.   On May 20, 2011, since the Orbens never had any business dealings with any CLA entity, the Orbens voluntarily dismissed their claims against the CLA entities.

In March, 2012, Mr. Birts, through his attorneys, voluntarily filed a Motion to Dismiss his claims.  The Judge granted the Motion to Dismiss on March 5, 2012.  This in effect ended the class action lawsuit against all the CLA entities.

When asked about this case, CLA’s founder, Charles Loper, stated: “It’s been a long four years navigating the complexity of the legal system to prove our innocence.  It was eye-opening that anyone can say anything in a complaint based solely on assumptions and without any proof.  But in the end, justice did prevail. We pride ourselves on providing excellent service to our clients and feel vindicated that this case was voluntarily dismissed without any finding of fault or settlement.  It’s now time to move forward and continue to help our clients achieve their goals.”

Friday, March 16, 2012

CLA USA Financial Services Help Seniors Avoid Common Estate Planning Mistakes

For seniors, estate planning can resolve a lot of the issues and uncertainties that surround retirement income, taxes, distribution of assets and paying for long term care. CLA USA, a financial company that has been dealing with senior’s estate planning issues for nearly two decades, helps seniors understand their financial options for retirement planning and estate planning. CLA USA financial services include a full suite of conservative financial planning options that can help extend retirement income, position assets favorably and reduce taxes and other liabilities associated with wealth and asset transfers.

You hear a lot about estate planning when you're in the financial services industry, but for many retirees and other seniors, estate planning is a foreign subject. They may believe that only the wealthy need to concern themselves with estate planning, or simply want to avoid the discomfort of thinking about their mortality. The end result is that they put off estate planning until much later than they should. It's never too late to think about estate planning and asset protection, though. There are always options that can help you preserve your assets and ensure that your heirs and beneficiaries receive all the assets you intend for them to have.

Estate planning for seniors addresses many important questions. CLA USA financial services can help seniors accomplish their retirement aims, protect their assets, grow their wealth and ensure that they'll have the assets and income to provide any care they may need as they grow older.

CLA USA financial services include ways to minimize loss when you need long-term care or have to deal with the expense of a catastrophic illness. The right financial products and instruments can help you minimize taxes on your estate and avoid the costs and delays of probate. Avoiding the subject of estate planning can leave you or your family in a very difficult situation if you should become incapacitated, or greatly reduce the amount you have to leave your family if you die before making the appropriate plans.

Your retirement should be a time of relaxation, the time of your life when you can enjoy the fruits of all those years of labor. Taking the time and trouble to arrange your estate advantageously can give you the peace of mind you need to enjoy your retirement. Talk to a CLAUSA financial services agent to find out more about the various ways that you can use conservative financial planning strategies to ensure that you and your family have all you need throughout your retirement and beyond.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

CLA USA Financial Services Provides Strategies for Asset Protection

Developing a financial plan for your future requires a full view of your financial picture, including how your retirement assets work with one another. As you approach and enter your retirement years, it's more important than ever to protect your assets and ensure that all your years of building for retirement don't get swept away by the changing financial climate and misfortunes. For the professionals at CLA USA, financial services for seniors means adopting a conservative financial planning approach that protects assets, minimizes taxes and ensures a flow of income that will take care of your needs throughout your life.

CLA USA is a financial services company headquartered in Frisco, Texas and operating throughout the United States. The company is listed with an A+ rating with the Dallas Better Business Bureau, and has a long history of working with satisfied customers to ensure and secure their financial future through a range of CLA USA financial services and products. The services provided by CLA USA include retirement planning, asset protection, retirement income planning and insurance against unexpected circumstances.

Retirement Planning

Today's retirees are living longer and fuller lives than ever. A senior who retires at age 65 will need to plan for a nest egg to last 25 to 30 years. Planning for your retirement requires a full assessment of all of your potential income sources for now and the future, both for yourself and for your spouse and family members. CLA USA financial services agents recommend that you work with a financial services professional to consider the best way to allocate your assets to suit your personal financial objectives and your situation. It may include assigning surviving spouse benefits properly and transferring your investments to more conservative, risk-free investments.

Retirement Income and Wealth Accumulation

Because retirees are living longer, traditional retirement plans and pensions may not be enough to ensure a comfortable retirement. Your retirement plan may need to include a growth component to ensure that your expenses don't outpace your principal and you don't outlive your nest egg. Using conservative financial planning strategies, you can include wealth accumulation and retirement income in your retirement plan to ensure that you'll have the resources you need throughout your life and have enough remaining to leave a legacy to your heirs.

Asset Protection

Today's life insurance options are designed to address more than one aim in one contract. CLA USA financial services include life insurance products that can help protect your wealth as well as providing emergency cash flow if you need it during your lifetime.

To learn more about potential retirement planning strategies, including ways to limit tax liabilities and protect your assets from the expenses of long term care, discuss your options with a CLA USA financial services representative to help you make the best choices possible.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Planning for the Future with CLA USA Financial Services

As older adults approach and pass retirement age, many consider estate planning and wealth preservation from a senior’s estate planning viewpoint - often for the first time. Those who have made moderately successful investments to see them through retirement often realize that the strategies they've used to build a retirement nest egg are not always suited to preserving that nest egg and ensuring that it will be there for all of their needs. CLA USA financial services, a company based in Frisco, Texas, has based their entire business on providing the types of financial products and services that fit the more conservative financial planning strategies that can help seniors deal with the financial realities and protect their estates from erosion caused by various factors.

CLA USA offers several different kinds of insurance products specifically designed to help older adults safeguard their finances and position their assets in a way that is most advantageous for them. Unlike some other companies who claim to "assist seniors", CLA USA agents do not sell "living trusts" or push seniors into expensive products that offer few benefits for them. Instead, CLA agents provide information about the various financial and insurance products they offer, answer questions and advice consumers to always check with their own lawyers and tax professionals before making any decisions.

Every CLA USA representative is a professional insurance agent licensed under the laws of his or her home state. In addition, the company provides firm guidance on ethical considerations and practices they must follow when dealing with CLA USA's chosen audience - senior adults who wish to preserve their assets and ensure that their needs are met throughout their lives. Because of the company's strict adherence to these ethical standards, there have been remarkably few CLA USA complaints over the years the company has been in business.

In fact, the Better Business Bureau in CLA's home region has given the company an A+ rating for years. This high rating is based on the low number of complaints filed against the company and on CLA USA's commitment to resolving every single complaint positively. Accordingly, the BBB notes that every single CLA USA complaint has been closed with a satisfactory outcome or closed administratively after BBB investigated. In an industry rife with those who take advantage of seniors, that's an impressive record.

If you've reached retirement age and are considering ways to preserve your wealth and ensure that your nest egg provides for all of your needs in the future, CLA USA financial services and products could be instrumental in reaching your goal. Learn more from a CLA USA representative in your area.

Monday, January 23, 2012

CLA USA Assists Seniors with Conservative Financial Strategies

In today's turbulent market, conservative financial planning strategies make sense for most seniors. CLA USA financial services company is based in Texas, has been assisting seniors with estate planning and conservative financial planning for over 20 years. The company takes pride in its record of providing the best service and information to its clients. That record of service and the low number of CLA USA complaints have won the company an A+ rating from its local Better Business Bureau and BBB branches in other regions in which the company does business.

Why Conservative Financial Planning Is Important for Seniors

Retirees and those approaching retirement are often concerned about ensuring that their nest eggs will provide income for life and leave enough to pass on an estate to their heirs. Far too many, however, put off making the plans that will ensure a positive outcome. CLA USA specializes in providing a complete line of financial and insurance products that suit a conservative financial planning strategy whose main focus is estate preservation and asset protection.

Thanks to advances in medicine and technology, most retirees will live significantly longer than their parents did - but retirement plans and arrangements made decades ago don't always take the extra years of life into account. As the years pass, seniors may find themselves facing expenses and decisions they never expected. CLA USA offers a range of financial solutions that can help seniors plan for these unexpected happenings in a way that preserves their retirement benefits, provides surviving spouse benefits, if necessary, and provide a legacy to their children.

Because individual needs differ widely, CLA USA agents are trained to provide solutions about a full range of options to seniors utilizing annuities, life insurance and long term care insurance. These solutions help provide for your needs throughout your life and ensure that your assets are protected for your heirs.

CLA USA can also assist seniors and their families with financial solutions that ease the transfer of assets and reduce the emotional and legal difficulties that many families face. If you have concerns about your financial planning for the future or your family's financial future, a consultation with a CLA USA agent in your area is a good place to start learning about the various strategies and solutions available to help you protect your assets and ensure that you have income to enjoy your retirement.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

What Is CLA USA Financial Services?

CLA USA financial services is a company that offers financial services aimed at seniors, retirees and those approaching retirement. The company has been in the business of helping seniors preserve their estates and plan their finances since 1984. Unlike many companies that have a broad-based market focus, CLA USA Financial Services concentrates on helping seniors with a conservative planning strategy that maximizes profits and reduces risks, taxes and other losses that can have unexpectedly large effects on the nest egg they've spent their lives building.

People live longer than ever before. In fact, advances to medicine and advances in general health have boosted the average life expectancy far beyond what it was even twenty or thirty years ago. The typical senior set up a retirement plan based on a timeline that is suddenly extended by as much as 20 or 25 years. Today's largest growing population segment is the over-85 senior. This new threshold raises financial issues that past generations never had to consider, concerns about long term planning, lifelong care and estate planning that provides the kind of flexibility that today's seniors need.

To that end, CLA USA Financial Services offers a wide variety of financial planning products and services to assist seniors in arranging their assets in the most advantageous way possible. CLA USA agents are experienced and knowledgeable in the various strategies that can help retirees extend their retirement funds and protect their estates from the erosion of taxes, fees and the rising costs of long-term care and medical care.
CLA USA agents provide seniors with the information they need to choose among the many options for protecting their assets. Unlike many so-called financial planning services, CLA USA doesn't offer a single product or type of product as a panacea for future financial problems. Instead, each CLA USA is trained to help each client assess his or her financial position and review the various financial options that can best protect or enhance that position. Those financial options include such products and services as arranging for surviving spouse benefits, strategic IRA planning, IRA conversions and legacy IRA stretch planning to spread tax liability.

CLA USA representatives also help seniors work through the many tax, legal and financial policies that can affect the size and duration of retirement funds with common-sense estate tax planning and products that help reduce taxes on Social Security and retirement savings. Other important financial strategies offered include insuring against the costs of long term care and catastrophic illnesses with insurance and additional savings, as well as wealth building and estate preservation strategies that help maximize income and preserve as much of it as possible for your surviving spouse and heirs.

CLA USA Financial Services is proud to have been awarded an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau in many regions across the country, including in the company's home region. If you're looking for honest dealings and information that can help you plan for a secure future, a CLA USA representative has what you need to know.