Dealing with Death
The “Grief Tax”: Why Estate Planning Matters More Than Ever
Losing a loved one is never easy. But beyond the emotional toll, families are often caught off guard by the financial and logistical burden that follows — a phenomenon Empathy.com refers to as the “Grief Tax.” A 2025 study by Empathy reveals just how widespread and overwhelming these challenges can be: These numbers are staggering…
READ MORE →10 Non-Finanical Estate Planning Issues to Consider
10 Important Conversations to Have When Estate Planning Estate planning is about more than just dividing assets—it’s about ensuring your loved ones are cared for, your values are honored, and your wishes are carried out. Whether you’re planning with your spouse or on your own, these 10 topics are crucial to consider. Having these conversations…
READ MORE →Funeral Planning Costs Less in Arizona
According to an article in the East Valley Tribune, burying a loved one in Arizona will cost less than in other states.
READ MORE →What Do Halloween and Estate Planning Have in Common?
Estate planning gives people one last opportunity to “communicate” with the dead. Through the documents, letters and plans left behind, we hear from loved ones one more time.
READ MORE →Money Magazine: Being There for your Partner Beyond your Lifetime
As a married couple, you have a responsibility to imagine the unthinkable with your spouse. It takes trust to talk about death with someone and relationships deepen as trust is granted.
READ MORE →Toddler Death Highlights Need for Pediatric Organ Donation
You may remember back in 2016 a small young boy was tragically attacked and killed by a wild alligator at Disney World. His name was Lane Thomas Graves and he was only 2 years old and on the shore of the lagoon in the park watching a movie and playing with his family. This sudden…
READ MORE →National Healthcare Decisions Day
Each year on National Healthcare Decisions Day, I write about how having a Living Will and a Healthcare Power of Attorney at minimum is extremely important. And this was before Coronavirus changed our lives and continues to do so. Sadly people are still coming face-to-face with what happens if they or a loved one gets…
READ MORE →Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Revised Will Due to COVID
Here is a sentence that will stop you in your tracks and make you think: “[Larry] Fitzgerald is a 37-year-old professional athlete. Strong. Committed. In peak physical condition. And COVID-19 had him revising his will.” (EJ Montini, Arizona Republic) The future hall-of-famer spent 13 days in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 on Thanksgiving. He…
READ MORE →Chronic Illness & Estate Planning
Sean Connery passed away in his sleep at age 90 after suffering from dementia. One in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, according to the Alzheimers Association. “He was a model of a man. It is going to be very hard without him, I know that. But it could not last forever and…
READ MORE →Why Patriot’s Day is a Reminder to Plan
“On this day… 19 years ago 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning tomorrow. 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol. 8 paramedics went…
READ MORE →#NationalGriefAwarenessDay Teaches Us to Reach Out to Those in Need
National Grief Awareness Day is this Monday, August 30th, 2021. We are grieving a lot these days. We mourn the loss of many fellow Americans, some of our liberty and a way of life that frankly we may have taken for granted before the pandemic. It’s not what Angie Cartwright who founded National Grief…
READ MORE →COVID-19 Estate Planning: A Journey, Not a Destination
Estate Planning is a Journey, Not a Destination, Especially During COVID-19 A lot of people are contacting me because they are scared of COVID-19 and want to be prepared just in case. They come because they know they should act responsibly, but the problem that has kept them from making an appointment before continues to…
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