Before You Depart:
Preparing For The Unexpected

From the time I was a little child, right smack up to today, I have been a fan of Don Herbert, better known to kids everywhere and of all ages as the one and only Mr. Wizard.

I watched Mr. Wizard faithfully. His teaching methods were perfection; he had us kids eating out of the palm of his hand. I used to come home from school and wish my REAL teachers were like Mr. Wizard. Now that I am (supposedly) an adult, I can see that Mr. Wizard was, indeed, a real teacher, and probably a lot more real than the teachers I saw every day, none of whom could hold a candle to Mr. Wizard. When I watched him, I felt as though he could see me right through the television screen, and that he not only believed I was smart enough to easily understand whatever principle he was demonstrating, but also that he just plain liked me, and WANTED me to understand.

Don Herbert had been battling cancer for several years, and on June 12, he lost that battle. We here at YouDeparted send our sincere condolences to his family.

I must tell the world, however, that Mr. Wizard will never be gone. Never.

If you would like to say something about Don Herbert, his family has set up a guestbook. And, if you visit Mr. Wizard’s official website, you can’t help but become smarter.

We just learned about the devastating murder-suicide in the Berkeley hills involving Kevin Morrissey, 51; his wife, Dr. Mamiko Kawai, 40; and their children, Nikki Morrissey, 8, and Kim “Elena” Morrissey, 6. Police in the Berkeley Hills reported that the family of four was found dead in a parking lot in Tilden Park. Tilden is a beautiful park in the Berkeley Hills and a major destination for families across the Bay Area, so it is sad and ironic that such an event happened there. Our hearts go out to the victims and their loved ones, and may they rest in peace.

Such a tragedy is unthinkable, and we were absolutely shocked and appalled by this news. The family seemed happy according to their neighbors, and suspected murderer Kevin Morrissey had even just spent two weeks preparing for his daughter Nikki’s recent birthday. It is incomprehensible how a family man could decide to end the lives of his young daughters, his wife and himself. Just how he ever decided to commit these acts I doubt will ever be truly understood.

Taking ones own life is tragic, but taking innocent souls along is simply evil. The police said they found a note where Kevin did “express remorse” but I cannot possibly see how someone capable of killing his family could feel remorse at all. Perhaps he was mentally ill and out of control, but the bottom line is that a family was tragically destroyed by one of its own.

Take a moment to prey for the Morrissey family and then think about how dear your family is to you.

Marshall Loeb, of MarketWatch, has some excellent advice for same-sex couples concerning wills, estate planning, power of attorney, etc, and why good planning is even more important for same-sex couples than for straight spouses. Attorney Tanya Harvey, on Loeb’s website, says that:

“. . . estate planning is even more imperative for same-sex couples than for straight spouses because. . . gay couples don’t have the tax and inheritance advantages that marriage conveys, so these benefits have to be created through estate-planning documents.”

“Harvey, a Washington lawyer with the firm Bryan Cave, helps unmarried couples ensure that their partners and families will be provided for in the event of illness or death. When it comes to estate planning, Harvey recommends that gay families start by consulting a lawyer on three key issues:

1.  Power of attorney. Assigning your partner a power of attorney for health care is relatively simple, says Harvey, but it can save you major migraines in the long run. Most hospitals allow only family members related by blood or marriage to visit patients in critical care. If your companion has a power of attorney, it guarantees admittance. It also gives him or her a voice when decisions have to be made about your care.

2. The pros and cons of domestic partnership. Many couples living in states that recognize domestic partners are eager to sign up, but Harvey cautions her clients to consider the potential pitfalls. While domestic partnerships often convey a variety of inheritance, employment and tax benefits, they are difficult to dissolve in some states. Disentangling yourself from a domestic partnership is often as complicated and expensive as traditional divorce, says Harvey, so don’t treat it lightly.

3.  What happens to your legacy? It is essential that each partner has a valid, up-to-date, signed and witnessed will. If you die without a will providing for your same-sex mate, the state determines what will happen to your money and property. “Generally, the surviving partner gets nothing,” says Harvey. Consult a lawyer to draw up a will or a trust. Harvey highly recommends revocable trusts, because they offer privacy and are harder to challenge in court.

For further information on same-sex estate planning, visit Outestateplanning.com or Rainbowlaw.com.”

It is imperative that ALL couples get all of their documents in order, and that the surviving partner/spouse know where these documents are kept.  Thee surviving partner/spouse must have access to everything, right at his/her fingertips, for this will save a lot of headache and heartache and aggravation for all concerned.

Are you one of the many Baby Boomers who has something a little, shall we say, “different,” in mind for your final resting place?

Since 1997, many people, mostly Boomers, have chosen “Celestial Burials;” and yes, that’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. People are choosing to have their ashes blasted off into outer space.

Not ALL of their ashes, mind you: just a little symbolic bit, encased in a small capsule. No actual bodies. The ashes are blasted into space, and then brought back down and returned to the families, so it can truly be said that this person was a space traveler.

James Doohan did it. So did Gordon Cooper. If you think you’d be interested, go HERE. And then make sure your request is stored here on YouDeparted, so your survivors will know what you want.

In fact, there has never been a better time to check out YouDeparted: we’ve got a special rate right now and you’ll never find a better deal. For only $9.95, you can get a year’s subscription, and I’m telling you, it’s incredible. I’ve got one. I think you should get one, too.

Who will be in control of your money until some of your beneficiaries become of age? Be sure you specify, or the State will do it. Be sure you name someone who is capable of managing your money, too.

Who will get the antique music box that’s been in the family for generations and that everyone, even the shirttail relatives, would love to have? Name a specific beneficiary and be sure you file it in a safe place.

Most people have paper copies of their will, and we hope these are filed in a safe place. These days, more and more people are filing all of their important papers electronically, and for that we recommend YouDeparted. Our security is unparalleled, and our encryption can not be broken. Your very personal files are safe with us.

Of course, some people prefer to be a little unconventional. That’s fine, too. So go ahead, video-tape your will; you can store a film with us, too.

Now, who’s up for some fish sticks? Take it away, Orson.

Cremation is becoming a more popular “last rite” every day. Traditional burial is still what many people choose. If you are of a nontraditional bent, but are not convinced that cremation is what you want, there are other alternatives.

You could always be mummified.

Honestly, people are doing it! Look right HERE!

This could be you.

Okay, I’ll be serious now. Different people have different requests and plans for that inevitable finality. Whatever decisions you make, please make sure that you have put them all down in writing, and that these documents are filed in a safe, inviolable place.

I recommend right here at YouDeparted. Everything you will file here is safer than if it were in a safe in your home. Our encryption is complete and foolproof. Your will, your insurance records, your requests and bequests and a description of the outfit you’ll wear in your coffin (or urn, or mummy-casket) and any other order or requirement, etc, that you may have. . . everything you store with YouDeparted is safe. Absolutely, completely safe.

One of the daily tasks of a modern entrepreneur is to search the web for references to your product.  It is very interesting and informative to see what new results pop up for “youdeparted” every day on google and google blog search.  Keeping in touch with and becoming a big part of the web community in your topic area is an essential part of business communications.  When I find an article regarding disaster preparation on a site such as lifehacker, I join in the discussion and add a comment regarding the importance of getting everything organized and securely stored.

Today, I was a bit surprised to find an article written by an Italian publication about the YouDeparted service! We haven’t marketed beyond the United States, but it goes to show that our service is valuable to people everywhere.  I can’t tell you exactly what the article said, but using an online translator, I got the gist and it was very positive! Thanks Italy!

Have you given any thought to what you want to be wearing for everybody’s last sight of you? Most of the time, the deceased is all dressed up, you know.

The thing is, not everybody is best known for being all dressed up. I know I’m not.

If you have any strong ideas about what you’d like to be wearing for that last public appearance, make sure you make those preferences known to your family and to the funeral home. Otherwise, gentlemen, you’ll be wearing that three-piece suit you’ve always hated, and ladies, you’ll be wearing that hideous dress you wore to your niece’s wedding.

Most of the time, people are wearing a hospital gown when they get to the mortuary, so naturally the morticians call the family and request that something with a little more style and coverage be brought in. If there’s a little number you really want to wear for this occasion, be sure that your survivors know about it.

This request, and all your other requests, as well as all of your legalities and policies and passwords, etc, can be stored right here at YouDeparted.

That darn suit/dress was always too hot and itchy, and you never felt like YOU in it. If you’d rather be buried/cremated in your overalls or your bikini or your comfy ol’ jeans and that Pink Floyd t-shirt with the autographs on it, speak out and tell somebody.

And while you’re at it, make your requests known about your hair, your makeup, and those hideous clumps of flowers somebody always plops down right on top of the casket, too. And make sure somebody is standing there guarding against such things, too. If you don’t make your wishes known, you’ll be lying there in that suit you always hated, with a big pile of those creepy white lilies on your chest.

Tell somebody! And then make it official by putting your wishes in writing and storing them with us, right here at YouDeparted.

It’s important that we all keep accurate and careful records of all of our important papers, and it’s equally important that we designate someone to be in charge of those important papers.

Even people who are careful about their accounting will not always know exactly where and how to put their hands on a specific paper, policy, document, or password. Think how difficult it could be for the survivors to find these things!

That’s why a service such as YouDeparted is so important. You don’t want to post a list of all of your assets and passwords and paperwork in a public place for all the world to see. You don’t even want such a list lying around on your desk!

But putting all of your important information on YouDeparted is safer than a safe! And once you’re done so, and designated someone to be in charge of it all, you can sit back and rest assured (or in peace, as the case may be) knowing that everything your survivors need is all in one safe place.

Technorati Tags: YouDeparted, paperless, financial, will, executor, assetes, power of attorney, documents, password, death certificate, survivors

Survivors have to be strong, especially if they have to handle all of a deceased loved one’s business without the benefit of a service like YouDeparted.

When my uncle died last year, his estate was a mess. His insurance papers were “somewhere” in the house. His bills started to pile up, because the executor of his estate, my mother, couldn’t get into his house to find them, and his will, which named her as executor, was in the house, buried under piles of paper and clutter. She didn’t even know the name of his lawyer, who could have cleared up a lot of the confusion if only he’d been contacted.

A year later, Mom is still being dunned by bill collectors, real estate companies, the State of Indiana, the funeral home, the Veteran’s Administration, and various utilities. She gives out the same information over the phone six or seven times a day, and that’s down from the dozens of times a day it was just a few months ago.

If my uncle had utilized a service such as YouDeparted, his executor’s job would have been made so incredibly easier, and my mother, his sister and executor, would not be bombarded with confusing questions and requirements and even abusive creditors wanting money for debts that are not even hers.

Take my advice, everyone. Make sure your survivors don’t have to endure this kind of treatment. Sign up for a YouDeparted account today. It’s so easy, and everything your executor and your survivors will need will be right here in one place.

Survivors have to be strong, true, but if we can help make their lives a little bit better, why not go for it?