Special Report: Estate Planning
We're all going to die sometime, but many of us don't know the first thing about wills, power of attorney and living trusts.
In this series -- Marketplace Money's "Not Quite Six Feet Under," compiled here in its entirety -- we hear from people who deal with death in their jobs and vocations. Then we get advice from Kiplinger's John Ventura on how to put our financial houses in order. He talks with Marketplace Money host Tess Vigeland.
You can listen here, or subscribe to the podcast on our website or in iTunes.
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- Introduction
Host Tess Vigeland tells how she became personally interested in the importance of estate planning -- and why you should, too.
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- Part 1: Making your wishes clear
Rev. Zelda Kennedy talks about getting past the discomfort of planning for the end and the importance of making your wishes clear. Tess talks to Kiplinger's John Ventura about the importance of having your affairs in order.
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- Part 2: Making arrangements and living trusts
Funeral director Justin Zabor of the Zabor Funeral Home in Cleveland, Ohio, discusses making arrangements. Kiplinger's John Ventura talks with host Tess Vigeland about how a trust is different from a will and how to set one up.
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- Part 3: Confronting mortality, and having a durable power of attorney
One of our listeners describes how she was forced to confront her own mortality. Kiplinger's John Ventura talks to host Tess Vigeland about establishing a durable power of attorney.
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- Part 4: Hospice care, medical power of attorney, living wills
Isabella Vidrialis, a clinical social worker at a hospice in Los Angeles, describes her work with dying persons. Kiplinger's John Ventura talks with host Tess Vigeland about setting up a medical power of attorney and living wills.
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- Part 5: The need for counseling, the importance of life insurance
Rabbi Gary Oren describes his role in counseling families and friends of the dead and dying. Kiplinger's John Ventura talks with host Tess Vigeland about the importance of life insurance.
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- Part 6: Your questions
Kiplinger's John Ventura joins host Tess Vigeland to answer your questions about estate planning.
John Ventura is a nationally known bankruptcy attorney and author who has been writing about issues related to consumer financial and legal issues for more than 15 years. He currently serves as Director of the Texas Consumer Complaint Center at the University of Houston Law School in Texas and is also an adjunct professor at the law school.
