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Here I am, 66, and I still haven't made out a Will. What, perhaps, makes it tougher for me is I'm single, no children! And the indecision can drive me kookoo!
I do have 3 nieces, one nephew, but 3 of them are very well off, in no need of it, but my one niece is the poorest, and she could use it. But, due to a wide discrepancies in values/beliefs, I'm not even sure I want to give it to her.
And then there's my 61 YO Mexican roommate who's been with me 15 years, who's been a Guardian Angel to me all these years, and I can hardly call him a roommate anymore, he's family. Now there's a possibility, but he's not a U.S. citizen, only has a Green Card.
And then! There's a whole array of charitable/political groups I'd love to give to as well, but with that direction, I always worry about some of those overpaid leaders, and whether the money will be directed to the most needy or not.
What to do? Anyone else pull their hair out, at times, trying to make these decisions? Or find themselves changing their wills, from time to time?
Make a decision right now, and change it late if you change your mind. What if you die today?
Leave it to your roommate. Can't people with Green Cards get inheritance?
Make a decision right now, and change it late if you change your mind. What if you die today?
Leave it to your roommate. Can't people with Green Cards get inheritance?
That where I am. If the roommate needs money I would leave a monthly allotment.
It is just not that hard to locate families that could really use the help. An attorney can help prepare a will that will stipulate an allotment to those families.
There is no real reason to leave the money to relatives that are barely known, irresponsible or something else.
Contrary to popular belief wills cannot be challenged successfully very often. Almost all wills are executed just as they are written.
I go offline Fri.-Sun., but thanks eversomuch for the further posts, and ideas.
I've all but erased any guilt in not giving my poorer niece any money, as my sister/brother-in-law have an estimate asset base close to 1 million, and if divided among the 4 children, that's enough, isn't it? And they're both in their late 60's.
My Mexican Handyman roommate is 61, who still doesn't speak English very well, has been doing largely work with cash income the past 40 years, so he'll have virtually no social security to fall back on, later, even though he does own a home in Mexico.
So, I'm getting closer to making some decisions, having ruled out family, but the biggest/hair-raising indecision comes from what charitable groups to give a portion to.
I recently read on the Global Assault on Forests, and I was deeply touched by it, and it listed no less than 20 organizations fighting to save our world forests, but which one or ones? I was traveling in Central American one time, in 2007, which occasioned me to get some medical help, and I went to my first International Red Cross Clinic, and I was astounded that I could see a Dr., be treated, for a measly $3. What a wonderful organization, found in most 3rd world countries.
They have 2 of them in Tijuana, and I've visited one of them, offering such cheap medical care to the indigent!
And then there's NoisefreeAmerica, fighting to make our country a quieter place, and I recently read Beyond Beef by Jeremy Rifken, and there was a list in that book, as well, organizations that need help, and? I wish had millions to give each a million!!!
If I'm going to rescue animals, I'm going to do something to stop the needless/cruel killing of cattle in slaughterhouses!
Thanks also for the sites to do Wills online! Yes, I need to get moving on this, and I sympathize with others going through hair-raising decisions!
As far as spending it on traveling, there's nothing left on my bucket list, as, over the years, I've traveled widely throughout the world, even bought a Round-The-World-Air ticket back in 1991, and between 2004-2009, alone, I made 12 trips to Central and South America. China X3, India X2, Nepal, Australia/NZ, Europe 4X, all 50 states, what's left, except go to the Moon?
May I HUMBLY suggest a donation of any size to Smoky Mountain Service Dogs. We custom train mobility assistance dogs for injured service members. We are a small charity and 97 cents of every dollar we raise goes to the acquisition and training of these wonderful dogs who make life easier for those who sacrificed their physical well-being for the freedom we enjoy. Here's a video showing a little of our work...
It sounds like you are closing in on some good decisions/options. Just get something in place for now and really consider how to protect or provide for your roommate. It sounds like he could use the help. You can always change things later but if you die without a will then no one wins. It leaves a big mess for someone else to try to cleanup and your good intentions are never realized. There are a lot of good charities, causes, scholarship funds, etc., etc out there that will be grateful for any support you can give them.
We have a will.... but its out of date since there are properties in it that were sold 6 years ago. And so it needs to be updated for a new state too. We've been procrastinating. Maybe this summer.
I go offline Fri.-Sun., but thanks eversomuch for the further posts, and ideas.
I've all but erased any guilt in not giving my poorer niece any money, as my sister/brother-in-law have an estimate asset base close to 1 million, and if divided among the 4 children, that's enough, isn't it? And they're both in their late 60's.
My Mexican Handyman roommate is 61, who still doesn't speak English very well, has been doing largely work with cash income the past 40 years, so he'll have virtually no social security to fall back on, later, even though he does own a home in Mexico.
So, I'm getting closer to making some decisions, having ruled out family, but the biggest/hair-raising indecision comes from what charitable groups to give a portion to.
<snip> for brevity
Nah, doesn't sound like the niece should get it since she will inherit something anyway.
I'd say give it to the Mexican handyman roommate. I don't know why he's only taking cash if he has a green card. Are you sure he has a real green card, not a fake? If he has a green card he also has a valid social security number and should have been working and paying into SS and Medicare all these years. FORTY years of working for cash????? It's too late now for him to get a job that lets him contribute to SS and Medicare so he's going to be hurting when he retires.
I'm not in favor of illegals (and he might be illegal if he's only working on a cash basis) but for all practical purposes, this guy has been good to you and loyal and will need money. Leave him a lot.
My Mexican roommate has a certified Green Card, as he recently renewed it.
Any number of Mexicans work for cash only, they don't accept checks for their work. Most don't even have a bank account, like my roommate. In Mexico, there's a huge cash economy!
But it's not just Mexicans who don't work for cash!
The only big problem is how to distribute the cash to him without a bank account. And I'm averse to him having one, as, through the years, he's been to Emergency Rooms, with no insurance, and I'm fearful that his debt collectors will eat it all up!
And, nowadays, if you're pulled over by the police, with a large sum of cash, the police could confiscate it.
A real dilemma!
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