I am thrilled to introduce you to the CICEA and let you know that I successfully completed the 30 hour on-line course offered by the Canadian Institute of Certified Estate Advisors and successfully completed the Certified Executor Advisor Examination.
As the first licensed Funeral Director in Ontario with the CEA designation, I can be a great resource to my clients and community.
Specifically I can:
- Assist the Testator before the death occurs to organize important papers and ensure that primary and secondary beneficiaries are named on life insurances, segregated funds, registered and non-registered assets where applicable.
- Advise the Testator on the valuation, protection or liquidation of property and other physical assets.
After the death occurs I can:
- Advise and assist the Executor through the arduous and lengthy process of closing an estate, or
- Act on their behalf for portions of closing the estate if required.
If you would like to know more about these services, please contact me at your earliest convenience. You can reach me by phone or email, leave a comment right here on the site, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this on the website.
Until next time,
Kat
Over the past few weeks, my elderly parents have been moving; discontinuing phone and cable, confirming moving details, etc. This resulted in a number of telephone messages. A couple of things became very apparent to me that I thought I would share with respect to how people can leave a good voice mail message.
Why is it important to name a beneficiary on our life insurance policy?
Do you Have Your Advance Care Plan in Place? An Advance Care Plan is a process of conversations and decisions while you are of capacity. Reflecting your values, beliefs, goals, wishes, resources and faith, an Advance Care Plan outlines your wishes concerning future care.
This month is the celebration of 100 years of Funeral Professionals. To the dedicated men and women who feel a sense of calling to become a funeral director, we salute you. Have you ever wondered why and how people become Funeral Directors here in Ontario?
The recent state funeral to honour the former Federal Finance Minister Mr. Jim Flaherty, peaked my interest as to how a State Funeral is organized in Canada.
Did you know Funeral Homes must provide you with a current price list that describes all the goods and service they offer and that this price list must be provided without cost or obligation? And, by law, all funeral homes must follow the same format in their price list. This assists the consumer to be able to compare and contrast the prices and selections fairly. However for many people the price list can still be confusing. The best way to directly compare cost, is to shop around ahead of time and work with the funeral home and licensed funeral director you are most comfortable with. Here are 9 ways to ensure you get the full value from your funeral plan. 
In December 2013, there were about 1.4 million unclaimed balances worth approximately $532 million dollars on the books with the Bank of Canada*. Unclaimed balances on deposit with the Bank of Canada include Canadian dollar deposits of a negotiable instrument issued or held by the federally regulated banks and trust companies. These funds can be in the form of a deposit account, bank draft, certified cheque, deposit receipts, money order, GIC, term deposit, credit card balance, or traveller’s cheque. Have you ever wondered if you have a dormant bank account?
My Father always said not to worry there is lots of life insurance. However when he died and I was helping my mom to close the estate, we could not find any life insurance policy. We looked in all the obvious places; safety deposit box, and important files at home, finding nothing. For all these years Dad had indicated that there was a fair amount of life insurance implying around $300,000.00. This is a lot of money and would make a tremendous difference for my mom. What can we do about locating missing life insurance policies?
I only want cremation so I don’t need a funeral home, right?