DiscoverThe Red Wagon Estate Planning & Elder Law ShowFacing the Fear: Why We Avoid Estate Planning and How to Move Forward
Facing the Fear: Why We Avoid Estate Planning and How to Move Forward

Facing the Fear: Why We Avoid Estate Planning and How to Move Forward

Update: 2025-07-31
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Description

What’s really behind the delay in drawing up your estate plan? For many people, it’s not time, money, or even complexity. It's fear. Fear of mortality, fear of making the wrong decision, fear of what might change, or fear of family conflict. 

With years of experience helping families through the legal and emotional challenges of estate planning, Jeff shares the most common anxieties that prevent people from planning for the future. He offers ways to reframe those fears and explains why a less-than-perfect, but flexible, plan is better than no estate plan at all.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

(00:00 ) Episode introduction 

(04:19 ) The main reason people don’t create an estate plan  

(05:47 ) Managing the stress of “what ifs” vs. peace of mind for yourself and your family 

(07:50 ) The legal and emotional cost of not having a power of attorney in place 

(09:54 ) What happens if you die without a plan or without an up-to-date plan?  

(11:44 ) An imperfect plan is better than no estate plan at all 

(14:57 ) A flexible estate plan can accommodate different contingencies 

(19:22 ) How to manage uncertain family dynamics 

(22:10 ) Plan to make sure your money lasts 

(23:24 ) Fear leads to procrastination, which leads to unintended consequences 

 

ABOUT BELLOMO & ASSOCIATES

Jeffrey R. Bellomo, the founder of Bellomo & Associates, is a licensed and certified elder law attorney with a master’s degree in taxation and a certificate in estate planning. He explains complex legal and financial topics in easy-to-understand language.

Bellomo & Associates is committed to providing education so that what happened to the Bellomo family doesn’t happen to your family. We conduct free workshops on estate planning, crisis planning, Medicaid planning, special needs planning, probate administration, and trust administration. Visit our website (https://bellomoassociates.com/) to learn more.

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED

Bellomo & Associates workshops:https://bellomoassociates.com/workshops/

  • Life Care Planning
  • The Three Secrets of Estate Planning
  • Nuts & Bolts of Medicaid

For more information, call us at (717) 845-5390.

Connect with Bellomo & Associates on Social Media

Tune in Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. Eastern to WSBA radio: https://www.newstalkwsba.com/

X (formerlyTwitter):https://twitter.com/bellomoassoc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BellomoAssociates

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/bellomoassociates

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/bellomoassociates/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bellomoandassociates

WAYS TO WORK WITH JEFFREY BELLOMO

Contact Us:https://bellomoassociates.com/contact/

Practice areas:https://bellomoassociates.com/practice-areas/

 

 

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Facing the Fear: Why We Avoid Estate Planning and How to Move Forward

Facing the Fear: Why We Avoid Estate Planning and How to Move Forward

Jeffrey Bellomo