Thanks to Cynthia Smoot of Fox Tampa Bay for her great story on planning for your pets! Thanks to friends Don and Dana Ibold for sharing their story. Thank you to every pet owner who cares enough to plan for their pets. This story features me ( Peggy Hoyt) and my furry faced kid family.
If you haven't made plans for your pets, the time is now. It can be as simple or complex as you desire. Leave your pet to a trusted family member or friend. Create a pet trust to ensure your pets have care for the rest of their lives. Consider a perpetual care facility if you don't have trusted family or friends. There are lots of options. Our pets are like our children, they deserve to have a secure future.
How to provide for pets in your will
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
How to Have "The Talk" | Words to Use -- and Avoid | Caring.com
This is one of the hardest things to do with our aging parents - "have the talk" - whatever the topic. This is good advice. Let me know what you think. Peggy Hoyt
How to Have "The Talk" | Words to Use -- and Avoid | Caring.com
How to Have "The Talk" | Words to Use -- and Avoid | Caring.com
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Just Released! The Pet Lover's Guide to Mediation by Peggy Hoyt
Just released and now available on Amazon in Kindle - The Pet Lover's Guide to Mediation written by Peggy Hoyt
You can order your copy for download today! Only $2.99!
The Pet Lover’s Guide to Mediation is a first-of-its-kind glimpse into the world of how mediation can successfully be used to resolve pet related disputes. Disputes related to pets could include pet custody (especially in a divorce or separation), landlord and tenant issues, boarding, breeding or grooming contract disagreements, pet lemon law violations, and veterinary malpractice, just to name a few.
You can order your copy for download today! Only $2.99!
The Pet Lover’s Guide to Mediation is a first-of-its-kind glimpse into the world of how mediation can successfully be used to resolve pet related disputes. Disputes related to pets could include pet custody (especially in a divorce or separation), landlord and tenant issues, boarding, breeding or grooming contract disagreements, pet lemon law violations, and veterinary malpractice, just to name a few.
The court system isn’t designed to address the unique concerns of
pets and their owners. Not all disputes
can be resolved by the payment of money.
When pets are involved, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking are
required to craft a solution that works to the advantage of all parties – but
especially the pets.
Pets are family too! When
they have legal issues that can’t be easily resolved, mediation may be the
answer. The Pet Lover’s Guide to
Mediation answers your questions about the mediation process and how you can
use it to your greatest advantage.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The Kitty Who Walked 200 Miles Home: The Science Behind Your Cat's Inner Compass | TIME.com
The stories of animals who make it hundreds and sometimes even thousands of miles to reunite with their owners are miraculous. Here's another one.
The Kitty Who Walked 200 Miles Home: The Science Behind Your Cat's Inner Compass | TIME.com
The Kitty Who Walked 200 Miles Home: The Science Behind Your Cat's Inner Compass | TIME.com
Friday, February 15, 2013
What a Tangled Web We Leave - WSJ.com
This lengthy and informative article has a lot of good suggestions for avoiding some of the problems that can be faced when a loved one dies. One of the newest and biggest problems is the inability to access online accounts for financial transactions if you don't know the usernames and passwords.
We recommend keeping an accessible list of all usernames and passwords so your loved ones can easily access your online financial information. In the soon to be released "Straight Talk! What to Do When Someone Dies" authors Peggy Hoyt and Debbie Roser discuss a number of suggestions for making sure loved ones don't have to face the "morbid scavenger hunt" when someone dies.
I strongly disagree with one bit of advice found in this article. The author makes a number of suggestions for adding a spouse's name to individually owned property. This may or may not be good advice. There may be second or blended marriage reasons for not adding a spouse's name. There are asset protection issues to think about before adding another person's name to anything, not to mention possible gift tax, documentary stamp tax or other tax reasons to consider. Adding another person's name to an asset just to avoid probate is not a wise decision. Probate has been labeled as a "four letter word" when probate actually serves a valuable purpose - identifying assets, paying creditors and making proper distributions in accordance with a person's written instructions - their Last Will. Joint ownership can cause uncertainty and result in unintended beneficiaries if all of the possible ramifications are not explored.
Before taking any advice from an article or a well-meaning friend, consult with your trusted estate planning counsel.
What a Tangled Web We Leave - WSJ.com
We recommend keeping an accessible list of all usernames and passwords so your loved ones can easily access your online financial information. In the soon to be released "Straight Talk! What to Do When Someone Dies" authors Peggy Hoyt and Debbie Roser discuss a number of suggestions for making sure loved ones don't have to face the "morbid scavenger hunt" when someone dies.
I strongly disagree with one bit of advice found in this article. The author makes a number of suggestions for adding a spouse's name to individually owned property. This may or may not be good advice. There may be second or blended marriage reasons for not adding a spouse's name. There are asset protection issues to think about before adding another person's name to anything, not to mention possible gift tax, documentary stamp tax or other tax reasons to consider. Adding another person's name to an asset just to avoid probate is not a wise decision. Probate has been labeled as a "four letter word" when probate actually serves a valuable purpose - identifying assets, paying creditors and making proper distributions in accordance with a person's written instructions - their Last Will. Joint ownership can cause uncertainty and result in unintended beneficiaries if all of the possible ramifications are not explored.
Before taking any advice from an article or a well-meaning friend, consult with your trusted estate planning counsel.
What a Tangled Web We Leave - WSJ.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)