Dying Without a Will

Dying Without a Will

May 26, 2023

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi

Image by M. Gustafson Gervasi, 2023 

Survey Says! According to a 2022 survey by caring.com, 67% of Americans do not have a will even after the COVID-19 pandemic increased everyone's awareness that no one's tomorrow is guaranteed. Of those surveyed who did not have a will, 40% of them cited "not having gotten around to it" as the reason they did not have an estate plan in place.

Dying without a will means you lost control over:

• Who act as your Personal Representative (that is the term we use in Wisconsin, other states use the title of Executor);
• Where your minor children and or pets will live and be cared for; and 
• What will happen to your assets.

Estate planning, the process of writing documents that say who is in charge and what happens if you are alive but too sick to act (powers of attorney) or if you die (will or trust), boils down to one simple word, control.  When you set aside the time to make these decisions and put them in a legally binding format, you take control.  If you never get around to it, then you are leaving the decision making to the court system.  

Here are 3 tips on how to prime the pump and join the minority of Americans with a will:

1. Educate yourself by reading books from the library, watching YouTube videos on the topic or attending an in-person seminar;
2. Take it bit by bit -- tackle powers of attorney first, then review beneficiary forms, and end with writing a will.  Breaking down a huge task into smaller projects is often more doable; and
3. Outsource -- hire an attorney who focuses on estate planning to draft the necessary paperwork.  Ask family and friends for a recommendation or see if your favorite CPA or financial planner has a name to share.

Remember that a blog is meant to spark thought and discussion, it is not legal advice.  Please consult with a licensed attorney in your home state for legal advice specific to your situation.  Be well and thank you for reading.  If this is helpful, consider sharing on social media. 

Estate Planning Meets Garage Sale Season

Estate Planning Meets Garage Sale Season

May 19, 2023

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi

Summer is nearly upon us as Memorial Day slides into the 10-day forecast on our phones.  For those in the midwest we are (almost) certain we can move the snowblower to the back of the garage and put away our winter boots.  This is also a perfect time of year for a dose of Swedish Death Cleaning and the infamous garage sale.  As I tell my husband, "we are either going to move or die -- eventually it all has to go!"  Here are a few tips on how to embrace garage sale season for a low-energy yet high yield event that will keep your clutter under control:

1. Thoughtful Displays -- do not just toss items on a table or blanket on the grass, set them up as though they were in your home.  For example, decorate the artifical Christmas tree with ornaments and lights, or set up the never-used tent along with dishware suitable for camping.  Show the buyer an item's potential with a thoughtful display.
2. Combine Forces -- ask family or friends to add items to your sale. The more the merrier, and advertising a multi-household sale will draw in more shoppers.
3. Skip the Pricing, Make Me an Offer -- yes, skip the time and effort of pricing items and simply say "make me an offer".  This will save you a lot of time, and sometimes people offer way more than you might anticipate.
4. Coordinated Effort -- Hold your sale the same days as your annual neighborhood sale (those are big events here in the Madison area).  This increases the number of shoppers in your general area.
5. Non-profit Benefit -- going along with the "make me an offer" idea, inform your shoppers that proceeds with benefit a favorite nonprofit.  Have brouchers and information on hand about the organization.  This is a great idea when you have a ton of small items that you want to clear out and prevent from filling up a landfill.  Every penny goes to charity -- it's a great motivator.
6. Donate What Remains - under no circumstances should you bring any items back into your home when the sale ends.  Instead direct them to a nonprofit thrift store or post them for free on social media or other "freecycle" type sites.

Image by M. Gustafson Gervasi, 2023, Spring/Summer Flowers

Did I miss a great tip?  If so, please leave a comment.  Estate planning is more than getting paperwork in order, it is about getting your life and possessions in a managable state.  Best of luck with cleaning and sales.  And remember, a blog is not legal advice.  It is a platform to promote thought and reflection.  Please seek legal advice in your state of residence for advice specific to your situation.

What I've Been Reading -- Dead Lines: Slices of Life from the Obit Beat by George Hesselberg

What I've Been Reading -- Dead Lines: Slices of Life from the Obit Beat by George Hesselberg

By Melinda Gustafson Gervasi

May 12, 2023

Milling around the Madison Camper & RV Show a few months ago I stopped at the vendor stand for the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.  While my husband dived into the depths of solar panels at the booth across the way, I perused the books for sale by WHS Press. My eyes landed on a title, Dead Lines: Slices of Life from the Obit Beat, by George Hesselberg.  "Perfect!" I thought, quickly adding it to the pile I would be taking home with me.  Dead Lines is a collection of Hesselberg's news / feature obituaries from his forty-plus years writing for the Wisconsin State Journal.  The passages range from profiling prominent Madisonians to local legends to an infamous Sicilian miniature donkey named Mo, who resided on a farm at the intersection of Highways CC and D, just south of Madison.  Hesselberg provides a rich array of local history and finds the remarkable in other common people (an animals) who made Southern Wisconsin home.  The book is a quick and easy read that elevates the art of writing an obituary.