#19 - Uncommon Knowledge
Reluctant Executor News
What may seem like common knowledge to you can be totally foreign to someone else. Now imagine if you learn something new in a field that you specialize in. To someone outside this field, this information wouldn't even have crossed their mind, let alone be expected to understand it.
This is what it can feel like when you're thrust into being an executor earlier than you anticipated. Below are two things I didn't learn about until nearly two years after losing my dad.
LinkedIn post from December 29, 2023
A seemingly useless fact that I learned recently: cremated remains can only legally be shipped using USPS.
This holiday season I was looking through the USPS website for shipping supplies. One item stuck out among all of the boxes and envelopes: a cremated remains kit.
It turns out that USPS is the only service that can legally ship cremated remains, human or pet.
This applies to more than ashes. It also includes items made from those ashes, such as stones or jewelry.
Why is this a seemingly useless fact?
You likely will only need to know this once or twice in your life, if at all.
But if you're looking up how to ship remains, you're likely under stress and grieving due to a loss. Researching shipping procedures is the last thing you'll want to do.
After loss professionals can help with these types of problems. We know the procedures needed to accomplish after loss tasks, or we will spend the time figuring it out so that you don't have to.
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LinkedIn post from December 12, 2023
It may take over a year to receive an inheritance. You can receive your money earlier, but what impact does that have on your family?
Inheritance advance companies can give you a portion of your expected inheritance before the estate is distributed. This comes at a cost, usually a fee between 10%-50%.
Many articles weigh the pros and cons of paying this fee and receiving less inheritance vs. waiting to receive the full amount.
But none talk about the impact on the rest of your family.
You now brought a new creditor to the estate probate process. How much empathy will this creditor have if the estate administration doesn't go smoothly? Will they try to communicate directly with the executor, adding more stress?
Remember, this is their business. Their goal is to complete a business transaction. It's not to help simplify the administration process.
If you're worried that one of the heirs will need some of their inheritance early, talk about options with them and your estate lawyer or financial advisor. Once you have a plan in place, make sure it's documented and shared with the right people. Check out the resources on my site if you need help with that.
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Professional Referrals
I started Reluctant Executor in order to help families that are overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being an executor. There is a lot I've learned in the past couple of years. But for the things that I don't know yet, I depend on professional referrals that I've built.
If you or someone you know needs this type of support, contact me at Bill@ReluctantExecutor.com.