GREENSBORO, NC—“If you want to see the ugliest of a family, watch them argue over money. It’s actually the worst part of my job,” says Certified Financial Planner Matt Logan.
You hate to think money could separate siblings, but I’m sure you’ve heard stories. Logan says it happens often when a will is read. He says part of the reason why is, there is no explaining from the grave.
“The biggest mistake people make is not communicating their plans to their heirs. The earlier you can have a family meeting and it's set up and people hear why, the better. If not, they’ll have questions and you can't explain it from there and hash out what your reasoning was.”
Logan also recommends dividing money equally among children.
He says he knows it's not popular - but it's the best way to keep the peace. And he says if you are leaving money to a known addict or a family member who gets federal assistance for disability, you’ll want to put the money in a trust for them.
