Why Every 30-year-old Needs a Will

Talking to your family about estate planning now can save trouble later after you’re gone.

Part of any successful financial plan is ensuring you have a will. While this topic is generally discussed in one’s later years, it’s never too early to start planning for the future — even if it does seem a little morbid.

Young people often disregard wills because they lack assets of significant value. Nevertheless, preparing a will while in your twenties or thirties is the one of the most unselfish acts you can do for the people you leave behind.

Jeanette Brox, a Certified Financial Planner, has heard countless stories of families battling over the possessions of deceased relatives. She has even seen family members fight over teacups. By having a will in place, you help reduce potential family feuds over property. In turn, this will make the grieving process a little easier.

According to California law, if you die without a will, a court-appointed trustee will decide how your estate is distributed. But every American state and Canadian province has its own set of rules, so make sure you do your homework.

For example, I own a condo with my girlfriend. Legally, she is not considered my spouse, so if I die without having prepared a will, my share of the property will be awarded to my parents and not my girlfriend.

If you don’t want to pay for a professionally prepared will a hand written will (called a holographic will) is acceptable in most states and provinces. While it is generally recommended to have a legal service or lawyer prepare your will, a holographic will may be worth considering if funds are tight.

Holographic wills: the free will

A holographic will is a handwritten letter, created and signed by the person who wrote it – the testator — and has no costs. To make a holographic will, write out by hand how you want your possessions to be handled after your death. You should consider documenting who receives specific items, and who receives any remaining, unmentioned items. You must then sign and date the document.

Try to be as specific as possible will and avoid using any blanket statements. This will help prevent confusion and arguments down the road.

The professional route

You may also choose to have your will professionally drafted and notarized by a lawyer for a fee. Not all states and provinces require notarization. To minimize costs it is recommended you do the following before meeting with a lawyer:

– Create an inventory of your assets and liabilities

– Decide what you want to leave and to whom

– Think about how you want your loved ones to use your assets. If an asset is going to someone young and irresponsible, consider putting it in trust so it is awarded when they are older.

– Consider that items received through an estate may be subject to tax. Consult a Certified Financial Planner for more information.

This article was prompted by Adam Goodman of the Toronto Star newspaper.

More Gun Play in the Old West

Tucson Victim Arrested at Town Hall

Arizona gun law allows for concealed weapons. Gabrielle Giffords district includes Tombstone, Arizona. You may remember the town for the infamous Earp-Clanton battle, fought near the rear entrance of the O.K. Corral, on October 26, 1881. It was even made into a movie.

Tombstone, Arizona – Allen Street in 2008

‘You’re dead!’ victim yells at Tea Party spokesman

David Gregory asked in today’s Meet the Press round table, “Could the events in Arizona change our attitudes about security and civility in politics?”

Well, this isn’t what anyone hoped would happen next: A week after the deadly shooting in Tucson, Arizona, a man who had been shot at the scene made a death threat against a Tea Party spokesman at a town hall event sponsored by ABC News. The man, J. Eric Fuller, was reportedly irritated by the remarks of two of the event’s speakers, Republican Rep. Terri Proud and Tucson Tea Party spokesman Trent Humphries. He snapped a picture of Humphries and said, “You’re dead.” Police immediately escorted him from the room and charged him with threats, intimidation, and disorderly conduct. The event, hosted by Christiane Amanpour and taped for an ABC News special, was titled, After the Tragedy: An American Conversation Continued.

Americans, it appears, have not learned anything. Conservative talk show hosts and their like thinking guests continue to speak in the same way as do the liberal hosts. Of course both sides claim the mantle of civility.

Congresswoman Giffords is not the first representative in recent years to be impacted by the use of guns. California Senator Dianne Feinstein was in her office as president of San Francisco County when she heard the gun shots that killed Mayor George Moscone in 1978.

The use of weapons is nothing new in America. It’s been going on since the America won its freedom from Great Britain. Remember the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr? In just a few days or weeks we will all have moved on to the next issue.

Sarah Palin’s Ambition to be President is Toast

Sarah Palin’s on-line video defending herself for her over the top words and postings rather than calling for a period of less rhetoric and more unification of our nation was PATHETIC and REPREHENSIBLE.

Back on November 18, 2009 I called Sarah Palin a fruitcake. I am sorry I wrote that. It was an insult to fruitcake. I believe Sarah Palin’s ambition to become president of the United States will never materialize. Doyle McManus’ opinion piece in today’s Los Angeles Times seems to agree with me. Her defense of her words and actions means that Barack Obama may have a worthwhile G.O.P. candidate running against him in 2012.

As much as I consider Barack Obama a poor choice for president, he is beyond a doubt superior to Sarah Palin.

I had never heard the words “blood libel” until she used them. I had to search for the meaning. I know of the accusations that Jews killed Christian children and used their blood in cooking and that such stories still exist in 2011. What that nonsense has to do with accusations that Palin’s words and actions incite people to murderous actions escapes me. Is she relating herself to the Jews who were murdered by their Christian neighbors during the Middle Ages?

As to watching the video, you can find it elsewhere on the net. I won’t waste the space here. I hope that the news media simply stops reporting on Sarah Palin. They are to blame for her rise in public awareness.

For those who may be interested here is a history of ‘blood libel’ I have scanned the following from the Los Angeles Times.

In saying her critics “manufactured a blood libel,” Sarah Palin deployed a phrase linked to the false accusations made for centuries against Jews, often to malign them as child-killers who coveted the blood of Christian children.

Blood libel has been a central fable of anti-Semitism in which Jews have been accused of using the blood of gentile children for medicinal purposes or to mix in with matzo, the unleavened bread traditionally eaten at Passover.

The spreading of the blood libel dates to the Middle Ages – and perhaps earlier – and those allegations have led to massacres of Jewish communities for just as long.

The term blood libel carries particular power in the Jewish community, though it has taken on other shades of meaning. Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said Wednesday that “while the term blood libel has become part of the events of the English parlance to refer to someone being falsely accused, we wish that Palin had used another phrase, instead of one so fraught with pain in Jewish history.”

One of the first recorded tragedies attributed to blood libel occurred in the 12th century, when a boy named William in Norwich, England, was found dead with stab wounds. Local Jews were accused of killing the child in a ritual fashion and, according to several histories on religion, most of the Jewish population there was subsequently wiped out.

Such charges continued for centuries, with Jews often assigned blame in the unsolved killings of children. Many of the dead children were considered martyrs; several were elevated to sainthood by the Roman Catholic or Orthodox churches.

Allegations of blood libel spread during the Holocaust and persist today.

-RICK ROJAS

JOHN BOEHNER Condemns the Attack in Tucson, AZ

JOHN BOEHNER

Speaker Boehner’s Remarks on Resolution Condemning the Attack in Tucson, AZ

Washington (Jan 12)House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) delivered remarks on the House floor today during consideration of a resolution condemning the tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ and honoring the victims. Following are Speaker Boehner’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Today, we are called here to mourn. An unspeakable act of violence has taken six innocent lives, and left several more – including our colleague, Gabrielle Giffords – battling for theirs. These are difficult hours for our country.

“Among the fallen is Gabe Zimmerman, a member of Congresswoman Giffords’ staff … a public servant of the highest caliber … one of our own.

“Even in our shock, we are composed and determined to fulfill our calling to represent our constituents. This is the great cause for which Gabe gave his life. Like us, Gabe swore on oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. At the time of the attack, he was engaged in the most simple and direct of democratic rituals: listening to the people … to his neighbors.

“The brutality that shattered Saturday morning’s calm was devastating, but brief. Bravery and quick thinking prevented a massacre, turning innocent bystanders into heroes. The service and skill of first responders and medical professionals saved lives. Law enforcement officials are working to ensure swift justice. Look to Tucson right now, and you will be reminded that America’s most plentiful source of wealth and strength is her people.

“We are so thankful Gabby is still with us. We are so thankful that two of her staffers who were also wounded – Ron Barber and Pam Simon – are still with us. These are days they were not supposed to see, and we can only pray there will be more of them.

“In her stead, Gabby’s staff has pressed on, opening for business Monday morning, right on schedule. The men and women who faithfully serve the people of Arizona’s Eighth Congressional District have signaled that no act – no matter how heinous – will stop us from doing our duty and being among the people we serve.

“To all of the dedicated professionals we rely on to make this institution work, to each of you: thank you for what you do. To Gabby’s staff – and their families: please know that our hearts and prayers go out to you.

“This body has yet to fully register the magnitude of this tragedy. We feel a litany of unwanted emotions no resolution could possibly capture. We know that we gather here without distinction of party. The needs of this institution have always risen above partisanship. And what this institution needs right now is strength – holy, uplifting strength. The strength to grieve with the families of the fallen, to pray for the wounded, and to chart a way forward, no matter how painful and difficult it may be.

“Today it is not ceremony, but tragedy that stirs us to renew our commitment to fulfill our oaths of office. Let us not let this inhuman act frighten us into doing otherwise. The free exchange of ideas is the lifeblood of our democracy, as prescribed by the First Amendment, that beacon of free expression Congresswoman Giffords recited in this well just days ago. These rights have not been handed down by dictate – they have been preserved and protect through generations of hard sacrifice and commitment. We will continue this unfinished work.

“We will do it for Christina Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwan Stoddard, ordinary citizens who died participating in their democracy. We will do it for Judge John Roll. We will do it for Gabe Zimmerman. And we will do it, God-willing, with Gabrielle Giffords.

“Our hearts are broken, but our spirit is not. This is a time for the House to lock arms, in prayer for those fallen and wounded, and in resolve to carry on the dialogue of democracy. We may not yet have all the answers, but we already have the answer that matters most: that we are Americans, and together we will make it through this. We will have the last word.

“God bless this House. God bless this Congress. God bless America.”

There Really are Witches in Romania

I base this title on the following facts.

This was reported by the Associated Press: Romanian witches from the east and west will head to the southern plains and the Danube River on Thursday to threaten the government with spells and spirits because of the tax law, which came into effect Jan. 1.

I have never told anyone about this before but I come from a Romanian clan that has had many witches. My mother’s family did come from Romania. If you check the map you will see that the Transylvanian Mountains are in the north side of that country. Of course you all know that was the home of Dracula who was a fictional character. However south eastern Europe was known to be the home of many strange peoples. It is believed to be the home of most Gypsy clans.

The stories I tell you were related by my mother. Added to my own experience they do cause me to believe there is an element of truth.

-My mother does look like a witch. She has a long pointed nose and did have a cyst on her chin. She cut that off with a kitchen knife when I was about 16 years old. It grew back.

-The entire clan or family moved to Winnipeg, Canada in about the year 1900. As a boy I returned to my grandparents home every summer. My mother was one of 4 children but there was a 5^th child, a girl, who died at about 10 years old. So one evening I went from my bedroom into the dining room. The lights were out but there were candles on the table. Everyone was holding hands and chanting together in a language unknown to me. When I asked what was going on my mother got up from the table and rushed me back to bed.

-My mother went by the name Sadie but her birth name was Sarah. My mother explained that an aunt of hers had given that name to one of her children. The aunt told my grandmother that she must change her daughter’s name from Sarah or she would put a curse on her.

-My great grandmother became infuriated with my mother’s older sister. She did put a curse on her. She said that Elsie would marry after her younger sister and never have any children. That is precisely what happened. Elsie was engaged and suddenly the groom broke the engagement. My grandparents sent Elsie to Paris to find another love. That did not happen. In the late years of her life she telephoned relatives and friends screaming incoherent things. The phone company did disconnect her service.

-I have no powers at all. My children ignore me and the curses I put on my bosses all failed. I believe my sister is wicked but fear telling her that.

-I do not fear black cats, Friday the 13^th, or walking under a ladder. In all other matters I am a failed witch.