With the [Stroke] of a Pen, Claim Your Life by Jane Blaufus

Over 40% of Canadians do not have a will (Canadian Bar Association) and 55% of all adult Americans do not have one (Harris Interactive®).Ī recent study called “ What are you leaving behind: Family conflict or memorable legacy?” released recently by the BMO Wealth Institute found that Canadians understand the importance of talking to family members about their estate plan, but they have difficulty doing so and could use some help.

Thirty percent of US households (35 million) have no insurance protection at all (LIMRA). Thirty percent of Canadian households, 3.9 million, state they “don’t have enough life insurance” and only 44% of all US households have individual life insurance. What if I told you that if the primary wage earner in Canada were to die, 30% of families with dependent children admit they will have immediate trouble meeting everyday living expenses, and another 27% say they would only be able to cover expenses for a few months. Think about this for a moment: how prepared would you be for some of the harsher realities of life such as a job loss, divorce, critical or terminal illness, or worse the sudden death of a loved one? What if I told you that we usually reach adulthood without a realistic sense of our family’s finances and are not having the necessary ‘courageous conversations’ about money because information-based money discussions are ‘off limits’?

With the [Stroke] of a Pen, Claim Your Life by Jane Blaufus