So many folks are reaching out, curious about what Forward Inheritance can do for their family, cautiously asking questions about the inheritance process, slightly embarrassed that they may not already have the answers, quietly admitting that they need some help, and sharing the stories from when Grandma or Dad or an aunt passed and the family chaos that ensued.
There is a reason the last post was titled “We Are All In It These Days.”
In this journey, I’ve found that inheritance planning is similar to flossing our teeth or getting an oil change for our cars: something everyone knows they should do, something everyone knows they need to do, and yet something too many people tell themselves they will do later.
But when is later?
Do you put the oil change reminder in your calendar 6 months from now? Do you wait until the Check Engine light starts flashing? Or do you drive the car until it finally needs a tow? Eventually, all of these three approaches get new oil into the car, it’s more a function of How.
And how does this translate back to inheritance planning? Are we proactively chipping away at ensuring Mom and Dad’s, Grandma and Grandpa’s, and our estates have the proper paperwork and planning to navigate the process smoothly? Or are we waiting until Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa need some serious care, like an unexpected hospital visit or assisted care living situation? Or are we waiting to open the paperwork in a big reveal to figure it all out from there?
We are all in it these days. Raising parents. Raising children. Trying to stop intergenerational financial trauma. Believing that we can do this better but not certain how. Knowing that we need to do this better now. And we can. We can organize our estates and then optimize our inheritance, helping calm our own situations and providing a better life for the Next Generation. Together, we can move our families forward…