By Colin Barrett, Director, Ancojada Group
Today marks the arrival of “Twelfth Night”, the date when we put away all the trappings of Christmas. The tree, tinsel, cards, decorations; all will be packed away, then brought out again ahead of Christmas 2022.
More difficult to pack away perhaps are the remains of the festive fayre that we have been indulging in (to excess in my case) over the past weeks. The box of chocolates with some tasty treats remaining, the half-empty tub of fruit and nuts, the box of biscuits that hasn’t been opened yet; all of these tempt us to keep that Christmas feeling going for “just a little longer”.
As someone with a weakness for chocolate biscuits, it was particularly painful to discover a distant “best before date” that meant they would still be good for our next big family celebration at Easter!
This Christmas season was, of course, very different from the year ago. We were able to surround ourselves with our loved ones once again, coming together for comfort and celebration, an optimism for better times ahead after two years of struggle and challenges.
It struck me that perhaps some of the motivations that prompt us to keep hold of the feeling of Christmas long after the event, are also the reasons why we don’t always tackle other important life matters that have a direct impact on those we love.
With the edible “trappings” of Christmas, we instinctively know the right thing to do is to pack away those biscuits for later rather than “pack them away onto our waistlines” right now. We really should be starting that diet or perhaps get back into the gym to restore our pre festive-season fitness level.
As it is with Christmas, it is perhaps the same when considering protecting the inheritance we will one day leave our loved ones. We know that making a will is one of the most important things we can do for them, yet (according to a recent Canada Life survey) over half of adults in the UK do not have a valid will.
Why is it so difficult to tackle these issues now, rather than procrastinating and delaying? Why don’t we store those biscuits away and start the diet? Why don’t we stop distracting ourselves with “more pleasant” pastimes rather than sitting down to plan our wills? We know that it is right to do both, and we also know when we tackle them we will feel a lot better…a lot fitter… both physically and financially.
At Ancojada we have designated this year as “The Year of The Will”. We are committed to helping people to plan their wills properly, get that paperwork done, so they and their loved ones can relax knowing that their inheritance is secure. We have also launched “The Better Wills Campaign” which is so very much needed because it is a sad fact that many wills written are no longer valid, or simply haven’t been written to fully protect assets for the beneficiaries.
So, at the end of this festive season, as we look forward with optimism and hope for a better 2022 and beyond, can I finish by wishing you the happiest and healthiest of years ahead, and by asking you to consider the following three questions…
1. Have you already made a will?
2. Do you know if it is up to date and still valid?
3. Does it fully protect your loved ones?
If the answer to any of those questions is “no” or “I am not sure”, then I would love to have a chat with you?
Drop me a line by replying to this email, call me on 01733 259079 or visit http://www.checkyourwill.com/ and let’s start the new year in a really positive way.
Oh….and if you call and I take a while answering, it is probably because I am finishing a mouthful of chocolate biscuit!
Ancojada Limited is not authorised or regulated to provide financial advice.
All financial advice is provided by other regulated businesses.
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