Matecun Thomas & Olson PLC - July 2019

Insomniacs Unite 3 Free Apps to Help You Catch Those Z’s

Everyone with a smartphone has heard time and time again that looking at your phone before bed is a bad idea. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “The use of electronic devices in the bedroom further disrupts the natural pattern of the sleep-wake cycle” primarily bec ause of the blue light emitted from the screen. While most scientific data pertaining to sleep recommends you place your phone in another room overnight, those who toss and turn regardless of phone location might benefit from using technology rather than tucking it away. Here are three FREE sleep apps that might help you get to dreamland faster. Pzizz

Pzizz combines music, sound effects, and binaural beats, and an embedded algorithm generates a slightly different track each time you use it. Snore Report Many troubled sleepers who are able to fall asleep are jolted awake shortly afterward. The inability to stay asleep throughout the night can stem from a multitude of factors, but snoring tends to be the most common. The Snore Report app records through the night to detect any snoring sounds and then provides the user with an overview of the previous night’s recording, including an index to determine snore intensity. Using this app might not help you fall asleep faster, but it could offer helpful information about why you aren’t able to stay asleep. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock Instead of setting an alarm to jolt you out of sleep at a specific time, choose a window of time to wake up with the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock. The app will sense your sleep movements and ring an alarm when you’re in the lightest stage of sleep. This way, you’ll wake at the optimal time, feeling refreshed rather than groggy.

While there are many apps that claim to help people fall asleep quicker, very few are programmed to prevent sleepers from

growing bored of the same monotonous soundtracks.

Developing an estate plan is a crucial part of preparing for the future. But it’s not just your future you’re planning for; it’s the future of your family, your legacy, and beyond. Unfortunately for many families, estate planning is often something that gets sidelined. People don’t want to have frank discussions about the future, including conversations about money and death. These conversations aren’t fun, but they are necessary. While you may have an idea of how you want to pass your wealth and assets to the next generation, it needs to be in writing and legally verified. When the future of your estate isn’t clearly defined, it can lead to serious legal complications, not to mention heartbreak and stress for family members and heirs. You’re in control. Even when you’re gone, your wishes live on. You can choose heirs, as well as charities, and direct exactly where your wealth and assets go. This often includes setting up trusts to take care of or ease the educational expenses for future generations. You can appoint a trusted personal representative or trustee. You know who you trust and who is capable of handling your wealth when you cannot. When you appoint a personal representative or a trustee, you’ll know your When you have an estate plan, you set the stage.

wishes will be carried out to the letter. If you do not have an estate plan, and no personal representative or trustee is named, a judge will appoint someone to handle the process, and it may be someone you do not want handling your estate. Your heirs avoid probate.

When a written will or trust is not in place, it may enter probate. This process can cause all kinds of headaches for your heirs — including fees, extra paperwork, delays, and possible court appearances. Having a legally sound plan in place can help you avoid the probate process altogether and makes the process significantly easier. Your heirs avoid tax surprises. While your heirs may still have to deal with some taxes on an inheritance, the right planning can help them avoid paying excessive taxes. This includes estate taxes or income tax. When it comes down to it, it’s vital to have the estate planning conversation with your family and an estate planning professional. Get the details in writing, and set yourself and your heirs up for future financial success.

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