HAVE YOU MADE YOUR LOVE LETTER?
September 2021
If there is one thing this past year and half has taught us is that tomorrow is not given. The only thing we can be certain of are the plans we set in motion, the conversations we have and the moments we are living right now. Too often, people forget to share the wishes and plans they made should they become incapacitated or die. A Family Love Letter organizes the 'paper trail’ you create over your lifetime. It attaches your ‘voice,’ giving your loved ones the insight and direction that you want to provide them at these challenging times.
One of our Financial Planners lost his father recently. One thing is to speak of planning for death conceptually, but another thing is living it. During a time of mourning, he found himself having to forge forward in planning, organizing finances, meeting with the attorney and console his mother in between. We can’t imagine how much harder this process must be for those who are not in an industry that teaches you what to look for and planning to incorporate along the way.
A Family Love Letter is an indispensable planning tool allowing you to enhance the legal planning and legacy documents you may have prepared bringing clarity, reducing stress, and minimizing the conflicts, which often follow an incapacity or death.
In drafting a Family Love Letter, individuals give their families a lasting and important gift – all the vital information loved ones need to know in case of sudden incapacitation or death. Your letter should include everything from wills to key contact information for lawyers and accountants to insurance policies to statements of ethics to funeral requests. Just as important is giving your family the peace of mind that comes with clear instructions on your wishes, intents, assets, benefits, and advisors. All too often, people fail to leave behind correct and complete information for their families. Without clarity of desire and specificity of information, families struggle about “what to do,” experience conflict, overlook assets or make costly, and often, irrevocable mistakes.
If you love someone, you want to make sure they know how to find your professional advisors; where your investments, insurance, and other assets are held; what employee or retiree benefits you’re entitled to; where to find information on trusts, citizenship, military records, or business ownership; your plans for a special-needs family member; and which philanthropic organizations hold a place in your heart. Most importantly, you want them to know you love them enough to assure they know what is important – about you and to you. If you love someone, give them the gift of a Family Love Letter. A Family Love Letter is a gift – of time, love, and clarity.
You can create your own but here is one for your convenience. Print or share it with your loved ones. Give them the gift of mourning without additional stress.
A FAMILY LOVE LETTER CHECKLIST >
If you want to discuss this topic further reach out to your Financial Planner or schedule time with one of ours.