Why Planning Ahead Is the Kindest Gift You Can Give Your Family

There is no easy way to prepare for death. But there are kinder ways. End of life planning can feel heavy, confusing, or even a little frightening. Many of us would rather avoid it altogether. Yet taking time to get organized is one of the most loving gifts we can offer to the people who will survive us. Financial advisor Paula Harris, co founder of WH Cornerstone Investments, spends her days helping people navigate money, grief, and life transitions. For her, financial planning is not only about numbers. It is about peace, dignity, and emotional safety.

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There is no easy way to prepare for death. But there are kinder ways.

End of life planning can feel heavy, confusing, or even a little frightening. Many of us would rather avoid it altogether. Yet taking time to get organized is one of the most loving gifts we can offer to the people who will survive us.

Financial advisor Paula Harris, co founder of WH Cornerstone Investments, spends her days helping people navigate money, grief, and life transitions. For her, financial planning is not only about numbers. It is about peace, dignity, and emotional safety.



Avoiding the Conversation Does Not Change the Outcome

Most people do not call a financial planner because they want to talk about death. They usually come after something big has happened. Retirement. Divorce. Job change. Illness.

Underneath those events, Paula often finds a long history of avoidance.

She describes this as the "ostrich in the sand" pattern. People know they should plan, but it feels uncomfortable, so they put it off. The problem is that when something serious finally happens, there is no roadmap. Families are left making major decisions while exhausted and heartbroken.



The Hidden Cost of Not Planning

Some financial choices you make early on cannot be undone later.

For example, a pension option may only pay out for the life of the person who earned it. If that person dies first, their spouse could suddenly lose a major source of income. At the same time, the household will also lose one Social Security check, since the survivor can only keep the higher benefit.

Paula has seen many situations like this, where a lack of planning turns an already painful loss into a financial crisis.



Planning Is Emotional Work, Not Just Financial Work

When people think of financial planning, they often imagine charts and spreadsheets. Paula starts somewhere very different. She begins with questions about life.

She uses a tool called a SWOT analysis, but in very human language.

She might ask:

  • If we imagine three years into the future, what would you like your life to look like?

  • What is getting in the way of that?

  • What keeps you up at night?

  • What feels unfinished or out of control?

These questions allow her to see the whole person, not just their accounts. The money plan then becomes a way to support the life they actually want to live.



Do Not Wait For a Crisis

Many people wait until a crisis before they take action. A sudden diagnosis. A fall. A parent who can no longer care for themselves. A partner in the hospital.

By then, stress is high and time is short.

Paula shared the story of a client who died six months after receiving a terminal diagnosis. He never shared his passwords or account information. His family spent months trying to untangle logins, statements, and bills. Only long after his death did his wife find a hidden list of passwords in a drawer.

These kinds of situations are common. They are also preventable.



The Essentials Every Family Should Have in Place

If you are unsure where to start, Paula recommends focusing on a few essentials.

1. Core legal documents

At minimum, most adults should have:

  • A will or trust

  • A financial power of attorney

  • A healthcare proxy or advance directive

These documents help ensure that someone you trust can make decisions if you are not able to.

2. Password management

We live much of our lives online. Bank accounts, retirement funds, email, photo storage, social media, cryptocurrency, and more.

Paula recommends using a password manager such as LastPass so that one master login can unlock the rest. This allows a trusted person to access what is needed if something happens to you.

3. Safe and accessible storage

Important documents should be kept together in a place that is both safe and reachable.

Paula and Niki suggest a fireproof and waterproof safe at home rather than a bank safety deposit box. Safety deposit boxes can be difficult and slow to access after a death, even with legal paperwork.

Key documents might include:

  • Estate planning documents

  • Marriage licenses

  • Military discharge papers

  • Property deeds

  • Insurance policies

Paula’s firm offers a "28 Documents" checklist to help people gather these items.

4. Digital legacy settings

Today, planning also includes your digital legacy.

On your phone and social media accounts, you can often assign a legacy contact. This person can manage or memorialize your accounts after you die. It is a small step that can spare your loved ones a lot of confusion later.



Family Conversations Matter as Much as Paperwork

No plan is complete if no one knows it exists.

Paula often encourages and facilitates family meetings. These are honest, sometimes emotional conversations where parents and adult children sit together to talk about money, property, and wishes.

These talks can bring up old stories and complicated feelings. They can also build trust and prevent conflict later on.

One client told Paula she already felt lighter just knowing these conversations would finally happen. For years she had carried the weight of unspoken plans. Naming them out loud was an act of relief.



Legacy Is About How You Live, Not Only What You Leave

Planning ahead is not about giving up. It is about choosing how you want to live with the time you have.

Paula shared a story of a couple who treated end of life planning as a series of "live dead dates." After the husband received a terminal diagnosis, they spent intentional days together planning his funeral, choosing a gravestone, and talking openly about his wishes.

This might sound heavy, but for them, it brought comfort. They were able to face the reality of death while still celebrating their love. They turned planning into a shared ritual, not a lonely chore.

This is what it looks like to live fully and die prepared.



One Gentle Step You Can Take Today

You do not need to solve everything at once.

Paula often tells people: you listened, now take one step.

That step might be:

  • Downloading a password manager

  • Making an appointment with a financial planner

  • Calling an estate planning attorney

  • Starting a folder or safe for your key documents

  • Asking a loved one, "Do you have a will, and where is it"

Whatever you choose, let it be doable. The point is not perfection. It is progress.

Planning ahead is not only practical. It is an act of love. It reduces chaos, protects relationships, and gives your family the space to grieve without also having to untangle every loose end.



🎧 To hear Paula’s full conversation with Niki Weiss, watch the episode on The Digital Legacy Podcast
 🌐 To explore planning tools, the “Prepare” workbook, and the 28 document checklist, visit whcornerstone.com EndFragment


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We have registries for weddings. We have them for babies. We even have wish lists for birthdays . These are all major life transitions where our community gathers around to support us. So why do we stop when it comes to the most difficult transition of all? A funeral registry works just like any other registry. You can select the specific things you need help with. This might include the big-ticket items like a casket, an urn, or catering for the reception . But it also includes the hidden costs that people often forget. These can include travel expenses for family members or even the fee for refrigeration at the funeral home. By listing these items, families can give their community a concrete way to help. Instead of a vague "let me know if you need anything," a friend can log on and see that they need help covering the cost of the flowers. It transforms a stressful question into a simple and actionable act of love. 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