Thursday, June 4, 2015

WILL you?

I met a fellow parent today who mentioned she and her husband had just created their first will.  They wanted to get things in order before a trip out of the country.  The husband is a lawyer and a university professor and she is a nurse practitioner.  They are probably late forties.  I was surprised it took so long but proud of them for finally writing down their wishes and expectations around assets, Health Care Proxies and the like.

Then I read this:
If You're One of the 70% of Americans Without a Will, Read On. Do you have a will? Between half and two-thirds of American adults don't. Do you need one? Only if you answer yes to any of the questions below:
1. Do you care who gets your property if you die?
2. Do you care who gets your money if you die?
3. Do you care who is appointed guardian of your minor children if you die?
(http://financialplan.about.com/cs/doityourself/a/WhyYouNeedWill.htm)

I remember the impetus for creating my own estate plan - the fatal crash of a private plane that claimed the life of my mother's second husband.  He was a lawyer too, but had made the time to detail his wishes and thus the appropriate assets went into a trust for my mother.  Those funds are now providing for her care since she suffers from alzheimer's.

All of this to say, its time to make a will if you don't have one.

CNN says: "A will is a device that lets you tell the world whom you want to get your assets. Die without one, and the state decides who gets what, without regard to your wishes or your heirs' needs."

(http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/lesson21/index3.htm)

LegalZoom.com can probably help you make a simple one, but seek a lawyer in your state of domicile if you have the time to meet in person.  It's not a difficult process, but its important.

Monday, June 1, 2015

Observing work...

Hank LeMieux travels a LOT.  Thankfully he is a curious and observant traveler, as any of you who follow him on Facebook can attest.  Now he's writing the stories down.

The Voice

Or search for Hank LeMieux on Medium