5 Essential Questions to Simplify Your Home and Your Estate

Estate organization and estate planning share a common goal: simplifying and prioritizing what matters most. Just as estate planning helps ensure your legacy is clear, organizing your home creates physical and mental clarity while offering peace of mind for you and your family.

In this blog post, we’ll explore guiding questions for decluttering and creating an intentional space. By letting go of what no longer serves you, you not only simplify your surroundings but also take a step toward making your estate—both tangible and intangible—easier to manage. In the process, you might even discover important family heirlooms to document or stories to share.

Let’s start with these five simple questions to guide your journey toward a more simplified home and legacy:

5 Guiding Questions to a Simple & Organized Home

Use these questions as a guide to simplify your home and help you decide whether to keep, donate, or discard each belonging.

Is it still usable?

o   If the item is broken, torn, stained, or otherwise unusable, ask yourself if it’s worth repairing or replacing. If not, it’s likely time to let it go.

o   Examples: An old shower curtain, a ripped pair of jeans, or a kitchen gadget that no longer works.

Have I used this in the past year?

o   If you haven’t used or even thought about this item in the past year, it’s a strong signal that it’s not serving your current needs. Exceptions might be for specific seasonal or sentimental items.

o   Examples: Packaging and manuals from electronics, clothes that do not fit, or tools you don’t touch.

Does it bring me joy or serve an important purpose in my life right now?

o   If the item makes you smile or fulfills a daily function, it earns its place. If it doesn’t, consider whether you really need it taking up space.

o   Examples: An appliance that has been replaced, a decorative vase you never loved, or sentimental knick-knacks that no longer hold meaning.

Would I buy this again today?

o   Think about whether this item still fits your style, needs, or priorities. If it feels outdated or irrelevant, you probably wouldn’t spend money on it again—and you don’t need to keep it “just in case.”

o   Examples: Clothes that don’t fit or suit your current lifestyle, outdated tech gadgets, or furniture you don’t love anymore.

Does it earn the space it takes up in my home?

o   Space is limited and valuable. Ask yourself if this item contributes enough to your life to justify the room it occupies. If not, let it go to make space for something better.

o   Examples: An exercise bike that’s become a clothes hanger, boxes of old magazines, or duplicate kitchen items like extra mixing bowls.

With Familial, you can go beyond organizing your physical space and gain complete clarity over your digital assets, financial life, and estate, ensuring everything important is seamlessly managed and easy to access for you and your family.

Start your journey toward total peace of mind—try Familial for free today!

October is Estate Planning Awareness Month

October is Estate Planning Awareness Month—and a good reminder to take steps today to secure your future tomorrow. Whether you’re retired, planning for retirement, or assisting a family member, starting the estate planning process can feel daunting. Many people believe it’s only necessary for those with complex assets or assume it’s too complicated. The truth is, estate planning is for everyone.

Misconceptions about Estate Planning
A few common barriers can make estate planning seem out of reach. Many assume it’s only for the wealthy, when in reality, estate planning benefits families of all income levels by ensuring that personal wishes are honored and loved ones are prepared. Others feel overwhelmed by the process or worry they lack the expertise to get started. However, tools like Familial make it possible to begin organizing in a straightforward, accessible way, without any legal background.

How Familial Can Help
It’s all too common to overlook estate planning until a crisis makes it essential. Without preparation, families often face not only legal hurdles but also time-consuming and costly processes. Familial was created to bridge this gap, making it possible to complete critical tasks in just a few hours. This small investment of time now can save your loved ones hundreds of hours and potentially thousands of dollars in the future. By using Familial, families are empowered to take meaningful steps that make a difference—before it’s too late.

Familial’s Estate Organization Core Features:

• Preparedness Assessment: Familial helps you evaluate where you are in the estate planning process, making it easy to identify gaps in your current plan.

• Guided Information Gathering: Financials, belongings, and household providers and contacts, Familial will thoughtfully and thoroughly guide you through it all.

• Digital Document Storage: You can securely store essential documents in one place, making them accessible to you and your family when they’re needed most.

• Multimedia Features: Familial lets you capture and store memories, voice messages, and photos of sentimental items, ensuring that your personal stories and values are preserved along with financial and legal details.

These make Familial one of the best estate organization and digital vault tools available today. By combining ease of use with powerful, easy-to-use features, Familial empowers families to achieve peace of mind and preparedness, as well as legacy planning, in a very short time.

The Broader Benefits of Estate Planning
Planning goes beyond documents and finances. It’s about fostering peace of mind and creating opportunities for important family discussions. Taking these steps can reduce stress for everyone involved, clarifying your wishes and empowering family members to make decisions confidently. With Familial, the process is collaborative, allowing retirees and their adult children to share in creating a lasting legacy.

This October, take the opportunity to start or revisit your estate plan with Familial. By taking the first steps to organize your information, you’re not only securing your legacy but also providing a meaningful gift to your family.

From Awkward to Impactful: How to Talk to Your Kids About Your Estate Plan and Their Inheritance

Talking about long-term and estate planning can feel like a daunting task for both parents and children. It's natural to have an emotional reaction—whether you're starting the conversation or listening to it. But trying to handle organizing your estate completely alone can create more problems than it solves. Involving your loved ones early-on in the estate planning process reduces confusion, prevents conflict, and fosters open communication when it matters most.

Here are four key steps to prepare for those important family discussions:

1.     Choose the right time and place

Timing and setting are crucial to consider when approaching a potentially difficult conversation.  Attempting to discuss estate planning during holiday celebrations or amidst busy schedules may not be effective. Instead, find a calm, neutral environment where everyone can focus without distractions. This approach helps ensure that the conversation remains productive and positive.

2.    Plan Ahead with an Agenda

Estate planning discussions can easily go off course. To keep the conversation focused, consider creating a simple agenda. This doesn’t need to be detailed—a rough outline of the key points you wish to address can help ensure that essential topics are covered, keeping everyone aligned and on the same page.

3.     Document Your Decisions

Proper documentation is vital. Without it, courts may intervene in decision-making, leading to potential confusion, conflict, and complications. Familial can assist in this process. Our Guided Conversations feature allows you to audio record your decisions and wishes, while other tools help you inventory assets, record valuables, and designate beneficiaries.

4.     Regularly check in

Estate planning is an ongoing process. As life circumstances change, your plan may need to be updated.  Regular check-ins with family members can help ensure that everyone is informed about your most updated estate plan, reducing future conflict. 

While conversations about estate planning may not be easy, they are essential. By following these steps, you can facilitate more effective discussions that bring your family together. 

Join us at Familial and Let’s Start Long-Term Planning Together.

Who Needs Estate Planning? 7 Types of People Who Need It Most

Estate planning can be a difficult process to go through. Yet, it is one of the most useful things that you can do for both yourself and your family. In allocating your assets, estate planning can reduce family conflicts, reduce taxes on estates passed down for heirs, and eliminate the expensive and time-consuming process for courts to settle. Without an estate plan, you will be rendered intestate and the courts in your state will make some of your decisions for you, which may leave some of your wishes unfulfilled.

Estate planning might sound about as fun as a root canal (and difficult, too) but trust us, it's one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself and your loved ones. Imagine this: you're crafting a future where family squabbles are minimized, taxes are trimmed, and the courts aren't deciding who gets your prized stamp collection. Sounds pretty good, right?

Despite this, statistics say that a whopping 67% of Americans have no will or estate plan (2022). That's a lot of people entrusting their assets to state law by default. You can avoid this situation by taking a proactive approach to estate planning. Here's an insightful look at the seven types of individuals who would greatly benefit from thorough estate planning:

1. Individuals with Assets Over $100K

If your assets total more than $100,000, congratulations! Now, let's keep it that way for your heirs. Without an estate plan, your beneficiaries might face the daunting and expensive probate process. Probate is essentially the legal procedure that validates a will, and it can often be very time-consuming and expensive for your heirs. Proper estate planning ensures a smoother, faster transfer of your hard-earned assets.

2. Unmarried Partners

For those in long-term relationships but not legally married, estate planning is crucial. Without legal documentation, your partner may not have the rights to your estate or any other assets you wish to transfer, leaving them vulnerable. Estate planning lets you spell out exactly what your partner should inherit, ensuring your wishes are respected. After all, love might not need a certificate, but inheritance sure does!

3. Childless Individuals

No kids? No problem—except when it comes to your assets. You might want your wealth to go to friends, charities, or that one cousin who always remembers your birthday. Documenting these wishes through an estate plan prevents your state’s courts from making decisions on your behalf and ensures that your assets are distributed based on your wishes.

4. Blended Families

Blended families, which might include stepchildren from previous marriages, ex-spouses, and new spouses, face unique challenges when it comes to estate planning. A well-crafted and detailed estate plan helps navigate these complexities by clearly defining the distribution of assets, thereby reducing the potential for conflict among family members. 

5. Owners of Complex or Unusual Assets 

Do you have a business, intellectual property, or some angel investments? These aren't exactly straightforward to pass on.  These types of assets can become much more difficult to transfer without clear directives. An estate plan is essential for providing a strategy for managing and distributing these unique assets efficiently. 

6. Collectors

Whether it's art, antiques, or vintage vinyl, your collection has value—and maybe even sentimental value (which Familial helps you capture).  An estate plan can include appraisals and instructions for the care and transfer of your prized possessions. This way, your collection is preserved or sold just the way you want.

7. Families Living Far Apart

If your family is spread across different states or countries, estate planning is crucial. It helps bridge the distance by providing clear legal instructions on asset distribution. Think of it as a way to keep everyone connected, no matter the miles between you.

Whether you fit into one of these categories or not, estate planning is a smart move. It’s about making sure your wishes are carried out and sparing your loved ones from added stress during difficult times. Remember, it's not just about what you leave behind—it's about the legacy you create.

Visit us at Familial and let’s start long-term planning together.

Beloved Keepsakes: Sharing the Stories Behind Your Treasures

Do you wish you could capture and share the stories and history behind your most valued belongings? Different people approach this task in many different ways, from list-makers to Post-It note stickers to verbal story-tellers. But these traditional approaches have limitations—notebooks and Post-It notes get misplaced or damaged, and information shared verbally becomes harder and harder to remember as time passes by.

Consider the cost of losing track of a family heirloom or the emotional toll of forgetting the story behind your great-grandmother’s engagement ring. It’s clear that secure and proper documentation is a must for your personal property. Your belongings are priceless, filled with memories and stories that deserve to be preserved for future generations. 

Familial’s Personal Property Inventory makes cataloging your possessions simpler than ever, giving you the peace of mind that your memories will be preserved. Best of all, the feature requires only three simple steps:

1. Name Your Personal Property: Give your item a distinct name to make it easier to locate in your inventory in the future.

2. Take A Photo: Create a stored visual record of your item within the Familial application—a picture is worth a thousand words!

3. Share The Story: Record a description of your personal property, using Familial’s written or audio-recording capabilities. If you choose to record an audio description, Familial will auto-generate a transcription to be stored alongside your recording.

Familial gives you the option to include additional information, including but not limited to your property’s:

• Origin: Remember where your item comes from. Did you pick it up on your honeymoon? Collect it while vacationing abroad? Or find a hidden gem at a local store?

• Current Storage Location: You and your loved ones will know exactly where your item is stored, so you can easily locate it when needed.

• Estimated Value: Include an estimated value for insurance purposes or simply for personal reference.

After cataloging your items into Familial’s Personal Property Inventory you can add your loved ones as Authorized Viewers to ensure that the stories behind your cherished items are never forgotten.

Whether you’re cataloging for insurance purposes, estate planning, or personal peace of mind, Familial is with you every step of the way.

Visit us at Familial. Let’s start long-term planning together.

Celebrating One Year of Familial

Last month, Familial celebrated our first anniversary! Here are some highlights from our journey this past year: 

It all began last summer when our founder Eleanor Jacobs spoke with nearly one hundred families and professionals to understand the current problems with estate organization, end-of-life planning, and family collaboration. Before there was even a product, Familial was featured on NPR’s Planet Money. Our solution resonated with hundreds of listeners who wrote in to share their stories.

Between then and March of this year, most of our time was spent building the initial version of Familial, including our four core features: Asset Inventory, Personal Property Inventory, Household Management, and Guided Conversations.

Earlier this year, we were thrilled to develop and launch the pilot version of Familial to early-access users. Since then, we have already seen an impact on families as our early users have engaged with our software and sent us their valuable reviews and feedback.

Last month, we celebrated another milestone when Familial won 2nd  place and received the largest amount of funding in the Alumni New Venture Challenge (ANVC), a global competition dedicated to supporting University of Chicago alumni-founded early-stage ventures.

Currently, we continue to advance Familial’s technology and are gearing up for a full product launch in the next couple of months. 

Founding, building and growing Familial has been and continues to be a rewarding journey. We are excited to see where the next year takes us and the impact Familial will have on families nationwide. Thank you all for the support and for being part of our journey. 

To join Familial or read more about our product and mission, visit  https://www.wearefamilial.com/.

7 Often Overlooked Areas of Long-term Planning Post-Retirement

Long-term planning is intricate, and navigating it can be overwhelming, especially considering the complexities of a rich and fulfilling life. In this article, we'll delve into seven commonly overlooked areas of long-term planning post-retirement and provide guidance on how to address them effectively.

1. Organizing Financials

One of the most basic yet commonly overlooked steps in planning is documenting your financial assets. Consider putting together a simple list of important information about each account or provider. Try to include items like life insurance, the location of your safety deposit box, and where to find important documents. This can help your loved ones have a guide to handle this important matter with much less confusion and headache. Familial, a long-term planning app, can guide you through a comprehensive list of categories.

2. Detailing Digital Assets: 

In today's ever-increasing digital world, people tend to accumulate online accounts, data, and even digital currencies. Long-term plans can neglect these, leaving loved ones unsure about how to access or handle these assets responsibly. When building plans, it can be helpful to include a method for sharing passwords, designating beneficiaries for digital assets, and outlining your wishes for those online accounts, instead of letting them lapse!

3. Laying Out Healthcare Wishes: 

While estate planning often focuses on financial considerations, healthcare planning is equally vital. When building a plan, consider creating documents like a Durable Power of Attorney and Healthcare Proxy to empower trusted individuals to manage your finances and healthcare decisions if you become unable to do so yourself. Explore tools like Five Wishes and other documents that enable you to articulate the type of care and treatments you desire, ensuring your loved ones can make decisions on your behalf with a clear understanding of your preferences.

4. Caring for Pets: 

Furry loved ones also deserve some consideration in planning! Steps like documenting their veterinarian or outlining specific instructions for their well-being in an absence can give you peace of mind. It’s not uncommon for our pets to have needs as detailed as a person’s. It might be good to think about these in the event you aren’t able to refill their water bowl.

5. Planning Business Succession: 

Many people work very hard to build something of their own, but these same people often don’t take steps to properly facilitate what should happen in the event of their absence. If you own a business, consider envisioning what a transition might look like, if it was ever needed. Among many options, this could include: appointing successors, creating buy-sell agreements, or outlining business continuity procedures. These steps, among others that might be more specific to each situation, could help avoid significant hardship for your loved ones. 

6. Exploring Charitable Giving: 

Are you passionate or devoted to a cause? It doesn’t need to end when you stop writing checks. There are many ways to continue that support via your will or trust to continue your support even after you are gone. There are many ways to support an organization beyond financial assets. Consider donations of valued personal property, for example seeing that a personal library gets donated to a local school, or a prized art collection to a museum. If you deeply care for these items, consider how you want them to be cared for by the next generation.

7. Understanding Tax Implications: 

Often forgotten are the tax realities of an estate. Some people seek to minimize the tax burden on their beneficiaries by understanding complex tax laws and implementing tax-efficient strategies. Consider consulting with a tax expert to understand if you might want to optimize your estate plan for tax efficiency.

Remember, a comprehensive estate plan goes beyond just creating a will. By addressing often-overlooked areas important to you, you can help ensure your most important wishes and values are respected and managed responsibly. 

Start planning today with Familial.

Familial Takes the Stage: Showcased on NPR's Planet Money Summer School

Exciting news is in the air at Familial! (Or should we say ‘on the air’!) We're thrilled to share that our innovative platform, dedicated to collaborative family preparedness and long-term planning, recently took center stage on NPR's popular podcast, Planet Money Summer School. In an episode fondly dubbed the "Guppy Episode," Familial was showcased as a crucial contributor to the mission of equipping individuals with the tools they need to secure their family's future. We're truly grateful to NPR for giving us this incredible opportunity to discuss how Familial can make a real difference to families across the nation.

Planet Money Summer School's knack for simplifying intricate topics found a perfect match in Familial's philosophy. In the spotlight, Eleanor Jacobs succinctly conveyed the essence of Familial's purpose – to help more families get prepared for long-term and end-of-life by making collaborating on planning easier. Listeners gained a glimpse into how Familial's interactive modules and user-friendly resources transform seemingly complex family preparedness and long-term planning into manageable, actionable steps. This podcast feature emphasized the significance of Familial's approach in fostering proactive collaboration within families.

Being recognized on NPR's Planet Money Summer School is a significant achievement. Introducing Familial to a national audience speaks volumes about the importance of family preparedness. With more people learning about Familial, we're enthusiastic about helping families feel secure and ready for whatever lies ahead. Join us in exploring how Familial can simplify long-term planning for your family!

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