7 Essential Questions to Ask Your Parents
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Tuesday, 02 February 2016
A few years ago, my Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cancer, which prompted some quick changes in our family as we were not prepared for a medical crisis. The first priority was to find the best medical care possible, meaning a sudden move from her cabin life in Northern Wisconsin to Minneapolis where she would have access to significantly more medical resources. My parents moved in with our family during her 6-month treatment plan, which was both a blessing and a challenge. I am happy to report that my mother is doing well and has been “cancer free” for a couple of years. However, the medical crisis made me realize the importance of getting in front of medical and financial matters before it is too late. We were fortunate that this was an opportunity to update her estate documents, organize her finances, and get a long-term medical plan in place. As I work with clients, I usually ask about their parent s’ health and finances. The most common response is that their parents don’t talk about money, they are too private to discuss finances, or that money was a taboo topic growing up.
