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A lot of people love Halloween. Kids of all ages can’t wait to dress up for the occasion. But this year, Halloween is going to be very different. Trick- or-treating events are likely to be called off and parties are expected to be canceled. I’m sure kids will find a way to get their candy, but it won’t be the same.
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silly or over-the-top. Regardless, it was still a good time and put me in the mood for the season. Once Halloween comes and goes, we’ll be in the last two months of the year. It’s hard to believe that 2020 is nearly over and to begin to think of what next year could possibly bring. But as we go into the final months of the year, I want to remind everyone about our Estate Planning Checkup.
When I was 12, we moved to a fairly rural area. On Halloween, my two brothers and I would run around our neighborhood for a while. That took a little extra energy as the houses weren’t close together. After we got our fill of “home base,” we’d head off to the next neighborhood where the homes were closer together. Then, we would seek out a few nicer, more upscale neighborhoods. That’s where we would get the good stuff — or, at least, that was our hope. Once our bags were full of candy, we would run back home as quickly as possible, dump it all out, and run back out for round two.
“The Kit Kats were always a winner. I wasn’t interested in the hard candy—or the fruit.”
Over the years, we’ve found that people’s estate plans fall out of date, as they forget to call us when there’s a change to their family, money, or health. These things are easy to overlook. When you welcome a new grandchild into the family, your first thought probably isn’t, “I need to update my estate plan.” But it is something to keep in mind. The same can be said if there’s a change in your financial situation or your health.
As I write this, we’re in the process of doing our annual Estate Planning Checkup for our clients, which is a good way to make sure everything in your plan is up to date and for us to stay in touch with everyone. We like to hear what all our clients have been up to. It’s been a year of twists and turns, so I have no doubt that there’s a lot to catch up on! If you haven’t heard from us yet regarding your Estate Planning Checkup, give us a call, or email Julie at Julie@MTOLaw.com and let us know! We’re happy to jump in and get your plan updated to reflect the current needs of your family and to make sure it’s working for you.
Once everything was said and done, we would see what we got. That’s when the trading would start. I wanted the chocolate. The Kit Kats were always a winner. I wasn’t interested in the hard candy — or the fruit. Back in those days, a lot more people gave out fresh fruit. It’s not a bad idea, but when you’re a kid, all you want is candy and more candy. We also loved to go to the local haunted house. We went a day or two before Halloween to do the walk-through and see how they would scare us that year. In retrospect, it was a lot scarier when I was younger, and as I got older, it started to feel
In the meantime, have a fun and safe Halloween, even if all you do is stay in to watch a few scary movies.
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MichiganEstatePlans.com • 888.487.6150
Does Vitamin D Help Our Bones and Our Muscles? A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN BENEFIT OF VITAMIN D
As the weather cools and the days
or the kidneys. To learn more about what factors affect this vitamin’s rate of absorption and activation in the body, researchers observed the levels of inactive vitamin D in 116 women ages 20–74. What they found was that women with higher muscle mass had lower levels of inactive vitamin D, while women with lower muscle mass had higher levels of inactive vitamin D. The conclusion researchers drew was that active vitamin D might help optimize muscle strength. While that conclusion is not ironclad, vitamin D’s other well-known benefits still make it worth getting your daily dose. It can aid weight loss, enhance mood, support cardiovascular health, boost the immune system, and strengthen bones, among many other benefits. So, its potential muscle-boosting properties are just another reason to get more vitamin D. To get more of this important vitamin in your diet, try adding salmon, mushrooms, and even canned tuna to your menu. Also, as winter approaches, it might be time to start taking a vitamin D supplement. Whether you’re 20 or 74 years old, it’s never too late to find ways to strengthen your muscles.
get shorter, we can’t rely as much on the sun for our daily dose of vitamin D. The
primary function of vitamin D is regulating the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are necessary for strengthening our bones and teeth, which becomes increasingly important as we age and our bones naturally become more brittle. While these benefits of vitamin D are well documented, did you know that getting your daily dose of vitamin D can also contribute to healthier muscles? A few years ago, researchers published a study that seemed to show that vitamin D could potentially help people gain muscle mass. While the research team said their results weren’t conclusive, their findings were certainly interesting.
Vitamin D enters the body in an inactive form. It doesn’t become active until it comes in contact with the right enzymes in either the liver
2 Ways for Families to Leave Property to Children
When you draft a will or living trust, and as your family grows and new children and grandchildren are welcomed into the fold, you may decide to add these minor children as beneficiaries. However, this comes with its own set of challenges. That is, children under 18 cannot legally inherit property. However, families can pursue certain options to ensure their children or grandchildren have access to certain assets. Here are two common options: Uniform Transfer to Minor Act (UTMA) Through UTMA, you can designate a custodian to manage property intended for minor children. The custodian manages and distributes the property for the child’s benefit as defined by you. Once the minor beneficiary reaches a certain age (21 in most states), custodianship ends and the remaining property is distributed to the child. This is a great, cost-effective option when younger children are involved. When older children are involved, a trust may be a better choice. Trusts Trusts are generally more f lexible. Setting up a trust for your children or grandchildren is similar to setting up a UTMA custodianship.
Your will or living trust designates a trustee to manage and distribute property you wish to leave to your minor
children. The trustee has a fiduciary obligation to follow the specific instructions in your will or living trust.
One major benefit of trusts is the ability to customize them. You can designate which expenses are to be covered by the trust (health, education, support, etc.), at what age the beneficiaries will inherit the property outright, when distributions should be withheld (in instances of irresponsible behavior), and what the requirements for educational distributions are (such as maintaining certain grades). If you establish a trust for this purpose, you have two primary options: a family pot trust or separate trusts for each child. A family pot trust can benefit all living children and can stay active until the youngest child reaches a certain age. In separate trusts, you can tailor each trust share based upon a child’s individual needs. Some children may require more than others. It also allows you to divide and distribute your property equally.
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MichiganEstatePlans.com • 888.487.6150
Get in TouchWith a Healthier You YOGA MAKES A DIFFERENCE
As cooler temperatures set in, people will be spending more time indoors, which can make getting consistent physical activity a little more challenging. This is where yoga comes in. It’s easy to do right in your own home — and it’s good for you. No matter your age or athletic ability, you can benefit from yoga.
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Helpful Resources • Is your estate plan up to date? Ask us about our FREE estate planning checkup. Call our office or email Julie@MTOLaw.com.
Yoga incorporates elements of meditation as well as physical exercise and stretches, which means the practice can benefit your body, mind, and spirit. There are many
styles of this ancient practice, including more rigorous forms that emphasize physical strength and other, more gentle forms, that focus more on stretching and breathing. Yoga is all about getting in touch with your body. Some styles focus on breathing and can help you attune your senses to your body and mind. One Harvard Medical School study found that people who practiced yoga “were more aware of their bodies” than those who didn’t. When you’re aware, you’re in tune, and you feel better. Regular practitioners also benefit from improved flexibility and balance, which become more important as we age and when we deal with injuries. You can help keep joints strong and reduce aches, pains, and inflammation. Yoga also helps relax the mind through breathing exercises that can reduce anxiety and stress. A calmer state of mind reduces blood pressure and allows you to get a more restful night’s sleep, which can help you wake up feeling great and ready to take on the day. Gentle yoga is a great place for beginners and older adults to begin their practice. This kind of yoga can benefit anyone who has never practiced before or those who want to ease into it. It’s also great for anyone recovering from surgery or injury. In short, it’s simple enough that anyone can pick it up easily, but still comes with many benefits, both physical and mental. With all these potential benefits, yoga is certainly worth looking into! You can find many instructional videos online simply by searching “yoga” or “gentle yoga” on YouTube. Or, if you want more comprehensive instruction, signing up for yoga classes is another great option. Bear in mind that many local classes are being held online given current restrictions related to COVID-19.
• Don’t miss our upcoming estate planning and elder law workshops — our website has our entire educational calendar for the year. • Learn about estate planning and elder law topics in plain English. Check out our Elder Care Whiteboard Videos at MichiganEstatePlans.com.
• Let us be your trusted advisor for all your legal matters. Our
clients’ referrals have helped us grow. We want to return the favor by helping you find
a great attorney outside the fields of estate planning, elder law, and probate. Instead of taking your chances on Google or the phone book, let us put you in touch with an experienced attorney who can help you. Our clients often call us in need of an attorney who focuses on family law, personal injury, auto accidents, elder and nursing home abuse, workers’ comp, Social Security disability, and many other areas. To get the best results, you need an experienced attorney to help. If you want a referral, call our office or email Julie@MTOLaw.com. We are glad to help!
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MichiganEstatePlans.com • 888.487.6150
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MichiganEstatePlans.com • 888.487.6150 915 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 6 Howell, Michigan 48843
What’s Inside? 1 2 I’ll Take the Kit Kats
A Previously Unknown Benefit of Vitamin D Leaving Property to Children Under 18 — What You Need to Know Get in Touch With a Healthier You Through Yoga
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How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
T hough there are very real medical conditions, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, that deprive people of sleep, the reason most of us probably don’t get enough sleep is simply because we put off our bedtime. Instead of getting into bed, we opt to check off another item on our to-do list or watch another episode of our favorite show. This is sometimes called “bedtime procrastination.” We all know a good night’s sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, so how can we stop putting it off? A good place to start is by keeping track of your day. The human mind isn’t meant to internalize checklists and task reminders, so use your phone or journal as a scheduling assistant. However you decide to keep track, make sure to give yourself And Get a Good Night’s Sleep
a set amount of time to accomplish your tasks, like letting yourself watch TV for just one hour or blocking out three hours to help your kids with their homework. It might even help to set alarms on your watch or on your phone to let you know when your time is up on any of your activities. Another big part is creating an environment that is conducive to a good night’s sleep, and that starts with turning your electronic devices off well before you get under the covers. Smartphone screens, computer screens, and even some energy- efficient lightbulbs emit blue light, which reduces the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to go to bed. Instead of looking at your phone, try reading a book before going to sleep. If your screens prove to be too big of a draw for you when bedtime comes, it might be a good idea to move your devices to another room so they’re out of sight and out of mind. Finally, don’t get discouraged if you don’t start getting better sleep right away. Setting up good bedtime routines takes time. But if you stick with it — and maybe have someone else in your house hold you accountable to your commitments — you’ll start to get better sleep and have more energy to take on the day in no time.
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