Do you know what you would do in the event of disaster? Imagine trying to reconstruct your financial records after a house fire or computer failure—or your family guessing at your wishes during a medical emergency. While preparing for emergencies may not be pleasant, proactive planning can provide clarity and peace of mind when you, and your family, need it most.

Busey Wealth Management is pleased to offer a robust planning document, Message To My Loved Ones, that can help as a guide through difficult times. The information within this packet, designed to complement your estate plans and documents, provides basic, yet comprehensive, direction regarding your assets and accounts, important documents, trusted advisors, insurance policies and healthcare decisions for your family. We encourage you to talk to your financial advisor today to obtain a copy, helping you to consolidate your most important information.

When planning for the unexpected, communication is key. The Message To My Loved Ones is an excellent framework to begin discussions with family and friends about your wishes. By making sure your critical information is available when sharing your plans, you set a shared framework in case of disaster. We recommend reviewing your information annually, or in case of a significant event—marriage, divorce, birth of a child or grandchild, or receipt of a significant inheritance. Remember, you want your loved ones to understand that you care enough to share what is important.

After you have formalized your estate plan and communicated your wishes using this packet, consider granting someone authority to act on your behalf for property and healthcare decisions. You may wish to grant durable powers of attorney for property or healthcare to a trusted agent. Ensuring your agent has your information, and works well with your attorney, accountant, Busey Wealth Management advisor and other necessary professionals, will hopefully eliminate misunderstandings in a crisis.

As Henry Ford so accurately stated, “Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.” At Busey Wealth Management, we understand that coordinating your financial affairs—or those of a loved one—can be time consuming and confusing. That is why our team of nearly 100 professionals are equipped to help you proactively plan for the unexpected events in life. From preparing your Message to My Loved Ones to planning for generations, find out how we can develop a strategy to meet your unique needs.