5 Reasons Why You Should Have a Will

Creating a will is a crucial consideration that can save your loved ones from many unfavorable situations. It gives an easy time for the people you leave behind when you die. Some people often fail to write a will earlier enough, which leads to many complications. Below are reasons why you should create a will.

Reduced Disputes

The will gives a clear image of what should happen with your money and property. There will be disputes among your loved ones because the will states who should inherit after you. If you don't write a will, some people can move to court, seeking to inherit your property against your wish.

The law can decide how to pass on the estate, and this can be unfair to some of your family or partners who had the right to inherit your property. If you find yourself in a situation where you've been deprived of your right of ownership, you can seek help from a will attorney to handle the case for you in court.

Protects Your Business

A will protects your business against individuals who may have no right over it. It shows who should take over your company when you're gone. It could be your family members, friends, or business partners.




Failure to write a will has been a major contributing factor to the collapse of many family businesses because those who get ownership rights often end up mismanaging it. You can choose the right person to take over your business in the will.

Nominate a Guardian for Your Children

You've been taking care of your children when you're alive, but when you're gone, it may be challenging for your kids to survive if you do not write a will.

A will shows that you've left something for your kids, and whoever becomes your children's guardian has a right to access your property to take care of your children.

Identify a Property Manager

When you leave a will for your kids to inherit your property, it should also indicate a property manager who should be an adult. The person is responsible for ensuring that the property is well-managed to avoid misuse that could lead to your business's collapse.

Decide Who Inherits Your Stuff

A will shows the right person to take over your assets when you die. If you die before creating a will, your state law rules out who to take over your property, or it'll be distributed among your descendants. It could be your spouse, children, parents, friends, or mentors.

Some people may take advantage of the situation and claim your property against your wish. This can be unfair to your close associates who'd have taken over the estate.

Ensure you close all gaps concerning your will when you're still alive. You do not want to leave frustrations to your family, friends, or business partners. It'd be best to work with a professional who understands how a will is written.

Understanding the Benefits of Funeral Planning No Matter Your Age

Living in unprecedented times, you might begin to feel and think about how fragile and short life really is. For this reason, you may also wonder about the appropriate age at which you should begin planning your funeral. 

Honestly, the best time for funeral planning is at any age, rather, any time except at the time of the funeral. Today, we will discuss understanding the benefits of funeral planning no matter your age.

A Celebration of Life

Attending a funeral may be considered a solemn affair for many, but it does not have to be. If you really think about it, funerals should be a celebration of a person's life, your life. By planning your funeral ahead of time, you are allowing your family and friends to spend quality time with one another to celebrate your life.

Financial Responsibility

Whether you decide on a traditional burial or cremation, one thing is for certain. Funeral costs are rising significantly, year after year. Planning early will offer cost-saving benefits by locking in today's rates. Just like a home loan, financing options are available. 

This means by planning ahead, you will ease the burden of funeral expenses on your family while giving them peace of mind by assuming full financial responsibility for your funeral. Funeral planning also helps prevent overspending.

Reimburse Travel Expenses

Along with taking full control of your funeral expenses, another benefit of planning your funeral ahead is that it will provide you an opportunity to reimburse long-distance friends and family for their travel expenses to attend your funeral. This allows them to fully stay focused on celebrating your life.

Final Wishes Honored

Perhaps you may have a specific preference for the disposition of your remains and want to clearly express them. Funeral planning allows you to leave specific instructions to fulfill your final wishes. Your final wishes may also include detailed instructions on the type of music that will be played during your funeral, the epitaph that will be engraved on your headstone, and others.

Whether you are in your 20s, 30s, 40s, or beyond, and regardless of your health status, funeral planning at any age offers several benefits, as mentioned above. So, take full control of every aspect of your funeral and ensure your final wishes are honored by preventing unwanted surprises from happening. Allow your family and friends, near and far, to truly focus on celebrating your life by planning ahead.

How to Plan Financially for When You’re Gone

No one likes to think about dying, but you need to plan ahead if you want to protect your family and loved ones. With the proper plan in place, you can rest assured that your family won’t have to deal with overwhelming end-of-life expenses or a complicated legal battle after you pass away.

Organize and List Your Assets

The first step in this process is taking stock of all the assets that you own. In addition to homes and cars, you should also list all of your financial accounts, investments, heirlooms, jewelry, and memorabilia. Once you have that list, it is going to be much easier to plan out your estate or write a will.

Establish a Will or Trust

Even though wills and trusts are somewhat similar, there are a few important differences that you should be aware of. A will is a legal document that describes where you would like all of your assets to go once you pass away. 



Trusts specify where you would like your assets to go as well, but they are overseen by a designated individual known as a trustee. Once you pass away, the trustee can immediately begin the process of transferring all of your belongings.

Consider Setting Up a Living Will

If you are worried about your health, then you should think about setting up a living will. Those documents inform doctors of your wishes if you are incapacitated or can’t make reasonable decisions regarding your health. 

Some living wills also designate a healthcare proxy who can make decisions for you. Keeping an incapacitated individual alive can be very expensive, and many people don’t want to leave those bills to their family members.

Rethink Your Insurance

The final step in this process is taking a fresh look at your insurance to see if any of your policies need to be altered or updated. Life insurance is a great start, but you might want to consider some other policies as well. Options such as end-of-life and burial insurance will help your family cover specific expenses that can sometimes be overwhelming.

In addition to these few tips, you also need to speak with your loved ones about your wishes so that everyone is on the same page. Transferring assets and paying off debts after an individual passes away can be very complicated, and you don’t want to leave a huge legal mess for your family members and friends.

5 Ways to Help Lower the Cost of a Funeral

Losing someone close to us can be tough. Families must figure out how to go on without their loved ones, but at the same time, may be faced with the added worry of paying for a funeral. 

This is something many of us don’t think about until we need to plan a service, meaning families are often shocked to learn just how much a funeral can cost.

An average funeral in New Zealand can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000, according to Dollar Insurance. This figure consists of everything from handling the remains to burying the body. 

However, given how quickly funerals are put together and a general lack of pre-planning, it can be hard for families to know if they’re paying for items they don’t want or need.

It may not be pleasant to think about, but a bit of advance planning for your own funeral could help your family avoid stress or debt when you pass. Here are five ways that could help your loved ones in the future:

1. Do some pre-planning.

Funerals are often put together on short notice. As a result, families may be unable to compare prices from one funeral home to another. One way you could help is by doing some “shopping around” for them. Ask local funeral directors for pricing, even if it’s just an estimate.

If you find a funeral home, you’re comfortable with—both the price and management—tell your family. That way, they’ll know where to go when it comes time to arrange the funeral.

2. Consider a funeral insurance policy.

Even if you take the steps above, the final funeral bill your family receives might still be more than they can afford, especially if they need to come up with the money on short notice. Click Here for funeral insurance that might be able to help.

A policy could help your family pay for a service and anything else they may need at the time. This could be a quick and affordable way for you to help fund your funeral and remove some of the financial burdens from your loved ones’ shoulders.

3. Choose cremation over burial.

A traditional burial can be expensive. Depending on where you’re buried, a cemetery plot and council burial fees can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. Plus, other things typically go along with burial that can add up.

Doing the deceased’s hair and makeup for an open casket, the coffin, and a headstone. Alternatively, cremation could be more affordable. This may cost less than $1,200 and remove the need for a headstone if the ashes are scattered.

4. Decline embalming.

Whether you decide to be buried or cremated, asking that your body not be embalmed could save your family hundreds of dollars. Embalming is a process used to preserve the body and help make it presentable for viewing. 

However, it’s typically only required in cases of infectious disease. If you prefer a closed casket funeral, there may be no need for this extra step.

5. Skip the fancy upgrades.

Like any business, funeral homes need to make money. There are many trustworthy funeral directors out there, but unfortunately, some do try to sell grieving families on fancy upgrades.

Writing down your funeral wishes, including specifying anything you don’t want, could help your family save some money. This could include asking them to choose a simple casket instead of a “gasket” one, only holding one ceremony at the graveside, or saying no to flower arrangements.

Planning a funeral can be stressful for a family, but helping control the costs could make it easier for them to say goodbye in peace. Taking steps like pre-planning, choosing how you’d like your remains to be handled, or getting funeral insurance may be a smart move for people over 50.