“What-if” Planning Blog
Caskets or Cauldrons? Unveiling the Quirky World of Final Resting Places
What to do with a body when you or your loved one crosses over to the great beyond? We dive into the age-old debate of burial vs. cremation and explore a few other intriguing options that have popped up in recent years.
Cemetery Selection Guide for Families
If your end-of-life plans involve a burial, cemetery selection can be one of the hardest decision-making processes you go through. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right cemetery for you and/or your loved ones and it can be a stressful process.
How Hurricanes Answer the Question, “Should I Have an End-of-Life Plan?”
Tropical storm Hilary hitting California is a reminder that disasters can strike anywhere at any time. It should also serve as motivation to have our affairs in order through end-of-life planning to protect family members from unnecessary hardships when an accident or illness impacts your family.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Life Insurance for Young Couples and Individuals
While you may not find life insurance on many wedding or baby shower registries, gifting a new policy to a young couple or individual is a terrific way to protect their family’s future.
Term versus Permanent
For most people, life insurance should be a key component of your end-of-life plans. It can play a huge role in easing the burden of death by allowing the surviving spouse to hire others to help with day-to-day tasks and/or replace lost income and keep paying the bills. The two main types of life insurance are described in this blog.
Planning for a Funeral
Whether it’s called a funeral, memorial, or celebration of life, honoring the deceased is a custom upheld by most families and communities. Many decisions must be made to prepare for and carry out a service. What happens to the body? Where will the remains reside? What kind of casket or urn is desired? Though each of these components could be a blog all by themselves, this week’s blog addresses what may be the driving force behind how you answer each these questions -- cost.
Spring Time Renewal all Around
While we appreciate how the rain and snow in Oregon sustains a diverse wildlife while keeping the grass green, the lakes and rivers filled, and the flowers blooming, we’re looking forward to this year’s spring and its symbolism of rebirth and renewal.
I Came. I Saw. I Conquered
This week we look at how we can apply one of Julius Caeser’s most famous quotes to end-of-life planning, “Veni. Vidi. Vici.” I came. I saw. I conquered.
“St. Patty’s Luck of the Irish”
While we celebrate the “luck of the Irish” on St. Patrick’s Day, luck is practically non-existent when it comes to getting your affairs in order.
Top Nine End-of-Life Planning Mistakes
Mistakes are a part of life. Unfortunately, when it comes to end-of-life planning, we don’t get do-overs. We examine the top nine mistakes we and others in our support group made and how you can avoid them in your planning.
Planning for Post-Death Healing Expenses
In this week’s tip, we’ll examine some of the additional post-death expenditures that you may want to factor into your end-of-life planning financial plan. These are expenses that are above and beyond what most people think of when it comes to “death expenses,” such funeral/burial/cremation, medical bills, and legal expenses to execute a will or trust.
Top Five Reasons to Get Your Affairs in Order NOW!
We often don’t get “groundhog day”, second chances in real life, especially when it comes to end-of-life planning. With that in mind, we share our top five reasons why now is the time to get your end-of-life affairs in order.