Friday, March 05, 2010 5 Ways to Enjoy Planning Your Estate
Creating a will or trust, healthcare documents, powers of attorney, etc., can sometimes seem overwhelmingly sad and serious. Well, the act of protecting your loved ones is very serious, but it doesn’t have to be sad. In fact, planning your estate can sometimes be downright enjoyable! Here are 5 ways you can enjoy planning your estate:
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Let the process of choosing and informing your fiduciaries (the people you will trust to be your executor, your guardians, your agents) forge stronger bonds with the people you love and trust the most. It can be the perfect excuse to spend more time with the friends and family you will be naming in your documents.
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Make it a time to go crazy with your dreams for the future: Your own retirement, goals for your children, and plans for your grandchildren. Have fun imagining the wonderful old-age you want—and then make it happen.
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Take the opportunity to learn more about your past—and record that past for your children and grandchildren. Talk to your parents and grandparents about their history and experience; then write it down—along with your own memoirs—and include it with your EP docs for your children to find.
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As long as you’re gathering important financial information and documents, keep the momentum going and use the time to organize your important files and information. Not only will this help you with your planning, it will make life easier for you every time tax season rolls around, and it will save your family and executor a lot of headache and heartache as well.
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The biggest reason to enjoy planning your estate is the simplest—it has to be done and it’s the right thing to do. When your estate plan is signed and complete it will be a weight off your shoulders because you will know you have done what is necessary to protect yourself, your family, and the people you love.
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