In looking at financial matters, make it as easy as possible for those who will sort out your estate if you were to die. Imagine a situation where a husband dies and has always looked after all the financial affairs for the family. Suddenly his wife has to take over this important area and has to find out where she can get the money to pay the household bills, buy food – or even pay for the funeral. She may be completely unaware of how much money is available to her. Many couples would identify with that scenario and realise that only one of them knows what’s going on financially.
It would be a good idea to go through the following questions together and to write down the relevant details:
• Who do I ring if I need to get access to money?
• Where do I find any paperwork?
• Who should be contacted regarding pension payments? This is very important following a death.
These practical details can be helpful, saving a lot of time and a great deal of worry for grieving family members at a time of particular stress, so it’s a considerate thing to have sorted out ahead of time.
Make a ‘To Do’ page - a list of the order in which things should be done following a death and where to go. It may not only be helpful in the case of a death but also in the case of aging parents who may not be functioning as well as they used to and need some-one else to take care of their affairs when they can no longer do so.
This series is based on the annual Stewardship seminar from King's Church London
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