“What-if” Planning Blog
Where to Buy Life Insurance
Life insurance should be a key component in the financial plan for most families preparing for the death of a loved on whom they are dependent in some way. In this week’s tip we’ll discuss the pros and cons of the different ways to acquire life insurance.
Guardianship of Children
In a 2014 Survey of Income and Program Participation by the United States Census Bureau, 0.1 percent of children under the age of 18 had lost both parents to death. That's one out of every 1000 kids. So while the odds are still in your child's favor…
Gratitude through Letters
As we approach Thanksgiving, we encourage you to consider the important people in your life and take time to write them a letter or note of appreciation and gratitude. It doesn’t have to be long and sappy. Sometimes short and simple is enough.
How and Why We Grieve Differently
Grief is a complex word, which makes it the perfect description of the emotions we face when a loved one dies. Most of us can articulate a definition, but if you closely observe ten different people who are grieving, you’ll discover ten different types of behaviors, emotions, and attitudes. In this week’s tip, we’ll discuss how and why we grieve so differently.
Holiday and Birthday Traditions
Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special traditions are the worst for anyone who is grieving. These are painful reminders that a loved one isn’t around to help make the occasion special. In this week’s tip we’ll discuss what we’ve learned about preparing for and honoring these events after our spouses passed.
Survivor Financial Plans
Death is expensive. In addition to the hard costs of a burial or cremation, there is the cost of replacing the income and/or the services that the deceased provided for the family. There may also be costs to “settle” the deceased’s estate or to aid grieving family members. These and other unforeseen expenses make the creation of a “what-if” financial plan critical for the surviving family members…
In this week’s tip, we outline an important exercise to go through to make sure that your family is ready for when that time comes.
Healthcare as YOU Wish
An important element of your end-of-life planning should be how you want to be treated by medical professionals if you are incapacitated and unable to speak for yourself. Advanced directives, living wills, and DNRs are terms that are often used interchangeably but, if fact, are different. In this week’s tip will define what each of those terms mean and what the related legal documents will do for you during a health crisis.