September 2016 - Autumn Equinox

Today is the Autumn Equinox (well almost) which is the time in the Northern hemisphere when the length of the day and night become equal; it is the start of Astronomical Autumn. We usually say that it occurs on the 21st September but because of variations in the calendar and the movement of the earth and the stars it can occur at any time between the 20th and the 24th. This year in the UK it’s at 15.21 BST on 22nd September. The movement of the seasons is as predictable as life itself. We all know where we are in the passage of time though it is not something that we choose to dwell on. We like to live as if we are immortal but deep down we know that time is precious and that it ebbs away with each passing day. Three of my clients have died this year: the first was 88 and the second was 91, they lived life to the full and they made me feel uplifted each time we met. They are sadly missed but as my mother used to say: “they had had a good innings”. On the other hand my third client died last month at age 37 and this is tragic. She leaves behind a husband and two children. What has made it more tragic is that despite my attempts they were always “too busy” to review their finances. They were after all ‘immortal’, and who can blame them, I felt like that at 37 and I still do! She died with insufficient life insurance and no Will in place and I am helping the husband to sort things out as best as we can (a little like bolting the stable door). Money had to be borrowed from family in order to pay the £6000 for the funeral. PLEASE do not make the same mistake. Everyone needs to have their Will and Lasting Powers of Attorney in place and they need to be reviewed regularly. Your finances need to be organised and arranged using trusts if necessary and you need a pre-paid funeral plan in place. Many of my clients reading this will be feeling satisfied at this point because they can say that they already tick all of these boxes. However if you have yet to complete one or more do not delay and get in touch with us today. We know that the Equinox will occur within two days of the 22nd but death or disability is not so predictable.