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
Funeral Celebrants: What Are They and Why Use Them?
The use of funeral celebrants is growing, and you and your clients need to know about them. Why? According to a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, 56 million Americans have no religious affiliation, making “nones” the second largest religious group after evangelicals. And their numbers are growing. Americans who choose “none” as their religious affiliation have few rituals to guide them when a death occurs. Many don’t know what to do for a funeral or … [Read more...] about Funeral Celebrants: What Are They and Why Use Them?
Estate Planning and Funerals of the Future
Recent research indicates Baby Boomer women are arranging 76% of funerals. Are your female clients ready to tackle the tasks associated with making funeral plans and handling estate follow-up tasks after a death? At the recent International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) convention, Brad Rex, President and CEO of Foundation Partners Group (FPG), outlined a bold new vision for the funerals of the future. The Orlando-based organization currently owns 39 funeral homes and six … [Read more...] about Estate Planning and Funerals of the Future
Encouraging Succession Planning with Movies
When a family business is part of an estate, succession planning is vital. Who’s going to run the business after the founder(s) pass on? The kids may not have the financial temperament or business skills to step into Mom or Dad’s hard-to-fill shoes. Personalities play a big part in the success or failure of business succession. How do you talk about this topic with your clients? You can get a little help from Hollywood in starting the succession planning conversation. Here are some films and … [Read more...] about Encouraging Succession Planning with Movies
Fun Funeral Facts
In the course of estate planning with your clients, you may be called upon to answer a few questions about funerals and death care. Why not share your knowledge of these “fun funeral facts” at the next soiree you attend? Casket Versus Coffin A casket is a rectangular box with a lid. A coffin is a six-sided box, wider at the shoulders and narrower at the feet. Caskets are more commonly used in the United States than coffins. Cremation – How does it work? Cremation reduces a body to brittle … [Read more...] about Fun Funeral Facts
Benjamin Franklin’s Words of Wisdom on Life and Death
Benjamin Franklin is well known for his quote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Franklin wrote and spoke many witty sayings relating to mortality issues, some humorous, some serious. His many roles in life, besides being one of the U.S. Founding Fathers, an inventor and scientist, included newspaper editor, printer, and book publisher. In 1728, aged 22, Franklin wrote what he hoped would be his own epitaph: The Body of B. Franklin Printer; Like the … [Read more...] about Benjamin Franklin’s Words of Wisdom on Life and Death
How to Prevent After-Death ID Theft
Twenty-five percent of the identities stolen every year are taken from the deceased. A family grieving the death of a loved one doesn’t need the headaches of identity theft on top of heartache over the loss. The identities of the dead are easier to steal and abuse than those of the living – after all, they can’t fight back. But there are ways to minimize information exposure to help let the dead, and their financials, rest in peace. Here are six tips for avoiding after-death ID theft. Alert … [Read more...] about How to Prevent After-Death ID Theft
Create a Great Funeral Day – It’s a Group Activity
Halloween, also known as All Hallows’ Eve, precedes the yearly celebration on November 1 of All Hallows’ (or Saints’) Day. Appropriately, Create a Great Funeral Day (CAGFD) falls on October 30, the day before Halloween. Unfortunately, maybe 25-30% of adults do any end-of-life planning – wills, funerals or advance medical directives. It’s a recipe for emotional and financial disaster. Long before Death Cafes and Death Over Dinner events swept the nation, Chase’s Calendar of Events listed Create … [Read more...] about Create a Great Funeral Day – It’s a Group Activity
Denial of Death Influences Estate Planning
Why is it so hard to get folks to do estate planning? The tendency to put off this important part of life can be attributed to the Terror Management Theory proposed by Dr. Ernest Becker in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Denial of Death. Dr. Becker’s landmark treatise on cultural anthropology and social science looks at how the unconscious denial of mortality profoundly influences human behavior. Becker said, “To live fully is to live with an awareness of the rumble of terror that … [Read more...] about Denial of Death Influences Estate Planning
Estate Planning, Hollywood Style
Hollywood movies, especially comedies, help reduce people’s resistance to considering end-of-life topics such as estate planning, advance health care directives and funeral planning. Recently, I presented this collection of film clips about wills to a group of estate planning professionals. Estate planning attorneys may find these film clips helpful for prompting clients to make or revisit their wills. Eulogy This black comedy follows three generations of a family who come together for the … [Read more...] about Estate Planning, Hollywood Style
