I've been doing this 25 years. COVID-19 obviously brought around some things that were first-time experiences for everybody.
I had a client call me from the emergency room, the Covid emergency room. She tells me that her husband is probably not going to make it. They were in the middle of completing their documents: their estate plan, their will, power of attorneys, all these things. The paperwork was not complete. I had no idea what to do. This has never happened to me before. Because of COVID restrictions, attorneys were not allowed to go in and meet with clients inside. There was no electronic signature. We are in the middle of completing the process. So the best thing I knew to tell her was, you call my cell phone right now and you tell me what you want to happen should your husband not make it. I still have that message on my cell phone to this day. It really reiterates and reminds me of the power and the importance of what we do.
It is also a reminder to encourage other clients to complete the process. So many people get started and life inevitably happens and they do not finish. And this was a prime example of that. These folks had done everything right, but life just happened. It's just an important reminder that we're never promised tomorrow. We're all riding up and down the road in a car and it's just very, very critical to get these things done. They're not fun. Nobody likes to do it. But, luckily that one wound up okay.
-- Scotty Neal
LPL Financial Planner
Senior Partner
Guided Wealth Partners
Phone: 615-991-2540
Email: scotty.neal@lpl.com