This probably came about because of our history coming from very modest families. I being from Kenya only found out how important shoes were in high school. She being from Mexico probably had a tougher time than us. Probably because they could see american TV.  I couldn’t so I didn’t care much about something I never knew about.

It’s a good tale to tell but not to our kids. Entitled may be the word that best describes these young kids of this age. You should see how they look when we have to go buy wholesale clothing. They would prefer mall clothes but I think it is fair that they pay that for themselves.

why pretend we can afford buying stuff that will only lead us to debt?

the question is, do these companies ever make up for the funds expended during the world cup?

Research has shown that it may or may not. Depending on how the brand market’s itself and takes advantage of the advertising opportunity. Branding for the world cup is not as easy as marketing for cheap health insurance. You have to do a lot of research and spend funds where it is neccessary.

For example, sky uk were not the official broadcaster of the World Cup. However, 80% of the British public thought they were. Probably because they are associated with sports programs in the UK.

So first find out if your company needs to spend such money for the world cup then use the money in the appropriate way.

I think during the first week, all I did was download stuff. From movies to software I thought I needed. I say I thought I needed because I have realised that most software vendors are very good at sales copy.

In fact, I now have evidence that most software companies are better at writing sales copy than actually producing great software. I sometimes feel like having been duped into getting a ski vacation in Arizona.

Now after about 3 weeks of these free downloads, I have realised that the quality of my life has not increased and neither my bank balance. I may simply have got free things that served absolutely no purpose in my life.

Make moves to lower estate taxes.

They may call it death tax or whatever name they will coin next time. The truth of the matter is that if you own more than $2 million in assets, then you should consider moving your assets to lower tax vehicles.

It is obvious what this will mean to your family so I don’t need to explain it.

Create a document that explains everything.

Don’t laugh but this is extremely important. It should be the easiest thing to do since you don’t have to think too much law stuff to do it. Just write down what you were thinking when making your new will or you want your family to know how to locate your accounts, life insurance, legal documents, safe-deposit boxes, hidden stashes of cash, attorney, financial planner, and other trusted advisors.

Include the important information in a document that you give to someone you trust.

Discuss your plan with the people who matter.

Explain your wishes to important friends and family, especially if they might have a future role to play. And encourage them to get their own estate plan. If your relatives have their affairs in order, it could spare you a great deal of difficulty down the road and keep as much wealth as possible within the family.

In the end, anyone with a good estate plan is bound to have a merrier time since you are not stressed by anyone and you know exactly what you want. You will be surprised to find that when you start the estate planning process, you might come to learn more about your loved ones than you thought.

No wonder I have been dusting the covers off my estate planning books. Its time for some estate planning and these are some of the things I am doing.

Estate Planning Tips

I have Updated My Will

There is nothing worse in some states than seeing the gov’t decide on who will do what with your hard earned property. Even worse is the infighting that can occur when things are not clear. That is why a will is important and essential for all.

Get a living will.

Make known the kind of medical care you wish to receive, and at what point you no longer wish to receive any care.

Appoint a durable power of attorney. Designate a trusted person to handle your financial affairs if you ever become incapacitated.

Update your beneficiary forms

All those boring forms that you signed when you were younger can come back to haunt you late. Make sure that all your beneficiary information in insurance policies, investments and such documents are updated accordingly.

One more thing, keep a copy safely somewhere to avoid mischief.

Review the Legal Status of your Property

The legal status of your accounts, home, and other assets will also determine whether they bypass probate and a will. For example, an asset that is “joint tenancy with rights of survivorship” will become the sole property of the surviving co-owner(s) when another co-owner dies. That automatically disinherits other heirs from that asset, which may or may not be what the deceased intended.

In fact, if you have any equestrian apparel you have a right to take note of it.

I will be adding more stuff tomorrow on the things you need to do to make sure that your estate planning gets off on a sure footing.

The first step that one should consider is probably setting up a good will. A well written will, is one of the easiest ways to make sure that you are in charge of who will be in charge of your property. In many cases, a legal will, can  used to guarantee that your kids are in the custody of responsible caregivers.

Your will should be legally binding, in will estate planning. This is necessary to know especially if the will is going to stand the legal test. Legal advice and assistance is not cheap but in most cases it is necessary. Comprehensive will planning kits are easy to purchase online.

The goal is not only to create a good will but also one that can  withstand any disputes that may happen afterwards. A legally binding will is easily enforced and will stand the test of time.

Will estate planning is a comprehensive procedure. Writing a legally binding will is the initial step. One should also think of preparing directives on their health care wishes. This can be important in cases where one is disabled or needs to give directions on the disposal of their body organs.

Taking out a life insurance policy should also be considered in the estate planning process This is to avoid scenarios where one’s family is burdened by the huge expenses that come with one’s passing. There is nothing more assuring than knowing that ones family is comfortable. The management of one’s property in the estate planning process is one of the advisable ways to achieve this.