Melanie Cullen's Blog

Your pets and livestock

What will happen to your animals when you die? While you’re organizing your records and considering loved ones wrapping up your affairs, you may wonder how to plan for your pets and livestock. What will happen to them when you die? Who will take them and care for them? Here are some tips for planning care for your animals when you’re no longer able. Today, while you have the time and you’re able to do so, take the following steps: 1. Identify a home. Identify the type of home yo… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on October 24, 2009 at 1:09pm — No Comments

Who's in charge?

If something happens to you, who watches over your health care, finances and other important matters? No matter your life circumstances—whether you’re young and raising a family, or elderly and caring for yourself—you have plenty of responsibilities. For example, you make decisions about your health care (selecting doctors, choosing treatments) and handle financial matters (paying bills, choosing insurance, filing tax returns, managing your personal property and perhaps real estate). If… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on September 18, 2009 at 10:39am — No Comments

Retirement Accounts

What happens to your retirement accounts when you die? Despite the rough economy, you’ll probably leave money in your retirement accounts when you die. Here is a brief overview of what will happen to those accounts. Also, to ensure that your loved ones take possession in ways that maximize value, here are some tips for you to follow today. Probate & Taxes The money passes directly to the beneficiaries you have named on the account. Even if your estate is subject to probate,… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on August 21, 2009 at 10:01am — No Comments

Probate

What is it—and why does it have such a bad reputation? We’ve all heard of probate, and it seems we all know it’s “bad” and to be avoided. But what is it really? And, given your circumstances, should you make arrangements to avoid it? If so, how can you do that? First, an overview of what it is. What is probate? Probate is a legal process for distributing property that has been left through a will or that belongs to someone who died without a will. During probate, the decedent’s… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on August 11, 2009 at 11:26am — No Comments

Storing your important records

Where and how should I store them? Some years back, while discussing Get It Together at a retirement community, a participant posed this dilemma: If I collect up… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on July 23, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Obtaining a death certificate

What is a death certificate—and why do loved ones need it? A death certificate is the official record of the death of an individual and includes the dates of birth and death, gender, place of residence, and location and cause of death. It is prepared by the county health department, recorded in the county and maintained by county or state offices. Why is it needed? Other than simply recording the death, why do loved ones need it? Well, the agent of the deceased (that is, the exe… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on May 14, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Your safe deposit box

If something happens to you, what should—and shouldn’t—you have stored there? You can rent a safe deposit box at your bank for storing just about anything you want. There are no federal laws, and few state laws, governing the content of safe deposit boxes. Your bank’s… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on April 27, 2009 at 3:30pm — 1 Comment

Who will care for my children if something happens to me?

If something happens to you while your children are young, who will care for them? It takes time and energy to get your important records in order. Some of the most important—yet most difficult—steps are those regarding care for your minor children. The paperwor… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on March 10, 2009 at 10:30am — 7 Comments

How do I create my planner?

Whether you use Get It Together or handle the job on your own, there are a few basic steps to completing and maintaining your personal planner. 1. Get started! Set a… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on February 3, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

Get It Together provides a framework

First, let’s consider the process—preparing important documents, collecting related records, storing them securely, talking with loved ones and maintaining your personal “planner” (the name I’ll use for your compiled records). You can prepare your planner yourself, relying simply on the tips in this column. Or you can turn to Get It Together (N… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on February 3, 2009 at 10:30am — No Comments

Welcome to Get It Together Now!

Welcome to Get It Together Now, a new column about organizing your important records—for yourself and, eventually, for your loved ones. If you’ve ever pitched in for someone who has become incapacitated, or if you’ve helped to wrap up an estate following a death, you know how hard it is. It’s hard emotionally to step in to the void left by that person, however temporarily. It can be hard spiritually to lose the companionship of one you love and the partnership of one you rely on. And, for all o… Continue

Posted by Melanie Cullen on February 3, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

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