C’mon, admit it! You have more stuff than you need and probably more than you can use.  So how are you supposed to shed things you do not need when you have trouble letting go of it?

Statistics tell us that if something happened to you, your adult children would put 90% of your possessions in the dumpster! Ouch! They do this because it is the easiest way to deal with the physical and emotional burden.  Often, family heirlooms are discarded or donated because there was no Will and no instructions left for the family.

Even if you have relatively few possessions in your estate that have no real monetary value, they can have significant sentimental value. Regardless of the size of your estate or possessions, everyone should have a Will. Many times siblings end up fighting one another in court because their deceased parents did not leave a Will or share their final wishes with children.  These types of issues really are preventable.

The best way to ensure that legacy items are passed on to the next generation according to your wishes is to create an inventory. A documented inventory is a list of all the items you want to pass down.  It can be handwritten or created on a spreadsheet (printed and signed).  Each item should be listed with the family member to whom should receive the item.  For example,    Matt gets the grandfather clock, Jessica gets the silver tea set, Josh gets the antique desk, and so on. Be sure each family member gets an identical signed copy of the inventory list.

My sister and I were blessed by our mom’s preparedness and organization. She had most of the family heirlooms inventoried and who was to receive them in her Will.  She made the list known to us which relieved us of so much pressure and guessing on who should get what. In fact, in the final years of her life she found joy in giving some of the items to her children and grandchildren.  She found real peace in knowing those family treasures were given to those she intended.

For all of us, our days are numbered. There are things you can do now to make those days focused on what really matters.  Downsize your possessions and inventory the items to be passed on to the next generation.  That way your family will have no reason to worry or fight over the things you leave behind.

Remember, you can’t take it with you.

Have you ever seen a hearse pulling a trailer?