Vision Capital Management Financial Advisor Portland Oregon

Vision Capital Management has been providing clients financial planning and investment management services since 1999. Visit our site to find out more.

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      • Christopher Anissian
      • Katelyn Cummings, CFP®
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Jun 27 2025

Providing for Your Pets in Your Estate Plan

Before his death, Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld was accompanied everywhere by his beloved cat, Choupette. The beautiful snow-white feline was featured in product launches, had an Instagram account, and was the subject of two books. When Lagerfeld died in 2019, it was rumored that the cat had become one of the largest beneficiaries of his estate, estimated to be over $200 million.

Of course, you don’t need to be an ultra-wealthy fashion scion to care about the future of your pets. For many of us, our pets are more than animals – they are our family. But what happens to them if something happens to you?

Just like a human loved one, your pet depends on you. That’s why it is important to include them in your estate plan. Without clear direction, your pet’s future could be left to chance; but, with some foresight, you can ensure that they will continue to receive the love and care you want for them.

Here are a few suggestions of how you can protect your pet as part of your estate plan.

Choose a Caregiver

Designate someone you trust to care for your pet. Talk to them ahead of time to make sure they are willing and able to assume responsibility. When a person passes away, the authorities may have to default pet ownership to the next of kin, and if there haven’t been proper discussions prior, they may end up being rehomed. You may also want to consider a backup caregiver in the event that the first choice is unable to care for your pet.

Leave Detailed Instructions

Include information about your pet’s routines, medical needs, food preferences, and even personality quirks. If you have a trusted veterinarian, dog walker or pet sitter, be sure to include that information in your documentation as they may be able to provide perspective in your absence.

Set Aside Funds

You can leave money or property to your chosen caregiver with instructions for their use in caring for your pet. Alternatively, you can set up a pet trust, a legally enforceable way to provide money for your pet’s ongoing care.

Work with a Professional

An estate planning attorney can help you structure everything legally and effectively. They will likely have experience counseling clients and can share ways in which clients have accomplished this aspect of their legacy plan. While trusts for pets are legally recognized in most states, there may be variations in how they will be structured and enforced.

Planning for your pet is about love, responsibility, and peace of mind. It’s one more way to make sure your legacy reflects your values, and the lives that matter most to you.

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: ESTATE PLANNING, FINANCIAL ADVISOR, FINANCIAL PLANNING, PERSONAL FINANCE, RETIREMENT PLANNING, WOMEN · Tagged: estate plan, ESTATE PLANNING, FINANCIAL PLANNING, legacy planning, pets

May 29 2025

Support for Widows and Widowers

https://vcmi.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MariaSupportforWidowsWidowersmp4.mp4

 

Maria Malloy, CFP®, details the ways in which we support clients when grieving the loss of their spouse.

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: FINANCIAL ADVISOR, FINANCIAL PLANNING, RETIREMENT PLANNING, WOMEN · Tagged: financial advice, FINANCIAL PLANNING, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, money management, support for grieving spouses, WEALTH MANAGEMENT, widowers, widows

May 20 2025

Video: Financial Literacy for the Next Generation

https://vcmi.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GinaFinancialLiteracyfortheNextGenerationmp4.mp4

Gina Jacobson, CFP®, CDFA, shares ways to encourage financial literacy for the next generation of your family.

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: ESTATE PLANNING, FINANCIAL ADVISOR, PARENTING

May 01 2025

Transitioning to Retirement

Matthew Sheets, CFP®, details ways retirees can manage the shift into their new lifestyle.

https://vcmi.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MattTransitioningtoRetirementWS.mp4

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: 401K, FINANCIAL ADVISOR, FINANCIAL PLANNING, PERSONAL FINANCE, RETIREMENT PLANNING

Feb 28 2025

Cleaning and Organizing … the Swedish Way

There are many organizational methods for reducing our clutter and making our spaces more efficient, tidy, and serene. There is the “One-Touch Method” which bucks procrastination in favor of putting things away immediately after use, and the “Neat Method” which employs various color-coded containers and labeling for sorting and display. The KonMari method from Japan instructs organizers to ask themselves if their items still spark joy in them, and if not, to release the belongings with gratitude. And, yet another approach has risen in popularity, this time from Sweden, known as “döstädning,” or the translated “death cleaning,” which seeks to reduce clutter and stress from an aging person’s home and life.

While it may sound severe, the idea of döstädning is actually a very thoughtful and respectful exercise for both the individual and their loved ones. Contrary to KonMari, which centers on the individual’s attachment to their possessions, this approach asks how family and survivors will feel about the items left behind after a loved one’s death. Margareta Magnussen, author of “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning,” explains how employing döstädning can streamline an individual’s space and create a peaceful environment in which they can focus on what matters to them at that stage of life. The process of sorting and gifting belongings and communicating with family and friends about what they would like to have can often bring loved ones closer together, and may minimize the future burden on family members, allowing them to focus on grieving rather than a large clean-out project.

For those interested in the process of döstädning, professionals recommend the following:

  1. Tell your family about this process you are undertaking, what you hope to get out of the experience and ask them what items they would like to inherit from you.
  2. Start with your clothing and closets, sorting through what does and does not fit and what can be donated to charity.
  3. Declutter furniture, décor, and household items by room and then size, gifting functional pieces to family and friends and donating the rest.
  4. Address digital information and share details for important vendors such as your bank and insurance provider to your next of kin.
  5. Take stock of valuable jewelry and heirlooms and communicate with your insurance provider regarding appropriate coverage. Next, give some thought to who you will leave these items to and make those wishes apparent in your documents.
  6. Gather your paperwork and leave clear instructions regarding your will, advance health directive, power of attorney and any other related documents to your intended survivors.

While it may seem like a big undertaking, döstädning can give practitioners the chance to find memory and meaning in their possessions, as well as a sense of lightness and contentment when they let them go.

To connect with a client relationship manager, email info@vcmi.net.

Written by Liz Swagerty Olsen · Categorized: CHARITABLE GIVING, DIVORCE, ESTATE PLANNING, FINANCIAL ADVISOR, FINANCIAL PLANNING, PERSONAL FINANCE, RETIREMENT PLANNING, UNCATEGORIZED · Tagged: FINANCIAL PLANNING, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, Personal Finance, RETIREMENT PLANNING

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