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January 2026
How to Ruin Your Estate Plan in 5 Easy Steps
A GUIDE TO DOING IT WRONG
Want to cause confusion, spark family feuds, and leave behind a legal mess that would make a celebrity estate look tame? You’re in luck. In honor of Opposite Day on Jan. 25, I’m flipping the script and walking you through the worst estate planning advice you could possibly follow. Please don’t. Promise the house privately to each grandchild, one at a time, in secret. This one sounds funny until you see it play out. I’ve met grandparents who promised the house to a grandchild when that grandchild was 8 years old. Years later, they feel obligated to follow through, even if their situation has changed. I’ve also seen people make different promises to different people and leave a trail of notes and lists that are undated or unclear. It creates expectations that do not match the legal reality, and that is a recipe for hurt feelings and conflict. Rely on verbal instructions made casually over pancakes. People often think they’ve talked about it enough. What that really means is that they’ve thought about it enough. They assume everyone around them knows what they want or that a quick conversation at the kitchen table will be enough to carry out those wishes. It might help family members understand intentions, but it is not a plan. If it’s not in writing and not set up correctly, the law will not treat it as binding. Leave beneficiary lines blank ‘just for now.’ This one comes up frequently. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and many bank accounts pass by beneficiary form, not by the will. People leave those lines blank “just for now” and tell themselves they will circle back later. Then life moves on. I still see policies that list an ex-spouse or even parents who died decades ago. Nobody meant for it to end up that way. It’s just what happens when “just for now” turns into “never.” A Question to Ask (or Answer for) a Loved One Asking and answering important questions helps preserve your family’s values and life lessons for generations to come. When have you learned the right thing to do by first seeing what not to do?
Build your plan with online templates and guesswork. There are numerous free or low-cost options available online, and some of them are quite sophisticated. The problem isn’t the software. The problem is that people do not know how to answer the questions, so they pick whatever sounds close and hope for the best. It’s like taking a multiple-choice test and choosing C every time you’re not sure. The program will still spit out a neat stack of documents, but that doesn’t mean they fit your situation. With estate plans, you don’t find out what went wrong while you’re here to fix it. Your family discovers the problems later. Hide your plan so no one can find it. Another popular move is to put everything on a password-protected laptop, tuck documents into a safe deposit box that only you can access, or bury the original will somewhere “safe” and never tell anyone where it is. When no one can find the original documents, the law may assume they were intentionally destroyed, even if everyone remembers what they said. I’ve seen families who knew a will existed but had to fight through court anyway because no one could produce that original. A simple fireproof box at home and a clear conversation about where things are could have saved a lot of trouble. This Opposite Day list is supposed to be lighthearted, and I had a great deal of fun putting it together. But the consequences behind it
are very real. An estate plan should make things easier for the people you love. So, if you like your family, treat it as a warning label, not a checklist.
Philip J. Corson, Founder
“A good person leaves what they own to their children and grandchildren.” PROVERBS 13:22
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When Wills Get Weird FINAL WISHES THAT RAISED EYEBROWS
Money and property are typically the first things that come to mind when we think about a will. And while most are straightforward, some final wishes leave behind a story that’s stranger than fiction. Looking at some of the oddest inheritances ever recorded reveals more personality than practicality. Take Blackie the cat. When British antique dealer Ben Rea passed away, his family was probably more than disappointed to learn that he had left his entire fortune (nearly £7 million) to his beloved pet. That decision made headlines everywhere and turned Blackie into the richest cat in the world. Then there’s the story of John Bowman from Vermont. He believed in reincarnation and was convinced he and his family would return in another life. Not wanting to come back from the dead without the luxuries he was used to, Bowman set up a trust to keep his mansion staffed and ready for his family’s arrival. For decades, mansion staff prepared meals and kept up the house in case the
Bowmans walked through the door. The ritual continued for over 70 years before the funds finally ran out.
Canada gave us the “Great Stork Derby.” In 1926, an attorney named Charles Vance Millar launched a bizarre contest by leaving money to the Toronto woman who had the most children in the decade following his death. The result was a citywide baby boom and years of courtroom battles as families fought over the inheritance. Some wills came with mystery. One wealthy businessman left a coded message among his papers that pointed to buried riches. His heirs initially thought it was a joke, but after looking into it, they uncovered buried treasure worth millions. Of course, these stories are far from the norm. Most wills won’t fund banquets for the dead, start a baby boom, or turn a cat into a millionaire. Still, these strange requests show that estate planning is a personal process, and final wishes aren’t always about money.
BRINGING HOME A NEW PET?
QUICK TIPS TO START PET LIFE RIGHT
Bringing home a new pet for the first time can be exciting and nerve-wracking. One moment, you might be thinking of quiet nights curled up on the couch with your new furry friend, and then suddenly catch yourself worrying whether your carpets and furniture
them any good. Birds, reptiles, and other unusual pets have their own needs, so it’s worth doing a little homework before buying. Routine also makes life easier. Feed them at the same times, build in bathroom breaks, and play regularly. Miss a walk, and your dog will remind you in no uncertain terms. Socialization matters, too. If you have a puppy, try mixing up your walking routes. Exposing it to different streets with new sights, sounds, and smells stimulates it in a good way and reduces anxiety. Kittens should be given space to explore without being pushed. A rescue cat may take weeks before it relaxes, but patience usually wins. And don’t delay that first vet visit. Even if your pet looks fine, an early exam can catch problems and set you up with a vaccine schedule. Some clinics even discount first visits, especially for rescues. The first few weeks as a new pet owner can be messy. Shoes might get chewed, accidents happen, and sleep takes a hit. Over time, though, the rough edges fade into stories. Before long, the same animal that kept you on your toes will become one of the best parts of your household.
will survive. That mix of feelings is perfectly normal, but preparation can help keep your stress levels down.
Start by getting your house ready. Tuck away cords, move toxic houseplants, and set up an area with food and a bed. Puppies and kittens are like curious toddlers. They always seem to find the one thing you missed, so assume anything left out could be chewed, batted, or swallowed.
Food is another early test. For dogs, real meat should be at the top of the list. Cats need the same, since grain-heavy diets don’t do
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The Unexpected Inventions of WWI BORN IN THE TRENCHES
TAKE A BREAK
BOOTS CANDLES CARNATION FURNACE GARNET HOCKEY INSULATE JANUS OPPOSITE RESOLUTION
World War I doesn’t usually make people think of fashion or fitness. The images that often come to mind are mud, wire, and smoke. However, while the war tore borders apart, there were inventions developed that found their way into everyday life. Take the trench coat, for example. Officers needed something lighter than wool when they were slogging through wet ground. London retailers Burberry and Aquascutum designed coats that kept the rain out and had straps for gear. They worked so well that people wore them long after the fighting stopped and never went out of style. The same shift happened with watches. Before the war, women mostly wore wristwatches, and men carried pocket watches on chains. A pocket watch worked fine for civilian life but not while fighting a battle in the trenches. Strapping a watch to the wrist freed up both hands, which made a big difference in combat. Once the habit formed, pocket watches never really came back. Shortages also created new products. Cotton was hard to get, so Kimberly-Clark developed Cellucotton for bandages. Nurses noticed it worked as a makeshift sanitary pad, which led to Kotex. A few years later, the same material was sold in a thinner form as Kleenex, first as a makeup remover and eventually as the tissue we all know. The zipper was also useful during wartime. Known then as the “hookless fastener,” it was sewn into money belts and flight suits. It beat rows of buttons for speed, and the design spread into everyday clothing once the war ended. Even Pilates has roots in that era. Joseph Pilates, a German held in Britain, made resistance gear out of bed springs so men stuck in camp hospitals could stay strong. His idea for keeping people moving became a fitness program that later took over gyms worldwide. It’s strange to think that the same war that brought barbed wire and poison gas also left behind coats, watches, tissues, and a form of exercise. These items have become so integrated into daily life that most people never guess where they started. That’s the odd legacy of World War I.
SKATING SWEATER
Slow Cooker Birria Tacos
• 3 dried guajillo chiles • 2 dried ancho chiles • 1 medium onion, chopped • 4 garlic cloves • 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes • 3 lbs beef chuck roast • 2 cups beef broth • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar Ingredients
• 1 tbsp dried oregano • 2 tsp ground cumin • 2 bay leaves • 1 tsp salt • Pepper, to taste • Corn tortillas • Fresh cilantro and diced onion for garnish
Directions 1. Soak dried chiles in hot water for 15 minutes. 2. Process chiles, onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a blender until smooth. 3. Place beef in a slow cooker and pour the chili mixture over it. 4. Add beef broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. 5. Cook on low for 8–10 hours or until the beef is tender. 6. Shred the beef using forks, then mix back into the sauce. 7. Fry tortillas in oil until crispy, then assemble tacos as desired.
Inspired by Inspired by SimpleWhisk.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
The Worst Advice You Can Get
2
The Strangest Inheritances on Record
A First-Timer’s Guide to Pet Prep
3
Slow Cooker Birria Tacos
WWI Inventions Still Used Today
4
Why Intentions Matter in Estate Planning
Avoiding Inheritance Misunderstandings BEYOND FAIR SHARES
When it comes to estate planning, many feel the simplest solution is to distribute everything equally to heirs and avoid the fight. That may look nice and neat on paper, but equal splits can feel anything but fair in practice. In a British Columbia case, a mother left her rental property to be shared between her son and daughter. The arrangement looked straightforward from the outside. However, the daughter discovered that her brother had already received close to $3 million in lifetime gifts from the estate, while her gifts totaled $120,000. She challenged the will, and the court agreed with her. In this case, a tidy 50–50 split didn’t square with the history behind it. Situations like this one show how sensitive inheritances can be. Families often read meaning into bequests. Someone who receives a larger share may be seen as being favored, while a smaller one can feel
like punishment. Even if an estate planning decision is practical, like leaving more for a child who needs it most, it can be misinterpreted and lead to resentment. That’s why families need to sit down and talk through these decisions together. It can be tempting to “settle it in the will” and escape the discomfort of hard conversations, but silence can often cause more pain later. Even if uncomfortable, an open discussion gives everyone a chance to understand intentions before it’s too late. Estate planning should be about more than distributing money. It’s also about preserving relationships and leaving behind clarity and a sense of love in inheritance decisions. Achieving this requires a combination of careful planning and honest conversations. It can be difficult, but you can gift your family assets and understanding with the right approach.
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