Conversations around mortality are rare. Usually, the person aging wants to avoid it, and families are more than willing to oblige, given how difficult they are to have. Because of this, end-of-life care is often not handled in a way that most would prefer.

I recently finished a book, Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande – where he shares from his perspective as a doctor how families navigated real-life scenarios, both the good and the bad. Here are my key takeaways…

Losing a spouse is a deeply emotional and challenging experience, and dealing with the aftermath can be overwhelming. Amid the grieving process and the myriad administrative tasks that follow, it's crucial not to overlook the potential risk of identity theft.

Sadly, scammers target deceased individuals because there is often no one tracking their finances. In doing so, they target their surviving spouses, who are left cleaning up the mess…

I recently had a client tell me that they had been thinking about saving some money for each of their grandchildren but were unsure about the best way to do that. I’ve seen families over the years put off saving because they weren’t sure exactly how to go about that.  

Start by asking yourself what you want the money to accomplish. Is it something specific like college or a first home, or is it more general like setting them up for success early in life?  

Here are a few different ideas to consider…