For the next twenty years, an average of 10,000 people each day will reach age 65. All those retiring baby boomers face major life changes which may include downsizing into smaller living quarters, retirement communities or assisted living settings. When you’ve lived in the same place for years, stuff tends to accumulate. Here are seven ways to reduce materials goods before making a move. Decide Your Approach There are different ways to tackle downsizing. You can focus on specific … [Read more...] about Effective Ways to Downsize Household Goods
Before Death Calls – Why We Need to Plan Ahead
"When Death Calls," a Toastmasters International Speech competition entry by Gail Rubin, makes a compelling case for making end-of-life plans BEFORE death calls. This includes wills and trusts, advance medical directives and pre-need funeral planning. Gail Rubin, CT, is a death educator who uses humor and funny films to help break the ice about end-of-life issues. In this speech, she illustrates her points with stories about her own parents and two very different phone calls with The Doyenne of … [Read more...] about Before Death Calls – Why We Need to Plan Ahead
After The Funeral: An Executor’s Checklist
More than 70% of adults avoid preparing for end-of-life realities. They don’t have wills or trusts, advance medical directives or pre-need funeral planning in place before there’s a death in the family. One way to convince people to make these arrangements is to examine the many responsibilities an estate executor has to carry out. An executor can be a spouse, adult child, a legally-appointed friend or relative, or a trust company named by the decedent in their will or trust (decedent means the … [Read more...] about After The Funeral: An Executor’s Checklist
Appraisals and Estate Planning
Many items within a household can affect the overall value of the estate. These items include art, jewelry, collectibles, antiques, musical instruments, and the house itself. Appraisals provide a snapshot in time of each item’s value. This helps estate planning attorneys to accurately structure equitable distribution of assets as dictated by the client. Appraising Art There are many forms of art: paintings made with watercolors, oil, acrylic, and mixed media; prints made by lithograph, screen … [Read more...] about Appraisals and Estate Planning
What Does “It’s All Taken Care Of” Really Mean?
When parents tell their adult children, “It’s all taken care of,” regarding their end-of-life arrangements, what do they mean? Assuming they’ve worked with an AAEPA-affiliated estate planning attorney, of course they’ll have a will, a trust, and advance medical directives in place, with health care and financial power of attorney designees and back-up designees. These elements, while vital, still fall short of taking care of everything. Consider these important often-overlooked … [Read more...] about What Does “It’s All Taken Care Of” Really Mean?
Three Good Reasons to Downsize
Among the challenges estate executors face – one that doesn’t get talked about much – is all the stuff they have to contend with from the deceased’s household(s). How can you help your clients maximize enjoyment of their possessions and minimize the sheer volume of objects heirs will one day have to contend with? Downsize. You don’t have to be old or dying to downsize. When you’ve lived in the same place for a decade or two or three, stuff accumulates. We get attached to pieces of clothing, … [Read more...] about Three Good Reasons to Downsize
Cremation, Memorial Services and Your Estate Planning Practice
The cremation rate in the United States is predicted to surpass 50% nationally in 2016. Are your clients in those states that choose cremation at a higher rate? How does that impact their estate planning? According to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), as of 2014, the top five states in percentages of cremation are Nevada – 75.98%, Washington – 75.2%, Oregon – 73.9%, Hawaii – 72.6%, and Maine – 71.2%. The states with the lowest cremation rates are Mississippi – 19.7%, … [Read more...] about Cremation, Memorial Services and Your Estate Planning Practice
A TEDx Talk for End-of-Life and Estate Planning
Estate planning attorneys who want to help their clients consider issues like preparing or updating wills and trusts and advance medical directives, and doing pre-need funeral planning, will find this TEDx talk to be helpful. TED talks – TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design – are all about ideas worth spreading. TEDx talks are locally-produced programs licensed by the main TED organization to further spread interesting ideas. Gail Rubin, CT, presented her talk, A Good Goodbye, … [Read more...] about A TEDx Talk for End-of-Life and Estate Planning
Ask The Doyenne of Death
When you’re The Doyenne of Death®, you get asked some strange questions. At a recent public presentation I gave called “Laughing in the Face of Death: Funny Films for Funeral Planning,” members of the audience asked a wide range of questions – and the first one involved estate planning. Q: “Is it true that a will is no longer valid after five years?” A: A will remains valid indefinitely until changed. However, you’ll probably have life changes that will impact the details of the will over … [Read more...] about Ask The Doyenne of Death
A TED Talk in Support of End-of-Life Planning
TED talks – TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design – are all about ideas worth spreading. Some popular TED talks online focus on death and end-of-life issues. On September 12, 2015, I’m going to present a TEDxABQ talk about taking death out of the closet, talking frankly with your family and making end-of-life plans, including wills and trusts, advance medical directives and pre-need funeral planning. The talk will be video recorded and put online after the event. This talk … [Read more...] about A TED Talk in Support of End-of-Life Planning
End-of-Life Book Recommendations
Estate planning attorneys can find themselves dealing with more than just legal issues when their clients have a death in the family. Here are some books to help you understand and address practical and emotional issues when it’s time to put your estate planning work to the test. On Grief & Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss This book by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler is a classic text which stands the test of time. First published in 2005, … [Read more...] about End-of-Life Book Recommendations
How to Fly with Cremated Remains
With the growing trend toward cremation, there’s a growing trend toward traveling with cremated remains, or cremains, on airlines. These are the current Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules about carrying cremated remains through security. Passengers may transport cremains as part of their carry-on luggage or, depending on the airline, as checked baggage. Check with your airline prior to heading to the airport when deciding whether to pack those remains in a checked … [Read more...] about How to Fly with Cremated Remains
