The Transparent Legacy

The Transparent Legacy

Conversations you must have with your loved ones before it’s too late.

In The Transparent Legacy, former Merriman advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Cheryl Curran provides advice and encouragement for some of the most important conversations you should be having with your loved ones. This first edition eBook covers topics from educating young children about money to talking with your spouse about spending, and making health care or end-of-life decisions. Through her own real-life experiences, and those of her clients, Cheryl shows what to do – and what not to do.

In every topic covered in these pages, a particularly important component is values. When is something more valuable than something else, and why? For example, is it more important to live longer or live more comfortably? Is it more important to spare yourself the discomfort of talking about your wishes for a funeral, or more vital to spare your adult children the job of having to agree among themselves about what you would have wanted.

 

One of my own strong values shaped this book, and I want to state it explicitly. You may agree or disagree, but I believe that most of the time, relationships matter more than money and more than things. As I point out in several chapters, the relationships you leave behind are an extremely prominent part of your legacy. This is the most overlooked part of estate planning. 

 

One of the greatest gifts you can give your loved ones is the opportunity to discuss the things in this book. It is not always easy, but I hope you will make the effort to do the best you can.

Mark Metcalf, CFP®

This book is so very helpful. So much financial and emotional turmoil could be avoided or at least greatly reduced if people would follow this time-tested and solid advice.

Phuc V. Dang, CPA, CFP®

This book provides a solid framework and starting point for having important conversations with your family – no matter what stage you are in life.

Lowell Lombardini Parker, CFP®

Cheryl does a fantastic job of presenting these fundamental conversations in clear, concise and comprehensible language. A quick read that will save you from countless financial and emotionally related pitfalls.