Being Truly there for your Sister!

Rakshabandhan is an auspicious day in India. The festival signifies love and affection between brothers and sisters. It is a time where brothers reaffirm their duty to protect and care for their sisters during their entire life.

Usually brothers gift cash and or gifts to their sisters as a sign of their love. But what if you could give them something that will truly be there in their life? A sound piece of contribution could end being a much more significant gesture in the long run, both personally as well as her financial future.

Sounds to good to be true? Well here are some options you can consider:

Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) Investments: An easy option, but not not many know it can be gifted or that it can be started with an amount as low as Rs 500 per month. Also, one can not only do SIPs into mutual funds (either equity or debt) but certain blue chip equity stocks as well. So forget those fancy gifts for once and gift your sister that will truly be there for her in the future

Systematic Withdrawal Plans (SWP): A rather new feature in the Indian Mutual Fund environment. Certain AMCs now allow you to initiate an SWP, which essentially is the opposite of SIP such that money flows from the mutual fund to your bank account at pre – specified periods and at specific amounts; but with the added benefit that you can chose your relatives to be the beneficiary of this inflow rather than yourself. Another benefit of such a SWP is that because this inflow would be considered a gift in the hands of your relative, there is no tax applicable to the receiver of this SWP. Perfect way to support your sister with cash flow needs!

Insurance Cover: Few things may convey that you truly care for your sister’s health than an adequate health insurance cover. Now more than ever, health insurance is the need of the hour with parallel rise in not only health costs but also increase in reports of lifestyle diseases and ailments. A health insurance cover will insure that your sister is never financially affected by these hurdles.

On the other hand, providing a term cover for your sister who may have her own financial dependants is a warm way of showing that you are there to share her responsibilities

Estate Planning: This almost always is a personal and complicated topic. But having a solid estate plan is as important as any other life decision. And as a brother you could be the trusted guide to helping her make this important decision.

Furthermore, you yourself can be a part of Estate Planning as a potential guardian to her underage children. Or possibly a trustee in case she needs to make a trust. Ensuring one’s hard earned assets are bequeathed as they intended to is a huge responsibility and who better than a brother to take this up

Gold: The yellow metal will protect her from any economic crisis and will act as hedge during volatile times.But not the cumbersome physical gold that comes with its own headaches and costs. Rather you should consider paper gold i.e. instruments that invest into gold themselves or track their prices. These instruments range from Gold ETFs to the Sovereign Gold Bonds

On this day brothers take a pledge to protect and take care of their sisters under all circumstances. We at Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors understand the enormity of this pledge. And through our experience of understanding the complexities of money and human emotions, we also pledge to help you ensure that your sister stays financially secure in her lifetime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How do you know if it is time to make a WILL or re-look at it?

Talking and thinking about your own death is never pleasant. Given an option we all would like to live up to the age of 100, see our children get married, watch our grand children and great grand children grow. In India, there is a belief that if you die after seeing your great grandchild then you get a direct passage to heaven, a sure shot ticket to paradise. In a country like India with such a belief system it was difficult to introduce the concept of Life Insurance. With education and awareness Indians have come to accept the importance of insurance and talking about death is no longer a taboo.

There is, however, one area of life and death where still a lot more education  and acceptance is required and that is Will preparation.

Will the mighty estate planning tool

A Will is a legal document that states your last wishes regarding the distribution of your assets. You can specify in the Will who your beneficiary will be and how each of them would receive a part of your estate.

The beneficiary is a person or persons who could be your legal heir like your wife, children, mother or simply your friend, a loyal employee, a Trust or even a charity.

In the absence of a Will, your assets will get distributed as per the succession law of your religion. Some of the common succession laws in India are the Hindu Succession Law, Shariah law and Indian Succession Act of 1925 for the Christians, Jews and Parsis.

The Hindu succession law governs the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. Under this inheritance law the mother, wife and children are Class 1 heirs and have an equal right to a deceased man’s assets who dies intestate (without a Will). The father and siblings are considered Class II heirs and become a beneficiary only in the absence of a Class I heir.

Under the Sharia law of inheritance, a testator can choose to whom he or she can bequeath 1/3^rd of their entire estate and the rest is distributed as per the Shariah Law.

In some cases the distribution of assets is governed by the law of the state. In case you are a resident of Goa, then under the Goa Family law all Goans irrespective of their religion, ethnicity or linguistic affiliation are governed by the Portuguese Civil Code.

How do you know if it is the right time to prepare your Will?

People understand the importance of buying life, medical and home insurance to protect their families but few prepare a Will for the same reasons. A life insurance could provide financial support to your family but in case of a dispute, your loved ones could be left without a roof over their head and claims from other legal heirs could delay the access to your insurance money and bank accounts.

For many, the idea of preparing their Will is triggered by an event. The event could be a premature death of a close family member, friend or a neighbour. In some cases, the person has witnessed the bitter legal battle between heirs. Some triggers come in the form of diagnosis of a terminal illness, accident or poor health. The idea of eminent death in most cases provides the much needed push for individuals to start considering and working towards preparing their own Will.

Where do you start?

A Will has to be well thought through. When prepared on an impulse without much consideration, a Will could have loop holes and some long forgotten assets could be missed out. When writing a Will, the testator should consider all legal aspects and state his wishes clearly to avoid it being contested or considered invalid.

A good way to start would be by listing down all your assets be it physical like your house, land, art collection, jewellery, or intangible assets like your trademark, patents or even goodwill. You could also take the help of your financial planner to ensure all the future financial goals of your loved ones also stay intact through the Will. Since it could take some time to get the Will authenticated, it is prudent to make provisions for your spouse and young children to receive instant access to some money in the interim. Again your financial planner will be able to strategize such a contingency plan.

The creditors of the deceased also have a legal claim over his estate. Ensure your Will has provisions for the same to avoid lengthy probate procedures which could delay the transfer of financial assets to your dependents. Also clear specify the distribution of assets among beneficiaries to avoid future conflicts.

For individuals with minor children, appointing a guardian who will be responsible for your young child through the Letter of Guardianship would be a good idea. As per the law, in the absence of a testamentary guardian (the one appointed by parents legally) the child can become the ward of the state and end up in an orphanage until the court decides on the guardianship. This will protect your children in case both the parents pass away.

Some individuals who could be terminally ill or suffering from a condition that could leave them incapacitated in the future, creating a Springing Power of Attorney could give their family access to financial assets to pay for various expenses. In the absence of a POA, even your spouse might not be able to access of your money.

When to re-look at your old Will?

These are some young and old individuals who would have already prepared their Will. Just as with your financial plan which you review on a regular basis, you should review your Will from time to time to keep up with the changes in your life. Here are a few scenarios under which you should re-look at your old Will:

• Major life event like birth or death in a family.
• If you have bought or sold a property.
• If you have taken on a debt or you are a guarantor to someone else’s debts.
• If you have minor children and have not named a guardian in your old Will.
• If you wish to create a Trust that comes into action on the event of your death.
• An unborn child can also be named as a beneficiary.
• Separation from a spouse might want you to change your Will
• If you are recently diagnosed with or have contracted a incurable disease then you might want to consider a living will that considers your life and death wishes as legal.
• In case of an inter-religion marriage the succession law of your spouse upon their death would decide how your assets passed on to them reach your other heirs including children.

You could also consider creating an Education Trust, Minor Beneficiary Trust to meet your child’s educational and future needs. If you are responsible for a family member with special needs then you could provide for them through a Special Needs Trust or pass on your inheritance directly to your grandchildren by skipping a generation through a Dynasty Trust.

As we have seen that the Will can be a very powerful tool in the execution of your last wishes and to protect your loved one’s from despair and legal battles, we shouldn’t delay in preparing one since life is

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What is a Living Will

 

 

In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Friday recognized that a terminally-ill patient or a person in persistent vegetative state can execute an “advance medical directive” or a “living will” to refuse medical treatment, saying the right to live with dignity also includes “smoothening” the process of dying.

What is a Living Will?

It is essentially a document that sets out a patient’s wishes regarding how they want to be treated if they are seriously ill or in a permanently vegetative state. With this judgment, the right to die with dignity has been recognized as a fundamental right.

As regards personal finances, perhaps a big critical function that a living will performs is that it allows the maker of the will to prevent their family from financially overburdening themselves, sometimes to the extent of bankruptcy. Usually family members are spurred on out of love, guilt or a sense of duty to keep the patient alive, often at any cost. This results in the family’s financials going into disarray and jeopardizing their financial future and important life goals.

Who qualifies to write down a Living Will?

• An adult who is of a sound and healthy mind and in a position to communicate, relate and comprehend the purpose and consequences of executing the document.
• An adult must make such a will voluntarily 

What are the important items to cover in the document?

The judiciary has laid down guidelines on how such a document can be formed. They are as follows:

• It should clearly indicate the decision relating to the circumstances in which medical treatment can be withdrawn.
• Instructions must be absolutely clear and unambiguous.
• It should mention whether the patient would like torevoke the instructions/authority at any time.
• It should specifythat the patient has understood the consequences of executing such a document.
• It should specify the name of a guardian or close relative who, in the event of the patient becoming incapable of taking decision at the relevant time, will be authorized to give consent to refuse or withdraw medical treatment
• It should be in writing and should clearly state as to when medical treatment may be withdrawn or if specific medical treatment that will have the effect of delaying the process of death should be given.
• If there is more than one valid Advance Directive, the most recently signed Advance Directive will be considered as the last expression of the patient‘s wishes and will be implemented.

How should this document be stored? 

The Supreme court has further laid down a road map on how the Living Will needs to be stored safely:

• The living will should be signed by the maker in the presence of two witnesses. It should be countersigned by the judicial magistrate of first class (JMFC), confirming that the will has been drawn up voluntarily.
• The JMFC will maintain a copy of the will and forward a copy to the registry of the district court of that jurisdiction.

Implementation of a Living Will 

The Supreme Court has described various checks on how a living will may be implemented:

• Execution of the will can only be done if the medical board approves it. The medical board will consist of the head of the treating department and at least three experts from various specialized medical fields with at least 20 years of experience. The board can only give their certification (or not) in presence of the closest relatives. Furthermore, the board’s certification is only preliminary.
• Once the board approves, the hospital has to inform the jurisdictional collector of the same. The collector will then appoint a separate board consisting of the Chief District Medical Office and three other experts from specialized medical fields. If this board approves the same, the chief medical officer will relay the decision to the jurisdictional magistrate who will then have to visit the patient at the earliest and authorize the implementation.

Any advantages of a Living Will?

• Providesrespect towards a human being’s fundamental right to live and die smoothly
• Doctors are likely to suggest appropriate procedures and medication knowing what the patient wantsas per his living will
• A living willspares both the doctor and immediate relatives from taking difficult decisions
• A living will could also spare the immediate family from the financial burden that comes up in cases of unnecessarilyprolonged medical procedures for a terminally ill family member

While Living Wills are common in the west, it is a very new concept in India. Although the general verdict, by and large is that this is a positive step in the right direction the complexity is still something that needs to be addressed.

 

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Your money matters – Simple steps to take charge of your money matters

In today’s world, women are equal to men in most ways. Women have achieved high accolades and are doing very well in modern Indian, sometimes even better than their male counterparts!

However, when it comes to financial planning for their family, most times they take the back seat, leaving the details for the husband to handle. Financial planners are unanimous in saying that when it comes to making investment decisions, women rarely take an initiative. A study commissioned by DSP BlackRock Investment Managers Pvt. Ltd and conducted by global research agency Nielsen across 14 cities in India in July 2013, found that only 23% of working women make their own investment decisions.The reason often is that the complexity of products and the mathematics involved in financial planning makes it seem puzzling.

However, women should take control of their finances. Here’s what the empowered women should do when it comes to financial planning for herself and her family.

Create Self Awareness and Get Involved:The first step would be to involve oneself and start discussing these aspects actively with family. Women face different changes in life which affects their finances – be it marriage, child birth, divorce or death of spouse. If you are a single mother, the financial responsibility of raising a child needs to be planned. If you are just married, understanding the outlook of the spouse and jointly planning the future finances should be a top priority. Therefore, it is important to increase the financial awareness when all is well and to be prepared for adversities. Things to do:

• Read articles / blogs / personal finance books
• Discussing and take active interest along with spouse
• Take the help of a financial planner or advisor
• Attending personal finance sessions

Take advantage of various incentives provided for women:Both the private and public sector institutions provide financial incentives for women, most of which go under the radar. (1) Banks offer customized savings accounts with cash backs and rewards for women who spend using bank’s debit card on shopping, food, etc. Some banks also offer discounts on medical tests required by women like thyroid tests, etc. To save for their kid’s education, mothers can open a ‘Junior/Kid Account’ with the waiver of monthly account balance requirement if it is linked to a Recurring Deposit (RD) Account or a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP). (2) While buying an insurance policy, women receive a benefit on the premium paid as compared to their male counterparts. Traditionally, women pay less premium than men for the same sum insured when it comes to buying a life insurance policy. (3) Many banks offer lower interest rates on home loans if a woman is applying for it or if she is the first applicant for a joint loan. The same goes for car loans too. (4) Some state governments provide certain exemptions with respect to stamp duty and transfer duty in case of sale deeds, conveyance deeds and gift deeds if the property is in the name of a woman.

• Learn and know the available benefits available for women when buying products / availing loans

Cover Risk and Contingency:All the planning you do could be ruined in case of any emergency. Therefore, contingency planning comes before any investment planning. Such contingencies could be risk to life, health, hospitalisation or any unforseen emergency which may require her to step in financially. If you are a working couple or a single earning member family with a loan, having adequate life insurance ensures that dependants will not have to compromise on their finances in the income earner’s In regards to health, various medical research reports say that women live longer and may have more health issues compared to men. Therefore the need for health cover for women.

• Have a contingency fund for your family
• Understand and create enough life cover and health coverfor spouse and you

 Plan for Retirement/ Sabbaticals: For you, retirement can either mean retiring at the end of your working age, usually 60; or when you have children and decide to not work anymore. Various studies show that as women usually live much longer than men, therefore they may outlive their spouses. So, in order to have a secure retirement, it is essential to plan for it well in advance. Factors such as inflation, lifestyle, providing for dependants need to be synced together efficiently.

• Understand the funds that you may need in retirement (with spouse and without spouse) and invest towards it
• In case of sabbatical / pause in work, understand the income loss you may face from such a decision and work towards providing a buffer for it

 Investing: While women are known to be great savers, saving in itself becomes futile if savings are not deployed to grow. Women need to get involved in such aspects and contribute actively. Working women should also understand these nuances rather than letting the husband or father decide about her money and investments.

• Involve yourself in investment decisions, slowly and steadily, to grow confidence and understanding of the subject

 Legacy Planning:– In case of wills, the voice for women to register their own wills is growing louder. Now, more than ever, women have assets in their names which if left without proper will/nominations, can inadvertently end up in the hands of a person for whom the asset was not envisaged. Women may also inherit their parents’ assets. Even in the case of the husband’s will, the wife needs to be informed of the existence and details of such a w Dealing with the loss of a loved one is challenging but can become easy if there is awareness and the lady of the family is prepared and informed.

• Understand and be part of the will making process

 

From the above, you would have gathered how important it is for women to get started on money awareness. Getting women to manage money requires a mindset shift and the above steps, we hope, will give you some pointers on how to start managing your money matters. After all it is your money and it matters.

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Financial Wellness – Is it Important

The traditional thoughts on wellness usually revolves around health and nutrition. However, in our current lifestyle, achieving a good health and having decent nutrition involves regular check ups and having healthy eating habits; which may be kind of difficult if we are stressed about our money. If you ask a group of working people who are having difficulties sleeping at night the reason for this, chances are high that a good number of them will cite financial stress as the cause. The impact of such stress is not unknown to us, with impact on health and loss of productivity just two of the effects.

Here are just a few reasons why Financial Wellness should be giving due consideration in today’s time:

Financial Concerns can be a major source of stress

According to the 2017 PWC Employee Wellness Survey (a survey done for employees in the United States), more than Fifty Percent of the employees surveyed are facing some sort of financial stress.

The Global Benefits Attitudes Survey conducted by Willis Tower Watson further showed that Fifty Three Percent of Indian Employee respondents claimed to have some sort of financial worry i.e. either long or short term, or maybe even both. Furthermore Seventy Three Percent of these respondents claimed that these worries have caused them above average stress. Following is a chart depicting the data collected by the Willis Tower Watson survey:

One in two survey participants have some kind of financial worry!

It can be a major reason for loss of productivity

According to the PWC survey, distractions due to financial stress is a real thing and it can lead to wastage of working hours. The survey indicated that on average, financially stressed people spend up to 3 working hours per week on dealing with financial matters and they are also twice as likely to miss work due to personal financial matters

Improves Physical Well being

The American Psychological Association’s 2016 Stress in America report stated that Sixty Seven Percent of those surveyed revealed that money was a form of stress. And that rise in stress can lead to stress related health concerns.

While these are certain aspects that may be more applicable to an employee, employers should also look at this as a prime employee engagement tool for the following reasons:

Financial Planning take Time

As mentioned above, the stress caused by financial worries forces employees to bring these to the work place. As such they devote working hours to such matters and also altogether take leaves to attend to various financial concerns/emergencies. This only increases the burden of the employer ultimately.

Increases Employee Productivity and builds Loyalty

We have already read how financial worries leads to a loss of productivity in the office. An efficient manner in which employers can counter such trends is to increase financial awareness among its employees. Thus not only will employees worry less and reduce work hours wastage, they are also more likely to use their well deserved breaks better and therefore not be absent from work. Providing financial wellness initiatives can make them confident of planning better for major events like Retirement. This ultimately leads to trust between the organization and its employees, a great source of encouragement for all employers. 

Employees want Support and improve their Financial Literacy

Financially burdened employees would like their employers to help them in achieving wellness. Employees who stress from money issues are looking for help to improve their financial situation.

Financial Well Being is steadily gaining acceptance as an important factor of consideration for one’s overall well being. As such it it becomes critical for an individual to ensure that his/her’s financial situation does not lead to issues that has negative impacts on different aspects of life. And as an employer, Financial Wellness initiatives can be a source of efficient employee engagement and possible retention strategy.

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Your daughter – have you planned for her goals?

Having a girl child is a moment of great joy for parents! But planning for the darling daughter’s future is also something that is always top of the minds of Indian parents. Early and sound planning can go a long way in ensuring the future of your daughter. Following are some ideas that as a parent you could consider when planning for your daughter’s future:

Ensuring Medical Cover is in place:In an ever changing environment and the growing threats of lifestyle related health problems, children are no more immune to major health concerns. As such, having them medically insured should be on high priority. While a stand alone health policy might be excessive, including them in your family floater is a practical option. Depending on the policy you chose, the minimum age requirements can range from 91 days to 3 years old.

Investing for your Daughter’s Future:Indian parents today are still actively looking to fund for their child’s future. Additionally parents of the daughter are still largely expected to fund for the “Big Fat Indian Wedding”. Following are some of the investment options out there which parents could consider and evaluate basis their requirements:

 

 

• Sukanya SamriddhiYojana: A government initiative to encourage Indian parents to invest specifically for their daughter’s future. It provides the highest guaranteed returns of all government investment schemes and is currently providing 8.4% p.a. tax free. Furthermore, contributions to it are eligible for tax deductions upto Rs. 1.5 lakhs under Sec 80C. While some might criticise its lock in policy, the other way to look at this that it is a significant tool to partially, if not fully fund, the most important requirements of the daughter i.e. Her Education and Marriage

 

• PPF: Another popular government scheme. Similar to Sukanya SamriddhiYojana in providing tax benefits under Sec 80C. However the current tax free returns are 7.9%. With a 15 year fixed lock in policy, its highly advisable that the parents open the account during the daughter’s early childhood and invest regularly in it to achieve a sizable corpus.

 

• Mutual Funds: A combination of Equity and Debt Mutual Funds are a great way to ensure both short and long term goals of the daughter are met. One needs to identify which type of mutual fund and subsequently which scheme under that type would be most appropriate to invest into basis the requirements.

 

• Gold: An all time favorite for Indians. While traditionally Indians have always bought and kept physical gold, there are more convenient options now available. Gold ETFs and Sovereign Gold Bonds are becoming increasingly popular among Indian investors.Both track gold prices and have the added advantage of no storage/making costs and no risks of theft/tampering.

 

• Child Plans: Various Mutual Funds and Insurance Companies provide plans that are specific for children. Most of these options have a stringent lock in period and take exposure in equity and debt markets.The lock ins on these plans may work in favor when parents are looking to match the lock-in with the daughter’s goals.

Estate Planning:As a minor, two aspects become critical in ensuring that whatever hard work that went into planning for the child does not go to waste in case of a sudden demise of one/both parents. A will helps to confirm who will be the legal guardian of the child in case of an unfortunate event. It will also ensure that the money meant to go towards the requirements of the daughter actually is received by her at an appropriate time and the wishes of the parents as regards their monies for the daughter are honored.

Parents are always concerned with providing for their children. As such, it is always advisable to start planning early on in the child’s life. Understanding the child’s near and long term needs is a good way to start planning. And the correct planning can ensure peace of mind and happiness for both the parents and the daughter.

 

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Personal Finance for Pilots: Why should you consider it seriously!

Pilots are probably one of the most stretched professionals when it comes to time management. The constant flux in schedules is always a hassle. Even when you are not flying you are on standby which means that you are still on your toes. The weekly off standard in the Indian Aviation industry is one day every week. And money matters are usually the last thing you want to tackle on such a day. Life is already stressful enough as it is!

By most industry standards, Indian pilots take away a very handsome salary. The more experienced you are, the more significant are your financial takeaways. But it is not all rosy all the time.

With the high earning potential at a pilot’s disposal, it becomes vital to channelize these earnings to fulfil a whole set of commitments and dreams that are unique to a pilot’s life, both during their career and post retirement.

But what are some of these unique problems that only pilots face? Pilots for once, have to always be medically fit. And for good reason! Priority to healthcare hence takes prime importance. Now a pilot reading this might say, oh we are covered by our company, so I don’t have to worry above covering any financial cost regarding my health. But if you really think about it, is that actually enough?

Another thing which pilots always need to be on top of is upgrading their skill sets. Not so much a unique item, but very important nonetheless. And it does not come cheap. Preparing for it well in advance can be far more beneficial than just scrapping up every penny at the last moment to fund for this expense.

One another issue is the state of aviation industry and opportunities. The last few years have clearly demonstrated that problems are plenty in the Indian aviation sectors. For e.g.  Airlines have closed down, (leading large time periods of unemployment), pay can be delayed significantly or indefinitely. All these lead to great financial complications for pilots and their families. Preparing for such circumstances is prudent and must at all times be actively considered.

Probably the biggest challenge a pilot will face is retirement! With no more significant inflows, you are faced with a very real possibility of compromising on your lifestyle just because of a lack of proper planning and this change is not easy! This struggle can be easily avoided with some proper and sustained guidance throughout the earning years so that you can live through your golden years in comfort all the while fulfilling your passions.

Pilots are well aware of the importance of planning. Every flight involves hours of preparation beforehand so that you can take the best possible decisions in terms of route, landing approach and understanding weather patterns of the areas you will fly through, just to mention a few!

As a fellow professional with a prime importance towards professional planning, it would be definitley worth your time for us to meet and discuss how to enrich your life!

Till then..Happy flying!

 

 

 

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#AddMeaningToFinances #FinancialResolutions #BestFinancialPlanners Vishal Dhawan brings up some simple ways to assure you a peaceful financial life – TOI

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You & Your Financial Life in 2015 – Article by Vishal Dhawan in IndiaToday

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Say Thank You for a happy and healthy future

 Thanksgiving is a big event in the US and families get together to celebrate it with a holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. India being a multicultural society, also celebrates the Thanksgiving tradition in its own way, not once but many times over the year. Far more than holidays and traditions through special days, over the years, I’ve learned some lessons on how families cultivate different thankful attitudes that help a family grow emotionally, spiritually and strengthen bonds – which can help build a healthy, happy family. Some of them are:

   1. Many Thanks – “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more”

 The attitude of gratitude is the foundation upon which a happy and content Thanksgiving is built. Be interactive with your children, make them feel accepted, appreciated and loved.  Develop your children’s confidence by letting them know that you believe in them, value them, and enjoy them. Rather than just jumping into their to-do lists with them, share some relaxed conversations with them about how important saving money is, teach them how to manage money and show them the benefit of postponing their spending. Let go of unrealistic expectations for them and encourage them to pursue their areas of interest. Say ‘thanks’; give a ‘jaddo ki jhappi’ to each family member for making your life worth living.

  2. Sharing is Caring – “Abundance is not what you have, it is what you share”

There is nothing like doing things that brings family togetherness.  Make time for vacations together, love your spouse, go on frequent outings (from watching a movie, dinners, getting ice cream out to taking sports lessons together), share holiday traditions, enjoy humor together, teach principles of business to the younger generation, etc. Sharing these experiences will build family memories that will bond you in powerful ways. Loving creates caring, caring creates sharing, and along the way, as you win friends and influence people, wealth should also be shared as a gesture that you care about your family.

    3. Find ways to Give – “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”

 Some give out of vanity, some out of guilt, some tax breaks and some give out of the conviction that their business makes them an expert in solving half of the world’s problems. It is certainly important to give back what we earn for the greater good of the society.You can start with funding your servant’s pension, cover your staff’s life so that their family is secured, and donate to a cause that will support through an NGO. Charity surely begins at home but there is a world outside home that works towards eradication of poverty, women empowerment, saving the girl child, educating youth, etc.

  4. To every Generation – “Your family legacy is determined by the actions that you take today”

Parents should consider using family occasions to explain their gifting and wealth distribution strategy. On the bright side, parents who choose to be open with and include their children in the planning of their estates may avoid disputes after the parents’ deaths that might otherwise tear the family apart. By involving family members in every stage of the process, you can minimize the potential for family divisions and avoid creating hard feelings between siblings. Stay connected and communicate clearly your motivations in person rather than relying on a written document to express in cold words what you were actually thinking for your family.

May you and your loved ones enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving, however you choose to celebrate it!

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