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Estate, Pre-Planning, and Sympathy Guide 2 This ESTATE, PRE-PLANNING, & SYMPATHY GUIDE edition is brought to you by the following busnesses: BRAHAM GILMER MONUMENT CO [phone]; 1100 6th St, Howard Lake, MN 55349; brahammonument.com CHILSON FUNERAL HOME [phone]; 200 Fairlawn Ave W, Winsted, MN 55395; chilsonfuneralhome.com CEDAR CREST ESTATES LLC [phone]; 1401 Main St W, Silver Lake, MN 55381; cedarcrestmn.com DARWIN MONUMENT [phone]; 960 North 1st Street, Darwin, MN 55324; darwinmonument.com ECUMEN HOME CARE & HOSPICE [phone]; 218 North Holcombe, Litchfield, MN 55355; ecumenhomecare.org FARM BUREAU FINANCIAL SERVICES - JEFF ALBERS [phone]; 2112 E. 10th St., Glencoe MN 55336; jeff[email protected] Monday, Feb. 29, 2016 Plan your Estate Carefully D GERARD E STIFTER LLC [phone]; 109 2nd St S, Winsted, MN 55395 JOHNSON FUNERAL HOME [phone]; 611 2nd St, Dassel, MN 55325; johnsonfh.funeralplan2.com eveloping an estate plan can be the most important aspect of your end-of-life planning process. A solid estate plan can help eliminate the chance for family fights when it comes to dispersing your property, money and possessions. experience in estate planning. It is important that you trust your attorney 100 percent, as you will be divulging highly sensitive information to properly structure your estate plan. Financial burdens MARESH FUNERAL HOME [phone]; 105 Main St W, Silver Lake, MN 55381; mareshfuneralhome.com One of the first steps your attorney will walk you through in building your estate plan is assembling a list of your current assets and liabilities. Doing so will help calculate your net worth and determine if you already have a taxable estate, as well as indicating if your loved ones will find difficulty paying the estate tax and other debts after your death. NATIONAL CREMATION SOCIETY [phone]; 6605 Nicollet Ave S, Richfield, MN, 55423; thatsmywish.com Choosing an executor ST. MARY’S CARE CENTER [phone]; 551 4th St N, Winsted, MN 55395; stmaryscarecenter.org SWANSON-PETERSON FUNERAL HOME [phone]; 655 Broadway Ave. S., Cokato, MN 55321; [phone], 1224 6th St., Howard Lake, MN 55349 You’ll need to consider many things when creating an estate plan, including deciding what will be given to which beneficiary, and how to properly plan for expenses like funeral costs. it’s time to choose a credible attorney to guide you through the process. Reach out to family members or friends who may have recently developed their estate plans and find referrals for accredited, reputable attorneys. Finding an attorney Different legal professionals have varyOnce you have decided to seriously ing specialties, so find one with extensive pursue putting together an estate plan, Picking a Final Resting Place Financial Elder Abuse I t is a shocking yet very real crime affecting the elderly population. Imagine receiving a letter from a creditor stating that you have neglected to pay your bill for months. You call your power of attorney — most likely a family member — to ask why the bills haven’t been paid and you get no response. A little more digging reveals that your savings have whittled down to nothing. This is an example of financial elder abuse, and it happens more often than you may realize. Many people choose burials; others cremation. Either way, you should be comfortable with your final resting place. Consider your family’s needs and preference because, after all, they are the ones who will be visiting your gravesite or, likely, possess your urn. Don’t think of the decision as unsettling or even scary, but rather as necessary to help your family members choose your final resting place. Staggering statistics The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that over 500,000 elderly Americans suffer from financial elder abuse annually. The CDC reports that this number is likely higher because of the large segment of the elder population who cannot report financial abuse because they either don’t know about it or choose not to out of fear. This number is apt to continue to increase, says the CDC, as those 65 and older will make up 20 percent of the population by 2050. Burial perience significantly higher levels of psychological distress than older individuals who have not experienced abuse. Financial abuse can come at the hands of many different individuals, including workers at care facilities, friends and con artists. But the most alarming aspect of financial elder abuse is that the majority of crimes Real dilemma In 2009, elderly Americans are perpetrated by a family lost an estimated $2.9 billion member. to financial exploitation, ac- What to do cording to the CDC. The key for an elderly perAmericans suffering from son to avoiding financial abuse elder abuse also can often ex- is maintaining open, honest communications with those around you. Ask to see regular statements of your finances, even if you have put a family member or friend in charge of tracking them. Also, it never hurts to have more than one set of eyeballs on your money. Asking two people close to you to maintain your finances will help create a checks and balances system, and also will increase the likelihood of any potentially devious behavior being reported to you. The burial process comes with plenty of issues to consider, the first being convenience. Families choosing burials may do to ensure they can visit the body for years to come. Nature also is an important part of the cemetery experience, so finding one with beautiful landscaping or expansive forestry can help provide also pay attention to any local, state and federal a peaceful, natural environment for family regulations that may govern the distribution of members and friends to visit. your ashes. Cremation The cremation choice is popular because of its convenience and the opportunity for family members to display a decorative urn holding the ashes of their loved one. If an urn isn’t your top option, you could always plan a special day that includes the spreading of your ashes across the ocean, mountaintop or river. When planning such an event, consider who in your family will be able to attend and if a