My own layman’s guide, born of my own experience and observations – Part 4

Expenses are easy. They happen under your control. You get to write them down as they happen.

The hard part is spending the money in accordance with the will and the law. There will be all kinds of reasons to break protocol, so to speak. There’s always an heir with a sob story. Somebody might need a loan. Somebody might propose perfectly rational non-stated items to spend on, or a perfectly rational alternative distribution schedule. Don’t do it! Stick to the script. The script was written by the deceased, in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey: as executor, your job is to follow through.

My own layman’s guide, born of my own experience and observations – Part 3

Everything that the deceased owned is an ASSET.

Some assets are easy to identify:  house, vacation house, rental property, furnishings inside the various houses, vehicle, antiques, gold bars, silver coins, “fine” jewelry/watches, “fine” artwork, “fine” china, etc.

Some assets are financial:  cash, bank account, annuity, 401K, IRA, mutual fund, bonds, etc.

Some assets are valuable, and need to be listed individually:  everything above.

Some assets only have sentimental value:  old worn slippers, costume jewelry, photos, framed jigsaw puzzles, ancient lawnmower, broken recliner, chipped dishes and glassware, stacks of magazines, drawers of letters, unfinished afghans, etc.