Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, November 16, 2019

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 16, 2019 

2020 CENSUS: FACT V FICTION

by Colleen Tressler, Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

The Federal Trade Commission is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to help you guard against 
potential census scams. Knowing how the 2020 Census process works, what information you will — 
and won’t — be asked for, and some red flags will help you spot and report scams.

The Process

In mid-March 2020, the Census Bureau will start mailing out (and, in some areas, hand delivering) 
invitations to participate in the 2020 Census. You should get yours by April 1. You can respond online, 
by phone, or by mail.

The Census Bureau has an important job: to count every person living in the United States. Starting 
in May 2020, census takers will start visiting homes that haven’t responded to make sure everyone is 
counted. If you aren’t home or can’t come to the door, the census taker will come back up to six times. 
Each time, they’ll leave a door hanger with a phone number so you can call to schedule a visit.

The Questions

The census questionnaire asks how many people are in the home at the time you complete the form; 
their sex, age, race, ethnicity; their relationships to one another; phone number; and whether you own 
or rent the home. For the full list of questions on the 2020 Census, visit Questions Asked.

Signs of a Scam

Scammers may pose as census takers to get your personal information — and then use it to commit 
identity theft and other frauds. But there are ways you can identify official census takers.

Census takers must show a photo ID with the U.S. Department of Commerce seal and an expiration 
date. If you ask, the census taker will give you a supervisor’s contact information and/or the census 
regional office phone number for verification.

The Census Bureau will never ask for your full Social Security number, bank account or credit card 
numbers, money or donations, or anything on behalf of a political party. The 2020 Census will not ask 
citizenship status.

The Census Bureau may call you as part of their follow-up and quality control efforts. They also might 
call if you’re not home when a census taker stops by or when a personal visit is not convenient. Calls 
will come from one of the Census Bureau’s contact centers or from a field representative. Since we all 
know you can’t trust caller ID, visit How to identify a phone call from the Census Bureau for the phone 
numbers you can use to check out any calls you might get.

Make sure you have the latest and most accurate information about the 2020 Census. Visit 2020 Census 
Rumors to fact-check and ask questions.

If you suspect fraud, call 800-923-8282 to speak with a local Census Bureau representative. You also 
can file a report with the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint. Your reports may help law enforcement agencies 
launch investigations that could stop imposters and other fraudsters in their tracks.


FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


BUYER BEWARE: THE HIDDEN DANGERS 
OF DIY ESTATE PLANNING—PART 1 

Do a Google search for “online estate planning documents,” and you’ll 
find dozens of different websites. These sites let you complete and print 
out just about any kind of planning document you can think of—wills, 
trusts, healthcare directives, and/or power of attorneys—in just a 
matter of minutes. And the documents are typically quite inexpensive. 
At first glance, such DIY planning documents might appear to 
be a quick and cheap way to finally cross estate planning off your 
bucket list. These forms may not be perfect, many consumers 
reason, but at least they’re better than having no plan at all. 
However, relying on DIY planning documents can actually be worse 
than having no plan at all—and here’s why:


An inconvenient truth

Creating a plan using online documents, can give you a false sense of security—you think you’ve got 
planning covered, when you most probably do not. Relying on DIY planning documents is one of 
the most dangerous choices you can make. In the end, such generic forms could end up costing your 
family even more money and heartache than if you’d never gotten around to doing any planning at all. 
At least with no plan at all, planning would likely remain at the front of your mind, where it rightfully 
belongs until it’s handled properly.

Planning to fail

Many people don’t realize that estate planning entails much more than just filling out template driven 
legal forms. These websites offer a one-size-fits-all solution to your unique situation, needs, and goals. 
Even worse, they provide no real guidance or counsel, which leads to a plan that misses the mark 
often—and the loved ones you were trying to protect will be the very ones forced to clean up the mess. 
The whole purpose of estate planning is to keep your family out of court and out of conflict in 
the event of your death or incapacity. Yet, as cheap online estate planning services become more 
and more popular, millions of people are learning that taking the DIY route can not only fail to 
achieve this purpose, it can make the court cases and family conflicts far worse and more costly.
One size does not fit all

Online planning documents may appear to save you time and money, but keep in mind, just 
because you created “legal” documents doesn’t mean they will actually work when you need 
them. Indeed, if you read the fine print of most DIY planning websites, you’ll find numerous 
disclaimers pointing out that their documents are “no substitute” for the advice of a lawyer. 
Some disclaimers warn that these documents are not even guaranteed to be “correct, complete, 
or up to date.” These facts should be a huge red flag, but it’s just one part of the problem.
Even if the forms are 100% correct and up-to-date, there are still many potential pitfalls 
which can cause the documents to not work as intended—or fail all together. And without 
an attorney to advise you, you won’t have any idea of what you should watch out for. 
Estate planning is not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. Even if you think your particular situation 
is simple, that turns out to almost never be the case. To demonstrate just how complicated the 
planning process can be, here are 4 common complications you’re likely to encounter with DIY plans. 
1. Improper execution To be considered legally valid, some planning documents must be 
executed (i.e. signed and witnessed or notarized) following very strict legal procedures. 
For example, California requires that you and every witness to your will must sign it in 
the presence of one another. If your DIY will doesn’t mention that (or you don’t read 
the fine print) and you fail to follow this procedure, the document can be worthless.
2. Not adhering to state lawState laws are also very specific about who can serve in certain roles like 
trustee, executor, financial power of attorney, and witnesses. Having an invalid person serving in an 
important role can cause your entire plan to fail.

3. Unforeseen conflictFamily dynamics are—to put it lightly—complex. This is particularly 
true for blended families, where spouses have children from previous relationships. A 
DIY service cannot help you consider all the potential areas where conflict might arise 
among your family members and help you plan to avoid it. When done right, the estate 
planning process is a huge opportunity to build new connections within your family. 
4. Thinking a will is enough

Lots of people believe that creating a will is enough to handle all their planning needs. But this is 
rarely the case. A will, for example, does nothing in the event of your incapacity, for which you 
would also need a healthcare directive and/or a living will, plus a durable financial power of attorney. 
Furthermore, because a will requires probate, it does nothing to keep your loved ones out of court 
upon your death. And if you have minor children, relying on a will alone could leave your kids 
vulnerable to being taken out of your home and into the care of strangers.

Don’t do it yourself

Given all these potential dangers, DIY estate plans are a disaster waiting to happen. And as we’ll see 
next week, perhaps the worst consequence of trying to handle estate planning on your own is the 
potentially tragic impact it can have on the people you love most of all—your children.

Dedicated to empowering your family, building your wealth and 
defining your legacy,

A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission to help 
parents protect what they love most. His office is located at 55 Auburn 
Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an appointment to sit 
down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love and financial security 
for your family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.CaliLaw.com for 
more information. 

SOME COLLEGE, NO DEGREE? 2020 COULD BE YOUR YEAR

By Dr. Edward C. Ortell

Citrus College Governing Board Member

In just five years—from 2014 to 2019—nearly one million U.S. students who had previously dropped 
out of college returned and earned their first undergraduate credential. An additional 1.1 million 
students who returned to college in that same timeframe are still enrolled and working toward their 
degree.

These findings are part of a new report, “Some College, No Degree: A 2019 Snapshot for the Nation 
and 50 States,” published by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center. The report 
is an important indicator for the U.S. economy, with its increasing demands for more workers with 
education and training beyond high school. 

California ranks number one nationally in the number of students who started and then stopped 
attending college. This is hardly surprising, given the massive number of students who enroll in college 
in our state, as compared to other states. Fortunately, the NSC findings suggest that the pathways to 
degrees for returning students are reflective of community colleges’ broad-access missions, and that 
California’s community colleges are one of the best places for returning students to achieve success.

The NSC report also states, “Not only are community colleges indispensable to the process of 
broadening postsecondary access to diverse students, but they also could have a significant effect on 
reaching a state’s postsecondary attainment goal.”

One of the things that make community colleges such a great resource for returning students is their 
commitment to eliminating barriers to student success. Local community colleges—like the ones in 
your community—have well-established student support services that keep returning students on 
track and successful. These include counseling, assessment, convenient class schedules, a variety of 
tutoring options, financial aid and many others.

Does Some College, No Degree sound like you? The degree or certificate you put on hold when 
the demands of family and work made life far too difficult could be just around the corner. Picture 
that diploma with your name on it and the increased income, improved quality of life and personal 
satisfaction that comes with it. Then head online or in person to your local community college and 
kick off a great new year! 

About the Author:

Dr. Edward C. Ortell is the senior governing board member at Citrus College and a Professor Emeritus 
at Pasadena City College. He has served on the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) state 
board of directors and 11 terms as president of the Citrus College Board of Trustees.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com