New Year's Resolutions

By: Matthew Funeral Home
Monday, January 7, 2019

With the new year comes a new set of goals and resolutions. For many, resolutions can be hard to keep and are often passed up on by February or March. At Matthew Funeral Home, we wanted to suggest some New Year's Resolutions that will help you plan for your future.

Spend More Time With Family

Resolutions are often reflected inward, focusing on things we do that we avoid; or bad habits we continue. But planning to spend more time with those you love is far from selfish. Working towards making new memories with those you care about the most is one of the best things you can focus on for the new year.

Create a Will, or Update it

Planning for the future also includes planning for death. Making an effort to create or update your Will. A properly prepared Will can help prevent probate and other issues for your family in the future. Speak with your estate planning attorney about creating a Will that is right for you.

Challenge Your Brain

Take steps to better your brain. Challenge yourself with trivia games, memory tests, and learning new things. Those who spend more time exercising their brains later in life can strengthen their cognitive skills and reduce the chances of experiencing memory loss. If you are accustomed to challenging your brain with crossword puzzles or the like, try more challenging versions.

Pre-Plan Your Funeral

Pre-planning your funeral can be a smart goal to set for 2019. Pre-planning helps you ease the burden of hasty funeral plans from your family after your death. Funeral pre-planning also helps you pay for the service ahead of time. Trusts for funeral plans can be set up in your name and accumulate interest. You can set up a payment plan or all at once. Funeral pre-planning trusts accumulate interest, which even covers inflations or price increases. Talk to your local funeral home about pre-planning options that are right for you and your family.

Gift More

Families often lose out on a lot of inheritance because of taxes. You and your family can avoid this by planning ahead with gifting. One can provide up to $15,000 to any number of individuals each year without having to pay taxes on the money. This means that you and your spouse can gift up to $30,000 to each person of the family without having to worry about inheritance taxes. This means that you can gift money to your family as much as you see fit (up to $15,000), without them losing any of the funds. This is a good way to move inheritances early.

Teach your Family a Skill

Whether it’s your favorite hobby, or preparing a recipe that the family loves; it can be important to pass on your knowledge and traditions. This can be a great bonding experience, as well as a way to teach your loved ones something important to you. Passing on knowledge and family traditions is important to many families.
The author of this post is not a legal counselor. Matthew Funeral Home and its affiliates do not provide legal advice by articles. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for legal advice. 

For almost 50 years, Matthew Funeral Home has been serving the Staten Island community. We can help with almost every aspect of your loved one’s memorial service. Our family is here to serve yours, every step of the way.
 

Leave a comment
Name*:
Email:
Comment*:
Please enter the numbers and letters you see in the image. Note that the case of the letters entered matters.

Comments

Please wait

Previous Posts

Sensory Memory and Grief

Memories of lost loved ones can play a major part in our grief. If you see an old photo or an object that reminds you of a memory, you may be flooded with emotions. Sensory memories are those trigg...

Choosing the Right Funeral Home

When a loved one passes, or when pre-planning your funeral, it is important to choose a funeral home that you are comfortable with. Planning a funeral can seem daunting, especially when you are dea...

Should You Attend the Funeral of an Ex-Spouse?

When a loved one dies, it can seem obvious that you should attend the funeral. However, when it comes to your ex-spouse, it can get trickier. Divorces and separations can drastically affect the par...

Firefighter Funeral Services

When a firefighter passes away, there are often special practices associated with their funeral services. This is especially true if they died in the line of duty. Below, we will discuss the differ...

Survivor's Guilt & Coping with Grief

After a traumatic or sudden passing of a loved one, it is common for people to experience Survivor’s Guilt. Survivor’s Guilt is a type of grief that creates feelings of wrong-doing surrounding ...

Consoling Non-Religious Mourners

After the death of a loved one, it is common to say platitudes to the family like “they're in a better place” and “I’m praying for you.” But what if the family member of the loved one is non-religi...

Meditation and Working Through Grief

Meditation is a practice for fostering balance and serenity. More people turn to meditation as a way to find peace in a hectic work week, or to help them stay focused. Big tech companies like Googl...

Terminal Illnesses and Grief

When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it can be hard to process your grief and be there for them. Often, family and friends can be an important support network for the sick individ...

Remembering Mom On Mother's Day

As Mother’s Day draws closer, it can be hard to avoid all the greeting card stands and gift displays in stores. After losing your mother, the upcoming holiday can feel bittersweet. Below, we will d...

Phobias and Funerals

Fear can be a powerful driving force in life, but it can also play a big part in dealing with death. Everyone fears something, and fear can often stop us from experiencing new and unique things. Wh...