Tag: life insurance

How to Create a Family Information Binder

How to Create a Family Information Binder

Posted on by admin

What is the best way to communicate with family members about your medical, financial, and legal documents and information? Create a Family Information Binder.

When my Florida law practice drafted estate planning documents, we would present our clients with a Legal & Financial Family Information Binder. This was a binder where they could put all their estate planning documents and important financial information in one place.

We called it the “911 Binder,” meaning that when you got a call from the hospital, you had one place to go to for the Health Care Power of Attorney. If you needed to go to a bank, you had the Financial Power of Attorney as well as a list of bank accounts and the key to a safety deposit box.

Continue reading “How to Create a Family Information Binder” →

Estate planning checklist to jump start your estate planning

Estate planning checklist to jump start your estate planning

Posted on by admin

Estate planning is critical not only to provide for your loved ones after your death, but also to protect yourself and them while you are alive. If you are suddenly incapacitated, who will take care of your financial, medical, and legal decisions? But how can you put together a comprehensive estate plan? Where do you start? Follow this helpful estate planning checklist to see what to update and what to put on your “to-do” list:

Continue reading “Estate planning checklist to jump start your estate planning” →
10 estate planning resolutions to make this year

10 estate planning resolutions to make this year

Posted on by admin

As you ring in the new year, consider some estate planning resolutions to protect and provide for loved ones. After all the surprises of the past year, estate planning is now more important than ever. However estate planning may seem burdensome and scary. What should you do? These 10 estate planning resolutions can help you start a comprehensive estate plan.

Continue reading “10 estate planning resolutions to make this year” →

Unclaimed life insurance? Don’t let your family lose benefits

Unclaimed life insurance? Don’t let your family lose benefits

Posted on by admin

When my father passed, he left detailed instructions about his finances and life insurance policies. As he was an organized man, this was not surprising. What was surprising was that he had 5 different life insurance policies. Instead of getting one large policy, he added policies as his circumstances changed and his income increased. This was not a bad idea but I kept thinking as I filled all 5 claims, “What if he hadn’t written down all this information?”

A little-known fact is that unclaimed life insurance is a huge problem. You may have applied for life insurance benefits to provide for your family and diligently paid the premiums. However, your policy could be lost, misplaced, or forgotten. If so, your beneficiaries won’t know to collect your life insurance benefits.

Insurance companies are not obligated to contact you about a life insurance policy they are holding, even if they learn that the insured has died. Therefore, if your family does not know what policies you have, they do not know to file a claim upon your passing.

Continue reading “Unclaimed life insurance? Don’t let your family lose benefits” →

For richer or poorer: Having a financial conversation with your spouse

For richer or poorer: Having a financial conversation with your spouse

Posted on by admin

Having a financial conversation with your spouse may be harder than scheduling a date night. While it may be boring and uncomfortable going over finances and budgets, it is important for your family’s financial health. Talking about spending and saving gets you and your spouse on the same page working together towards your shared goals.

Many times, one spouse primarily pays the bills and manages the money. What happens if the spouse handling the money suddenly becomes incapacitated or dies? The spouse left behind has to figure out everything.

Continue reading “For richer or poorer: Having a financial conversation with your spouse” →