As citizens of a culture that worships youth, most of us find it nearly impossible to admit our own mortality, much less make plans for that eventuality.  Denial, however, offers no protection from the inevitable. And, as it turns out, we have far more to gain than to lose by sitting down in advance to plan for every contingency life may throw at us. To help you begin this important process, here are the essential items that should be on your list of basic estate planning objectives.

Pre-Need Funeral Planning

For survivors, the hours and days following a loved one’s death is no time for weighty decisions.  For many Americans, however, this will be the first time they think about preparations for the loved one’s funeral.  Given the expense and painful emotions often involved, survivors may be in no condition to make choices for themselves or their loved one.  According to a survey of its membership by the National Funeral Directors Association, the average cost of a funeral today is ,500. That’s an expense that can quickly escalate as survivors confront a bewildering range of options on everything from the kind and quantity of flowers to the quality of their loved one’s casket.  A premium casket alone, for example, can exceed ,000.  Add in the expense of roses over carnations and live music over recorded, and survivors can end up paying triple or quadruple the average funeral’s cost.  Yet, without advanced planning to guide them, survivors may feel guilty about saying anything but “yes” to the best for their loved one.

Leaving these emotionally charged decisions to grieving family and friends can pose an unfair burden on them in their time of loss.  That’s why a growing number of Americans are choosing to take matters into their own hands with pre-need funeral arrangements.  According to the American Association of Re-tired Persons, over 21 million U.S. consumers age 50 and over have made pre-arrangements for their own or a loved one’s funeral, representing a total of over billion in prepaid funeral expenses.  The National Funeral Directors Association reports that nearly 98% of all funeral homes have instituted some kind of pre-need planning program, making it easier than ever for Americans to plan their funeral well in advance.  Today, most funeral homes offer several pre-need planning options.  Generally, the process begins when individuals sit down with a funeral director to discuss the plans available to them. Once they’ve reviewed their plans with their spouse and their loved ones, they purchase a funeral package that reflects their wishes down to every possible detail.  Consumers have several alternatives for pre-payment for their funeral plans.  One is to purchase a life insurance policy with the funeral home named as beneficiary.  Or consumers can make payments in installments over months or years.  With yet another alternative, they may work with a licensed funeral director to establish a regulated Trust which will pay their funeral expenses.  Lastly, consumers may prepay for their funeral in an account which earns interest, and which can be designated “payable on death” to the funeral home.  After death, if there’s more money in their fund than required to pay for their funeral, the family will receive a refund.

The benefits of a prepaid funeral package go beyond cost savings, however.  For many families, it provides an important opportunity to talk about sensitive issues and concerns that might otherwise have gone unspoken, and it allows the family to decide together which funeral options will be most meaningful to them.  In many ways, prepaid funeral arrangements allow families to lay the foundation for a faster process in the future.  For many Americans, the discussion of their own funerals conjures up unwelcome thoughts of death.  But once they overcome their initial resistance, most will find more peace of mind than discomfort in knowing that all the details of this important task have been handled as they want them to be.

Controlling the Health Care We Receive

As important as funeral arrangements might be, this task represents just one in a whole series of essential estate planning issues that we should settle well in advance.  Of great concern to many consumers is the medical treatment they will receive in the event of a serious injury or illness.  With today’s great advancements in medical technologies, health care providers have at their disposal a wide range of costly and invasive life-prolonging treatments that may be the last thing you want yourself or a loved one to endure.  That’s why, for many consumers, taking steps to control when, how and why they receive medical treatment ranks at the top of their list of estate planning priorities.

One tool commonly employed by individuals to achieve that goal is the Living Will, also known as a healthcare directive.  This simple document allows you to describe the kinds of treatments you do, and do not want, should a life-threatening illness or injury befall you.  Unfortunately, Living Wills are often ineffective.  In a landmark study conducted by the American Medical Association and financed by the Robert Johnson Foundation, Living Wills alone were shown to be no match for the medical industry’s dogged determination to keep patients alive no matter what.  According to the study, most doctors either ignore or don’t understand their patients’ Living Wills.  As a result, few heed them.  Such specific instructions as “do not use cardiopulmonary resuscitation” were ignored in 49% of the cases studied.  Those patients who do see their directions followed may have to first endure the medical intervention they sought to avoid while the doctors make a decision.  The study revealed that doctors took anywhere from 22 to 73 days to write complying orders after the patients requested them.  Of that number, 48% of the orders were two days before the patients died.  Americans who want to control their destiny and the manner in which they die have no choice but to take matters aggressively into their own hands.  And the Living Will may not be the best tool for doing that.

A Living Will is typically a simple one-page document that directs medical providers to limit your care under certain circumstances.  While it’s a convenient tool, its brevity may well be reason doctors refuse to recognize it.  Many cite, for example, its ambiguous language and limited scope as reasons to disregard it.  Further, not all states have laws recognizing the power of living wills. One final drawback:  A Living Will does not empower anyone to act on your behalf, should you need an advocate on the scene to speak for you.  For these reasons, a better alternative to a Living Will alone may be combining it with an Advance Health Care Directive, also known as a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, or Health Care Proxy.  It provides extensive directions governing everything from what life support measures you want to whether you want to donate your organs. It also allows you to name someone to serve as your Attorney in Fact for health care matters. Also, the privacy provisions of Health Insurance Portability and Privacy Act, or HIPAA, became effective in April of 2003.

To assure that your loved ones can access health care information in the event of your incapacity or to assist with health care decisions, you and every other member of your family should execute a HIPAA Authorization form. That’s an important advantage to bear in mind.  Having someone legally authorized to make such decisions for you will ensure that your wishes are carried out.

Avoiding Conservatorship

As we age, serious disability is an increasing likelihood.  That’s why you should probably plan in advance to have your personal care and financial affairs managed, as you would want should you become disabled.  If not, you could find yourself the focus of a Conservatorship proceeding,  known in some jurisdictions as a Guardianship.  In a humiliating public trial in probate court, you’ll be declared legally incompetent and a court-appointed guardian will be granted authority over your care.  In some instances, your financial affairs will be managed by one person, while someone else will make decisions regarding your personal care.  If the humiliation isn’t reason enough to avoid conservatorship, then this should be: the courts have wide discretion regarding who they assign responsibility for your care.  There are no guarantees that your court-appointed conservatorship will be someone of your choosing, or for that matter, even someone you know.  Many conservators are professionals who receive payment for this service.  And guess who foots the bill for the court costs and the conservator fees?  You do.

Some consumers attempt to control their fates with tools such as a Property Power of Attorney.  But these don’t afford consumers with the greatest possible degree of protection.  In contrast, estate planning options such as the Revocable Living Trust coupled with a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care give consumers a much greater ability to control their health care and financial affairs in the event of incapacity.

How to Ensure You Have Covered the Basics

One thing should be clear by now:  we do our families and ourselves a great disservice when we fail to plan for every contingency.  That’s why a crucial first step in this entire process should be a consultation with an estate planning attorney.  He or she will help you evaluate your family’s needs and financial situation, and will draft a comprehensive estate plan that may include such tools as a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Revocable Living Trust.  In addition, your estate planning attorney will show you how to

In Austria, and in many other parts of Europe, there is a notable demand for home ownership, and a mortgage, or a ‘wohnbaukredit’ is seen as normal funding for home purchasing. In fact, all throughout Austria, a wohnbaukredit is the standard method that allows businesses and individuals to purchase commercial or residential real estate, when paying in full value immediately is not an option.

The ‘wohnbaukredit’ is a secured loan in that the housing secures the mortgage. Like in all the other types of loans, the ‘wohnbaukredit’ involves a creditor – a bank or a financial institution- and a debtor – the consumer looking to purchase a home or a commercial property. The creditor makes loans available to debtors for the purpose of purchasing real estate, while the debtor, either an entity or an individual, has to pay the interest rates agreed upon. The mortgage, or ‘wohnbaukredit’ may be foreclosed by the creditor, if the debtor fails to meet the conditions of that mortgage, in order to recover the debt. Legal representation may also be involved in this process, due to the legal exchange, which can be fairly complicated. This is one of the reasons why either participant in the ‘wohnbaukredit’ may choose to be legally represented. Given the wide range of options available for ‘wohnbaukredit’ on the Austrian market, the debtor may also choose to be assisted by a financial adviser or a mortgage broker, when trying to find a competitive loan.

Most financial institutions in Austria provide consumers with the possibility to opt for a mortgage in foreign currency, or ‘fremdwährungskredit’. This type of loan represents a source of financing for both corporate and personal mortgages.

In the case of foreign currency mortgage, or ‘fremdwährungskredit’, are based on the specific currency that the mortgage is denominated in, meaning that the constant change of currency exchange rates needs to be taken into consideration before deciding to choose a foreign currency mortgage as a means for housing purchase.

‘Fremdwährungskredit’ can come with either capital saving or capital loss. In the event that the domestic currency strengthens against the currency of the mortgage, the debtors will have to pay less in his/her domestic currency, meaning that he/she can make capital saving. On the other hand, if it is the currency of the mortgage that strengthens against the borrower’s domestic currency, then the borrower needs to pay more, leading to capital loss. This is the reason why, when choosing ‘fremdwährungskredit’, it is highly advisable that the borrower approach a currency manager, who should be able to make use of interest rate savings and debt reduction to pay off the ‘fremdwährungskredit’ within its normal lifetime.

As stated above, the Austrian market provides consumers with a varied choice for loans with the purpose of real estate purchasing. Be it ‘fremdwährungskredit’ or ‘wohnbaukredit’, debtors can choose whatever financial institution or type of loan that meets their demands and needs, and are advised to request specialized assistance when doing so, given the complexity of this market.

For the austrian version of loans or mortage resources about Wohnbaukredit or even about fremdwährungskredit please review this link http://www.kv24.at

Find More House Security Articles

If only decorating your home comes without a cost, you would probably have a new theme and design for your home many times every year. But just like most people, you shy away from home decorating and home improvement activities because you do not want to spend a lot of money on this.

The truth is decorating your home does not need to hurt your pockets. In fact, there are many practical home decorating suggestions and ideas that can be worked out even with a small budget. Here is a list of six fantastic tips that will help you achieve just that.

Tip 1: Form a plan

Planning is a crucial step in home decoration so that you will be able to accomplish it effectively and successfully. More importantly, this ensures that you do not end up wasting money or spending more than what you can afford.

Before you start writing down your plans, visualize how you want your home to look. Decide on the theme and color style you want to adapt and from here, start planning the things that you will need for your home decoration project.

List the things you need and determine which ones you can make yourself or create from the things that you already have, and the ones that you really need to buy. Formulate a realistic budget allocation for your expenditures to avoid overspending.

Tip 2: Adapt a theme

Having a theme for your home does not only make the decorating project easier but if you choose a practical theme, you will be able to save a lot of money at the same time. For example, a tropical interior design theme can save you money because you can get some tropical decorative accessories for free if you go to the beach. This include seashells, corals, starfish, leaves, and driftwood. You can even use what you have collected to make tropical wall hangings.

Tip 3: Invest wisely

Just because you are on a budget does not mean that you have to get every cheap thing you can get your hands on. Sometimes spending more will save you in the long run. For example, if you want to repaint the walls in your home, it would make sense to buy a high quality paint that would last a long time rather than to go for cheap paints that are also cheap in quality.

Tip 4: Watch out for discount sales

Discount sales provide a good opportunity to get hold of home accessories at a low price so keep your eyes peeled for these events. You can also try checking out online stores because there are many excellent deals that will enable you to find nice and good quality products without having to spend much.

Tip 5: Shop around

If you want to find great deals on products you can use for your home decoration, you should not stop at the first shop that you see. Shop around widely so you will be able to compare products and prices, and find the best deals at the most affordable prices.

Tip 6: DIY projects

You do not always have to buy everything. Some of the things you need you can make yourself. For example, create your own tropical wall hangings or wall sculpture art by framing a nice coastal photograph scene or by doing your own metal or clay sculpture.

If you have the patience, talent and imagination, you can make excellent decorating choices that will not only improve the overall style of your home but also be practical and realistic for the budget of your family.

Watch the video related to home decorating

]]> http://www.klexus.com/home-decorating-on-a-budget-6-fantastic-tips.html/feed 9 http://www.klexus.com/home-decorating-for-the-sophisticate.html http://www.klexus.com/home-decorating-for-the-sophisticate.html#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:53:28 +0000 admin http://www.klexus.com/home-decorating-for-the-sophisticate.html

When you have a picky, sophisticated style, it can be difficult to decorate your home. Learning to appreciate the little things will keep you in the loop with life and loving your home, sophisticated or not.

Decorating your home can be difficult. We all know that. But if you’re one of those people that has a slightly sophisticated taste, if you yourself may not be a sophisticated person, decorating your home can be a veritable nightmare.

As a Home Decorating Sophisticate, or HDS as it were, you have a refined taste in furniture, flooring, sashes, throw pillows, drapery, rugs, lighting, hanging artwork and pretty much everything else that comes through your line of vision. You can sense imbalance in your sleep and your aura blends with Zen decorating on an ultimately frightening level.

Never fear, though. You don’t have to go to a professional decorator to get the look you want and can be happy with for your home-which is great because with your picky style, a professional decorator would be a complete waste of thousands of dollars.

First things first. Learn to appreciate imbalance and make it work with your extreme sense of balance. When you’re learning to appreciate the simple things in life, the sophisticated side of you can break lose and make it difficult. One of the most important things a sophisticate must know when trying to decorate a home for reality is that there can never be perfect balance in everything. Life may be about learning achieve balance, but if you have kids, or a life that moves with the speed of the world, there’s bound to be an occasional dirty sock on the floor, traffic marks and hand smudges on your walls. Decorate to suit those needs.

You may need to purchase an area rug to cover the places where people walk the most. Oriental rugs are perfect for parlors, living rooms and dining rooms as well as any other place your sophisticated little heart needs to put one. In outdoor spaces or sunrooms a well made bamboo area rug or seagrass area rug can be an excellent addition to your motif. Remember though, that an area rug is more than just a way to cover up the little imperfections that send your sophistication radar blaring up a storm. An area rug is a way to bring warmth and life into your otherwise over-perfected home.

But don’t think that it’s only about area rugs and covering things up that you don’t want to see. Decorating as a sophisticate is also about learning to appreciate the macaroni and glitter jewelry box your daughter made enough to proudly display it next to the Faberge egg knock off your grandmother left you.

Remind yourself everyday that sophistication is less important than the little things in life. As a sophisticate you can always have a beautiful home that you love. But it is so few and far between that a sophisticate can have both a beloved home and home that’s full of love.

It’s not easy to have a sophisticated home that is also full of life and ready for reality. Give life a change and you may find it’s more sophisticated than you thought.

Watch the video related to home decorating

]]> http://www.klexus.com/home-decorating-for-the-sophisticate.html/feed 9