Executor Insights

“Closing Accounts That Are In The Deceased’s Name” is part of the Executor Duties 101 series, an occasional series by Executor.org that highlights steps in the process of settling an estate. If you are the executor of an estate, you know you need to close many types of accounts. From turning off cable television service and…

“My Neighborhood is No Longer Safe” is a part of the What Your Aging Parents Aren’t Telling You Series by Executor.org As time passes, neighborhoods and communities change. New homes, shopping centers, and schools can make old ones unappealing and of little interest. Economics can change and affect how much a community can spend on…

Family Squabbles After a Death – An All-Too-Common Story For the Conrad* family, the mantra was always “family first.” Mom, Dad and their five children — four girls and a boy — spent every holiday together, even long after the children had grown into adults with their own families. Birthdays were no different. It wasn’t…

This “I Want to Discuss End of Life Issues” by Executor.org also appeared in the Huffington Post. Most of us live our lives as if we will be alive tomorrow, and for many years to come. Of course, that’s not always the reality and at some point – hopefully, at least – we stop and…

As an executor managing an estate, one responsibility is closing the deceased’s accounts and paying their final bills. When Aileen Gunther, a New York lawmaker, was paying her late mother’s final cable bill last summer she was shocked to see how high the bill was. Further review showed her mother had been charged an early…

This article by Executor.org also appeared in the Huffington Post. In an ideal world, our retirement years would be filled with good health, happiness and the time to do all the things we added to our so-called bucket list over the years. Unfortunately, as we age we also suffer losses. The loss of loved ones,…

The Bereavement Cycle™ is the first twelve months after a loved one’s passing. It can be filled with a wide range of emotions as different things remind you of your loved one or which make you feel their absence. But it’s also a cycle that is an important part of the grieving process. For some, like a…

This article by Executor.org also appeared in the Huffington Post. When raising children, we often try to shield them from problems and stress. We don’t let them know that the mortgage is two months behind. We don’t share our marital problems with them. And we do what we can to make sure they are happy,…

We’ve all seen the commercials telling us how our holidays should look. Families gathered in a picture-perfect scene. The holiday table is filled with food that looks almost too good to eat. Everyone is in their most festive attire, and children seem to have an angelic glow about them. But then, there’s reality. The stuffing…