Finding the value.. Why women need to play role in financial planning

This post is for the women out there that have said this about anything financial in their relationship..
"My husband takes care of all that stuff"
"He says we are taken care of"
"I don't have a clue so I stay out it"
....you get the idea.

Here's the reality..
- women usually out-live their husbands which means sooner or later they will be dealing with all the finances
- many elderly women are living off government programs such as CPP,OAS. Some relying on children, or forced to work part time if able to support themselves.
- Many women, working and stay at home moms are the main care providers for their children. This means interrupted working years, less income or no household income.
- Pensions at retirement may be minimal or not even available
- An illness or death can have a huge negative impact on immediate and future plans

- Denial is not a solution. Neither is living in fear. Being aware of certain vulnerabilities is first step, then we find ways to fill those gaps.
Once plans are in place, you can enjoy life, be healthy and enjoy your successes.

Many people do not want to discuss these topics.
So here is what I've decided to do. I am preparing to do seminars focusing on the need for all women to be involved in their future planning needs.
Health, Exercise and Security are going to be the 3 areas we will be discussing.

Stay tuned for the first seminar date. Coming soon
If you have any ideas you would like to share, please do.

Be well,
Karen

karen.divenanzo@sunlife.com
604-603-8571

Blog or Blog?

Call me Blogger challenged! I just remembered my password to this blog and the other day I started a wordpress blog. My question is which one should I use?
The purpose of my blog is to share stories on my life, real time advice on protecting your financial goals and just things on my mind.
So.. does it matter if the background looks pretty? Please help my challenged blog? It needs some TLC so it gets noticed and looks good with relative info. So people actually read it and maybe gain some knowledge to act in their own life.

Nice to meet you

Karen

karen.divenanzo@sunlife.com
604-603-8571

Early detection is key!

I have titled this "early detection is key" for a few reasons. When it comes to our health we think we are unstoppable. Of course, because why would you ever want to think you will get sick or injured? Living in constant fear is not the answer, nor is living in denial.

So.. the happy middle is where to be. Live your life the healthiest you can, monitor yourself by paying attention to anything that seems to be a little off. If something bothers you then go to a Doctor. I am not one to run to the dr for a little cold but I can assure you I would be there in a second if something seemed unusual. This is why.. my family's financial plan includes a "back up". If any of us were faced with a health crisis we will be ok.

And we were... in April 2007 my partner Tracy was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 34 yrs old. Chemo treatments, Surgeries, time off work, healing, emotional chaos... It all took a toll on us. Luckily though, it did not cause financial stress. Tracy had Critical illness insurance. She is in fantastic health now and you would never know she was ill. I have critical illness insurance and so does our 5yr old son. I do not plan on ever using mine or Nathan's. Great! because it will act like a forced savings for us. Meaning we will get all of our money paid into the plan back when we cancel it! Win win.

So the next time I hear of someone diagnosed with an illness or getting into a serious accident.. The first thing I say is I hope they have a plan to get through this. Because they most certainly will get through it. I just hope that they can with the least amount of stress.

Also, if you have a plan such as this, you will be more likely to detect early on. That makes all the difference in treatment and survival.

To health!

Karen
karen.divenanzo@sunlife.com

Please contact me if you would like more info on your own back up plan.

New Year - what's on your mind?

So it's been a long time.... 6 months of longer. So what have I been up to?
Trying to keep it all together and focus on my values and my goals. Life has funny ways of testing you all the time. Setting goals is one thing. Sticking to them is a whole other issue. Sometimes I think it would be easier to just go along and stay in the comfort zone. Nah, that is not fun at all. I choose to take challenges and work through them. You?

My career is a challenge every day. I have chosen to take the not-so-easy route. Talking about financial plans, planning for when you die, what do you want to happen if you get sick. Saving enough money for the long term plans while managing the day to day. These are the conversations I have every day. Many people do not like to discuss these issues and it's my job to help get the plans in place. Trust me I have a few stories I would like to share with you.

Here to help!

Best,
Karen

New Year - wha

Hard lessons in life....

I am a parent of a 4 yr old.. I catch myself saying "It's ok to make mistakes as long as we learn from them" Yes this is true in so many ways. Riding a bicycle takes practice.. You will probably fall a few times until you finally figure it out.
Accidentally breaking something.... accidents happen, what can we learn from them.

Can we also learn from other people's mistakes? Absolutely!
- Have you heard of someone dying without a Will? what has happened to their family?

- Have you also heard of someone dying without life insurance? yes and what has their family had to go through?

- Have you heard of someone getting sick or injured,not having adequate health insurance, how did they manage their bills?

- Have you heard of someone not planning their retirement properly? How will they manage to live off goverment programs?

Why make the same mistakes as these people? You are a smart person with responsibilities of your own. Great! If you have already thought of these crucial things and put plans in place. If not, start now. It is the only thing you can control.

Thanks for reading!

Karen
karen.divenanzo@sunlife.com
604-603-8571

Giving back...

This blog is about giving back to a cause I believe in.

For those of you who do not know, I am very involved with the ALS Society of BC and the ALS Society of Canada. Do you know what ALS is? If you do, you understand the seriousness of a diagnosis, the upset of how your life has changed because someone close to you has been diagnosed with ALS.

What is ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive, neuromuscular disease. It attacks the motor neurons that transmit electrical impulses from the brain to the voluntary muscles in the body. When these muscles fail to receive messages, they lose strength, atrophy and die.

ALS can hit anyone at any, time regardless of age, gender, or ethnic origin.

ALS does not affect the senses; only rarely does it affect the mind.
In 90% of cases, it strikes people with no family history of the disease.
Equipment costs for each patient average $137,000; nursing and home care costs can be up to 10 times this amount.

My Mom was diagnosed with ALS in 1998. She died in 1999. I was in my last year of University, 3 hrs away from home. I would come home every month to see a dramatic change in her. My Mom needed a feeding tube, she was unable to walk, talk, care for herself. The only thing she was able to do was smile with her eyes. She died suddenly in March 1999.
This is the reason I am involved with the Walk for ALS. We create awareness,raise funds for patient services and research.

This is also the reason I have chosen a career at Sunlife Financial. I help people plan for the life they always dream of. I also help people have plans in place to protect themselves and the ones they care about against the negative effects of ill health and death. No one expects to get ill, injured, become unable to work or die too young. Reality is, it happens! It is a terrible situation, however if you have one last thing to worry about (your finances) I am sure you/your family would be thankful you were thinking ahead.

We all have stories about things that affect us and what drives our actions. Now you know a little bit of my story.

Be well! Enjoy life

Karen:)

karen.divenanzo@sunlife.com
604-603-8571