Cary Estate Planning - February 2022

Cary Estate Planning - February 2022

The Cary Connection FEBRUARY 2022

WHAT GOES UNSAID THE MOST AVOIDED ESTATE PLANNING TOPICS

Estate planning can be a taboo subject. Many people are uncomfortable talking about death, and most don’t appreciate reminders of their mortality. When you decide to make an estate plan, you’re overcoming that discomfort to do what’s right for your family and your legacy. But even when people are diligent about their estate plans, there are still some topics they overlook or just don’t want to discuss. One of the least-discussed aspects of estate planning is what you want to happen to your body. Some people are indifferent toward the matter and reason they don’t care what happens to their earthly remains after they’re gone. But others have very specific wishes. The problem is that they don’t always share those wishes with the people who will have to carry them out. My mother, for example, wants to be buried in a biodegradable pod that will grow into a tree. Through that tree, she feels she can live forever. If we didn’t honor that request, she’d be very upset. Your wishes may be more run of the mill, but they’re no less important to share with your loved ones. Do you want to be buried or cremated? Is there an aspect of the funeral that’s important to you? Do you want a certain epitaph on your tombstone, or would you like your ashes divided a certain way? These are all crucial details, and your family can’t honor them if they don’t know about them. People also frequently fail to discuss how to locate their assets. When someone dies, their family is often left going on a wild goose chase for a ledger or inventory of account locations. Do you know where your family members bank? Most people don’t. So, they end up calling around, hoping to find the information they need. Similarly, many people don’t share whether they have insurance. Some people have it, and some people don’t — but there’s no national >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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