Be Social Media Savvy and STAY CONNECTED
help you gather the people you want to keep in contact with in one centralized location. Here are a few things to remember for keeping your digital friendships enjoyable. Social Media Isn’t a Diary No one wants to see a feed clogged with posts from the same person. Your friends might like reading about exciting vacations or days with the grandkids, but they don’t need updates about your wait in line at the grocery store. Sharing TMI (too much information) will put you on the fast track to losing friends. It’s Okay to Hit Unfriend Likewise, if you find yourself sick of Judy’s moment-by-moment updates of her dog’s kidney stone, feel free to cut ties. That might entail unfollowing (you remain friends, but no longer see their posts in your feed), unfriending, or blocking a person entirely. There’s no reason to keep in touch with
someone whose very profile picture makes you angry.
Check a Source Before Sharing Just because something is online, that doesn’t make it true. It’s just as easy for someone to post a lie about a celebrity or politician as it is for Judy to post about her dog. If you read a news story that gets a rise out of you, double check the facts before you hit share. Googling the article’s claims and main points will bring up similar articles — if those claims are true. This will help you determine if it’s breaking news or a big hoax. Just 10 years ago, snail mail and expensive long-distance calls were the only way to keep in touch with the people we couldn’t see every day. Thanks to social media, we can stay connected to our loved ones around the world. Now that’s something that deserves a like.
I t’s time to break the bad news to your grandkids: Social media isn’t just for them. A study from the Pew Research Center found that 47 percent of baby boomers are using social media. Facebook in particular proves to be an excellent resource for adults moving through the later stages of life. This social media platform helps keep you in touch with friends, family members who live far away, and workplace acquaintances who you don’t see during retirement. Social media can
Who Needs an Estate Plan? What You Can Accomplish With a Plan for the Future
While it’s easy for people to put estate planning on the back burner due to busy schedules or thinking they have plenty of time to get around to it, doing so can result in property and financial assets passing to unintended heirs in unintentional ways. Additionally, people fall into the belief that estate planning only benefits the very wealthy, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s something everyone needs to engage in, regardless of age, estate size, or marital status. If you have a bank account, investments, a car, a home, or property, you have an estate. More importantly, if you have a spouse or minor children or other dependents, an estate plan is critical for protecting their interests and their future income needs.
An estate plan is also important if you want to leave behind a legacy for your family for years, if not decades, to come.
An estate plan can help you accomplish the following goals.
you appoint to act as your proxy in settling your estate and distributing your property. Avoid probate — the court process for proving that a deceased person’s will is valid and administering a descendant’s estate. Document the type of life-prolonging medical care you do or do not wish to receive should you become incapacitated. Express your wishes and preferences for funeral arrangements and how related expenses will be paid.
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Name the family members, loved ones, and organizations you wish to receive your property following your death. Transfer property to your heirs and any organizations you’ve named in your estate planning documents in an expedient manner with as few legal hurdles as possible.
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Minimize or eliminate estate taxes.
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Name your executor and/or trustee — the individuals or institution
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