Ethical Estates

Every American regardless of their upbringing, success, or family lineage will have an estate. Depending upon a person’s ability to proactively structure their estate, one's legacy can either be a headache or a foundation for their story to be told for generations. Except for the historic few, we will all be forgotten, even to our families, in just three generations. For some, being able to provide a stable future for their loved ones is their sole priority. Others may wish to craft a future presence that will guide their family and community direction for many years to come.

Planning your estate is easy with the proper guidance.

Your Wealth Center traces its heritage back to Edward Gottschalk, grandfather to our President Standish Fortin. Gottschalk performed the vital service of auctioning off estates in Howell, Michigan. The role of auctioneer was highly important throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s, particularly in the Midwest. 

Throughout the era of the Great Depression, farms were being forced into foreclosure. This worsened due to the Dust Bowl in the mid-to-late 1930’s. To counteract the foreclosures, "penny auctions" would be organized in which a farmer’s property would be put up for auction. Local farmers would bid the lowest amount possible, win the property and then return it to the farmer in need.

While the economic situation in the United States began to improve in the 1940’s and farmers were finally getting back on their feet, auctioneers such as Gottschalk continued to serve an important role. When a farmer passed away, the estate would be left to their wife. If the widow was incapable of working the farm, she would have the option to auction off the farm. 

Your Wealth Center continues this tradition of helping those who have lost their significant other. Fairness, honesty, integrity, responsibility; these ethics, the same ethics Edward Gottschalk employed, are the backbone of this company. We work our hardest to establish a strong financial foundation for our widows, so that they may live in comfort.