Anna Maria RichardsLet’s face it; death is unpredictable and an inevitable part of our lives. One of the biggest fears is what will happen to the family you leave behind after you pass away. These are the most important people in your life, and the last thing you want is to have them suffer when you are gone.
The good news is you can plan for that inevitable moment to ensure your loved ones go on with their life near normally after leaving. In this article, we take a look at six effective ways to protect your family when the time comes.
Estate Plan
The estate plan is a legal document that details how your assets will be distributed after you pass away. It includes documents like a will, trust, powers of attorney, and health care directives. These documents help to ensure that your wishes are followed after your passing, while protecting your family from financial burdens and legal disputes.
If you pass on without an estate plan, your family may have to deal with a lengthy and expensive probate process. Furthermore, your property will be distributed according to state intestacy laws — usually in favor of relatives closest in line to inherit the property.
Life Insurance
Life insurance is a contract between you and an insurance company that pays out a death benefit to your beneficiaries upon death. It’s one of the best ways to protect your family when you pass on.
This policy is designed to provide a source of income, usually in a lump sum or in monthly installments, to help your family cope with financial difficulties and maintain the lifestyle they are accustomed to.
A decent level of life insurance coverage will help pay off any outstanding debt, including credit cards and mortgage payments. It can also provide money for funeral costs and other expenses related to your passing away.
However, not all life insurance policies are created equal. There are many different types of policies available, each with its own range of benefits and restrictions. So, be sure to compare the many options available on a platform like Caspian Insurance to identify the best one for your situation.
Have a Will
A will allow you to control the distribution of assets when you pass on. You can distribute assets however you want, including giving certain people more than others or leaving everything to charity.
Having a will also ensures that all debts and taxes are paid off before assets are distributed, so no one is assigned to deal with any financial obligations you might have left behind at the time of death.
A will does not go into effect until after you die. This means that if you don’t have one, the state decides how to distribute your assets for you. In most cases, the state follows a principle called “intestate succession,” which means that your estate goes to the people who would inherit if you didn’t have a will at all.
Preplan Your Funeral
No matter how awkward it seems, preplanning your funeral is crucial. This means deciding now what kind of service you’d like and who should be involved. These decisions will help your family avoid stressful decisions when they’re grieving and trying to take care of other responsibilities at the same time.
Preplanning also makes sense financially. You may be surprised by how much it costs to plan a funeral. Having this conversation now with your loved ones will save them from being surprised later when they see how much it costs.
Leave a Farewell Message For Your Loved Ones
Video messages are becoming more popular today but a handwritten note will still suffice if you prefer something more traditional. Be sure to include important information about any accounts and assets, as well as the location of your will or other documents related to your estate planning.
You can also give them instructions on how they should handle any medical issues that might come up after your death.
Have a Master Document Binder
A master document binder is a collection of critical legal documents stored in one place to be accessible in the future. These documents should include your will, trust agreement and other estate planning documents such as power of attorney, medical power of attorney, living will and any other pertinent legal documents related to your estate planning needs.
It’s also good to include any passwords or access codes that the family may need: access to bank accounts or other financial information.
Conclusion
Passing on without a plan can be hard and make things more complicated for your family. Proper advance planning will safeguard your loved ones and provide them with the benefits for their future.
We hope this article will help you as you start a journey towards protecting your loved ones or make your plans better if you already have a plan.
