It’s February, almost time for Valentine’s Day; a day of LOVE. I mention this because most people don’t like to talk about death and estate planning but most people do enjoy talking about their loved ones. It’s not a fun topic but it is inevitable for all of us. The very best gift you can give to your loved ones is planning your estate.
There are five life events and they tend to affect housing….Birth, Death, Job, Marriage, Divorce. I’ve worked with clients buying and selling real estate due to one of those reasons for more than 30 years. While divorce isn’t always pleasant, death is definitely the hardest life event! It can be stressful when selling real estate anytime. Loved ones should be focused on grieving rather than having the added stress of worrying about how to pay the bills or selling a house. Too many times, I’ve helped families who have been left with no guidance, plan, or financial stability. Without a Last Will and proper Estate Planning, your loved ones will be left with a mess!
Many of you know that I serve on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington. BGCB has teamed up with FreeWill where people can go online and create their last will and testament (https://www.freewill.com/bgcbtown) and learn more about Estate planning (https://www.freewill.com/learn/estate-planning-101).
A couple of years ago, I bought a planner from Amazon called: I’m Dead, Now What. I bought several of them and gifted them to family members. It was great conversation and guided us all to fill in the pages to have important information all in one spot. Once I had mine completed, I communicated to my executor as to where it would be if something should happen to me.
If you don’t already have a Will or if your Will needs to be updated, I am sure your loved ones are worth spending 20 minutes to do this task, totally free of charge, so that they are not left with more stress and financial concerns. Take care of them by taking care of your estate while you’re here to do it! It truly is the GIFT OF LOVE.
