Prepared In Every Way

Archive for August, 2009

FORECASTS & TRENDS E-LETTER
By Gary D. Halbert
August 25, 2009

“Death Panels” Aside, End-of-Life Planning Is Important

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. The “Death Panel” Controversy

2. Untimely Death – An Unpopular Subject

3. Most Survivors Are Unprepared

4. Getting Your Affairs in Order

5. Leaving a Written Record

6. Special Offer for My Readers

7. Conclusions – Be Prepared

8. Personal: Central/South Texas in Record Drought

Introduction

You’d have to be living on a desert island lately to not be aware of the “Death Panel” controversy surrounding the health care reform bill. Former Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin, first made the news with the assertion that a panel of bureaucrats would have the power to make life and death decisions regarding the rationing of the limited supply of health care. Thus, the theory goes, anyone not deemed “worthy” of treatment could be denied expensive drugs or medical treatments.

As discussions about Death Panels spread like wildfire, liberals and their mainstream media lapdogs howled at this accusation. Palin, usually a favorite target of the loony left and liberal media, initiated such a national furor that the provisions discussing Medicare reimbursement for end-of-life counseling have been dropped, or so we are told.

So far, I have refrained from commenting too much on the ever-changing health care reform proposals, although it has been so tempting since there is so much information and mis-information about the various proposals already in the news and on the Internet. Suffice it to say that you simply can’t add the care of 46 million uninsured individuals to the existing number of health care providers and not create shortages (rationing) at some point.

This week, however, I would like to point out that the Death Panel discussion may be having an ancillary positive effect, no matter which side of the health care debate you land on. I have seen numerous articles and Internet blog discussions about how Palin’s (and many others’) remarks have increased interest about the importance of end-of-life planning, which is a positive benefit from my point of view.

I will also revisit several important end-of-life financial planning issues that I have covered in the past that everyone should consider, just in case the unthinkable happens. I will also tell you how you can obtain a very helpful resource entitled, “All They’ll Need To Know” that will help you prepare for the time when you will no longer be around to make your wishes known.

Untimely Death – An Unpopular Subject

Much of the recent end-of-life attention has centered on the need for a “living will,” which the MedicineNet.Com website defines as “… one form of advance medical directive…pertaining to treatment preferences and the designation of a surrogate decision-maker in the event that a person should become unable to make medical decisions on their own behalf.” Both I and members of my staff have had to deal with end-of-life issues with terminally ill parents, so we know the value of this service first-hand.

However, you shouldn’t stop there. Living wills are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to planning for survivors. There are many financial, legal and family issues that should be addressed prior to death or becoming incapacitated to help take some of the pressure off of a surviving spouse or other loved ones.

No one likes to talk about death, and many people put off planning for this contingency for that reason. Most young people think that death is a long way away, so they do nothing in the way of planning. Yet people of all ages are killed every day in accidents. The survivors of premature deaths are usually the hardest hit, because the death comes as much more of a surprise. That’s why it’s very important to plan for the possibility of an untimely death, even if you are young and healthy.

Also note that in this E-Letter, I will refer to the “financial partner” as the person who primarily handles the family finances, and the “non-financial partner” as the one who is usually not aware of all of the financial details.

Unprepared Survivors

In the financial services business, we have more than our fair share of widows and widowers who come to us without a clue as to what kinds of investments they and their late spouse owned, how much was invested, or how and where the assets are held. They are not alone. I have read in the past that over 90% of survivors are not fully prepared for an untimely death.

This isn’t surprising given how many families handle their financial affairs. In many cases, one spouse is in charge of the checkbook, investments and most importantly, filing of important papers. The other spouse is often minimally involved, signing on the dotted line when necessary and generally knowing where important records are, but not familiar with the details.

Unfortunately, the non-financial partner is sometimes that way by choice. I have talked to many couples where the husband or wife will say that the finances are the other partner’s responsibility, and they don’t care to know anything about them. In other cases, the financial partner intentionally keeps the other partner in the dark. This is especially prevalent with single individuals, who are often reluctant to share their financial information with someone else, even a family member.

Add to this lack of knowledge the shock and grief that accompanies an untimely death and you have a recipe for a financial disaster. And then it gets worse: Widows and widowers are often preyed upon by unscrupulous scam artists who offer help in time of need, but end up taking advantage of bereaved survivors whose judgment may be clouded by sorrow.

Yet, most of these problems are almost totally preventable. Just by taking a little time to document the financial details that pertain to your family can save hours of searching, not to mention the emotional strain coming from being thrust into the financial role without any preparation.

Gather and Organize Your Information

My first bit of advice may sound too simplistic, but it is to gather your financial information into one place: a file cabinet, bank safe deposit box or other suitable storage medium. It is amazing to me how many different places financial information is kept in many families. Some have part of their information at their office, other parts at home, some in a file cabinet, some in a dresser drawer, some in all of the above, etc., etc. There are times when survivors find important documents only by accident, and sometimes many years after death.

There’s no wonder why many survivors have a hard time figuring out what their financial situation is, because they are having a hard time finding all of the information, much less sorting it out. An article I recently read (http://www.unclaimedassets.com) estimated that more than 25% of life insurance benefits are not paid because beneficiaries didn’t know a policy existed. How sad!

When deciding where to store your important financial information, be careful about using bank safe deposit boxes. In some cases, banks will freeze access to safe deposit boxes upon notification of the death of the holder. This can be true even if the box is jointly owned with right of survivorship. Therefore, access to any important paperwork kept in the safe deposit box could be significantly delayed. If it is necessary to keep original documents in a safe deposit box, you should make copies of them to access if death occurs when banks are closed or access to the box is restricted.

Getting Your Affairs in Order

Once you have gathered all of your financial materials together in one place, it’s time to review them and get them in order. By getting them in order, I don’t mean alphabetizing them or putting them in nice neat file folders. What I mean is that you should review your overall financial situation and make sure that it reflects your current and long-term plans. Specifically, I would recommend that you do the following:

1. Update your will. If you don’t have a will, get one ASAP. It is also very important to update your will periodically. Estate laws change periodically and differ from state to state. I recommend that you consult a competent attorney who specializes in estate planning for this, even if your estate is not expected to be large enough to trigger an estate tax.

I do not recommend using do-it-yourself resources to do your will because they can never tailor a document to fit all of the intricacies of most families, and this is especially true when it comes to blended families. Plus, since estate planning law changes frequently, websites and books will not always notify you when your document needs to be revised, but a good attorney will.

2. Make sure all of your assets are titled correctly. The way assets are titled has an effect on how they transfer upon your death. For example, a bank account held by two people as “joint tenants” transfers differently than if it were jointly owned with “right of survivorship.” However, consult with your attorney regarding titling issues as there are some risks involved when naming other owners to your accounts.

In addition, it is important to keep your information current and updated. For example, if you have recently married, you may want to add your spouse to the account, unless it is intended to be separate property in community property states. Or, you may have remarried and want to remove an ex-spouse from the title of an asset.

If you have established trusts as part of an estate plan, it will be important to make sure that any assets that are part of these trusts are also titled correctly. Trusts are a key element of estate plans, and you will need a good attorney to help you with this.

3. Make sure contractual beneficiary designations are current. Life insurance, annuities, retirement plans and IRAs can all be transferred contractually by naming a beneficiary. This means that the proceeds are transferred outside of the will and need not go through probate. However, this makes it even more important to keep these beneficiary designations updated.

If you have recently married, or if one or both parents are deceased, you will need to replace parents or other family members as beneficiaries of your insurance policies. Just as important, if you have divorced, you may want to remove your ex-spouse as beneficiary, unless your divorce decree requires otherwise. It is not uncommon for insurance proceeds to be paid to an ex-spouse just because a person never got around to changing the policy beneficiary.

Under most retirement plans, the current spouse is required to be the beneficiary of death benefits, but this is not always the case for IRAs. Therefore, you will also want to make sure your IRA beneficiary is current. It is also important to name contingent beneficiaries should the primary beneficiary predecease you.

4. Make sure you have a “financial power of attorney.” A financial power of attorney simply empowers a trusted individual to manage your financial affairs should you become incapacitated. It takes effect at such time that you can no longer handle your own business affairs, and ceases upon your recovery or death.

In addition to the financial power of attorney, it is important to note any automatic payments you may have set up to be withdrawn from your checking account. If deposits are no longer made into the account, these automatic withdrawals could bounce, possibly affecting utilities, insurance coverage, debt payments, etc.

If you pay your bills via the Internet, then it is also important to make that known, as well as the user ID and password for your financial power of attorney designee or survivor to use to access your banking information and pay bills as they become due.

5. Make your wishes known. This piece of advice is obviously not limited to financial issues, but it is vitally important to make your wishes known when transferring financial holdings or any other asset with significant value upon death. While I have noted above how many financial instruments can have joint ownership with right of survivorship, or carry the ability to name a beneficiary, there are other items of value that may not be able to be transferred as easily, such as family heirlooms, antiques, valuable collections, personal items, etc.

In those cases, it is imperative that you state your wishes clearly in either a will or living trust. I think this is especially true today when there are so many “blended families” made up of children united by remarriage of the parents. What may be a family heirloom to one child could be a valuable commodity at the local pawnshop to another. It happens.

Another very important item to consider in this process is the disposition of financial assets. Whether those financial assets are stocks, bonds, investment or security accounts, or real estate, it is important for the financial partner to leave instructions as to how they should be handled upon death.

We often get calls from widows who are now trying to sort through the family investments and determine what they should do with them. Sometimes these callers are in a near-panic trying to make decisions about assets they know little or nothing about. Had the financial partner left clear written instructions, this confusion could be avoided. Thus, it is critically important for the financial partner to consider the level of sophistication of the non-financial partner, and leave written instructions for the disposition of assets accordingly.

Along this line, I am sad to report that survivors are often targeted by brokers and insurance salesmen and even bankers who offer financial help, but are really out to liquidate all assets and put them into products that will generate commissions or fees for them. From my experience, it is rare that every single investment should be liquidated upon the death of one partner, yet we often hear from survivors who have been given this very advice.

Therefore, an important part of getting your affairs in order should include the knowledge that your survivors will likely be targeted by the financial services industry and others, so you should leave very specific instructions as to how each asset should be handled.

6. Note all important contacts. There are some who successfully go through all of the prior steps in getting their affairs in order, only to fail to make a list of important contacts for their surviving partner. This list should contain the names, addresses and phone numbers of all important contacts. From a financial perspective, these should include your bankers, brokers, insurance agent, attorney, accountant, and financial and investment advisors. You should also include user names and passwords for websites where you have made any financial or investment transactions or have accounts.

This list is important because while the surviving spouse may be able to find all of the insurance policies and account statements, he or she may be totally lost as to how to proceed from there. Having a complete list of contact information will be very comforting during this time of great emotional stress for the survivors.

Write It All Down

Once you have all of your affairs in order and organized where they can be found, it is important that you document all of this in a concise manner. This documentation will serve as a guidepost for your survivors to let them know what assets you have, where they are located and how they should be treated. It is not enough to just tell the other partner about these issues and hope they remember. As the old saying goes, “a short pencil is better than a long memory.”

There are various methods of documenting everything your survivors will need to know. The simplest is a letter to the surviving partner detailing where all of the important papers are and how they should be handled. However, it is sometimes hard to think of everything to put into the letter, and a letter that does cover everything may be so long that it’s overwhelming.

Others keep a summary file folder along with their other important papers that contains copies of statements for assets, special instructions, important contacts, etc. The summary file approach is usually easier to update than rewriting an entire letter to address changes.

I don’t recommend either of these approaches. I have always recommended a more detailed method of keeping track of your assets and leaving detailed instructions for your loved ones when you are gone. There are various products on the market for doing so. However . . .

Back in 2005 I ran across one of the most useful and thoughtful financial tools I have ever seen to help organize all of the important items necessary to pass on to loved ones in case of an untimely death. It’s a booklet entitled ALL THEY’LL NEED TO KNOW from Emerson Publications. I was so impressed with this planning tool that I negotiated the right to reprint them and offered them to my clients and E-Letter subscribers.

To put it mildly, the response was HUGE! We mailed out thousands of booklets to clients and readers, many of whom had their own stories to tell about how a previous death showed them the need for such a resource.

All They’ll Need To Know provides checklists that cover virtually every piece of information you would need to pass on to surviving loved ones. This format is superior to a letter, in that it allows you to simply enter information into a template. You can even provide information on who you want to receive your special personal possessions, and even details about the funeral service you would like to have. Believe it or not, these small things are sometimes some of the most stressful decisions that survivors must make.

We still have a very limited supply of these printed booklets available, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis. Just complete our online request form to get your own copy while they last.

As a practical matter, the printed booklet has limitations in that personal preferences and financial information change over time, especially for younger individuals. Thus, mark-outs and erasures are common, which can also lead to confusion. Plus, in our electronic age, much of our personal information is now kept on our computers. Fortunately, Emerson Publications also has a Microsoft Word version available that is much easier to update.

I have managed to negotiate with Emerson Publications on the electronic version of the All They’ll Need To Know booklet so that my clients and readers can purchase it at a discounted price of only $16.99. I am delighted to be able to share this with you, as this is something we all need and can make use of.

To obtain your discount on the electronic version of All They’ll Need To Know, click on the following special Emerson Publications link. This web page has been specially designed for my clients and readers so the discount is automatically incorporated. Note that neither I nor my firm receives any part of the purchase price of this software, nor are we compensated in any other way. Here’s the link:

http://emersonpublications.com/index.php?pr=ATNTK-Halbert&nosessionkill=1

Or, if you prefer, you can request one of our remaining printed copies of the booklet by either giving us a call at 800-348-3601 or by completing one of our online request forms. There is absolutely no charge for the printed version, but the supply is limited. When they’re gone, they’re gone and we will not be reprinting them.

Once you receive your booklet in the mail or via download, I encourage you to complete it soon, and then let your spouse or other loved one know where it will be kept. Since the booklet will contain some of your most sensitive information, you should select a keeping place that is safe and secure. Plus, be sure to completely erase the electronic version from old computers before you sell, trade or discard them.

It is also important that you review the information in your All They’ll Need To Know booklet at least annually to make sure all information is current. Outdated records can be just as confusing as no records at all.

Conclusions

As I stated at the beginning of this article, I wanted to keep my comments non-political and generally focused on basic end-of-life financial matters. There are many other estate planning and family considerations to be made in addition to the above items, including deciding guardianship of minor children, setting up and maintaining trusts, establishing a succession plan for sole proprietors, funeral expenses, etc. However, all of these are far beyond the scope of this short E-Letter, and most require the services of a qualified attorney and CPA.

Suffice it to say that there are many financial, legal, and family issues to be considered upon a person’s death. These issues can either be dealt with prior to death through careful planning with qualified professionals, or left to bereaved survivors who will have to face these issues during a period of great stress and turmoil.

If you are reading this E-Letter, it is likely that you are the financial partner in your family. If so, I suggest you carefully consider the suggestions I have given and take steps to inform and protect your loved ones upon your death. I also encourage you to order the All They’ll Need To Know booklet and complete it with the help of your non-financial partner. This will help him or her see the importance of becoming involved in the family finances.

While the subject matter of this week’s E-Letter may be less than cheerful, it is nonetheless important, especially in terms of long-term financial and estate planning. We all know that none of us are guaranteed to see tomorrow, so pre-death planning is an important consideration for anyone who wants to make it easier for their surviving loved ones.

That’s all on that subject for now. I hope this helps.

Personal: Central/South Texas in Record Drought

As you may have heard, the central and southern parts of Texas, where my family and I live, are in the grips of the worst drought on record. During 2009, we have received only a fraction of the rainfall we normally receive, and this comes on the heels of a greatly reduced year in 2008. You can see from the following link that the drought is “exceptional” (ie – worst ever) in this part of Texas, with no end in sight: http://www.ndmc.unl.edu/DM/MONITOR.HTML

Long-time clients and readers will recall that we live outside Austin on Lake Travis, arguably the most pristine, picturesque and clearest lake in this part of the country. It is 65 miles long with depths up to 200 feet, and 120 feet at the deepest point where we live. The lake provides water supplies for Austin and other surrounding areas. The lake is now down 50 feet from normal and is dropping at the rate of more than two feet per week. It is a real hike over rocks to get to our boat dock, which we move further out as the water level drops.

Adding to the drought, we have had a record heat wave this summer. As of today, we have had over 60 days of 100+ degree heat this summer. Everyone in this region of Texas is under mandatory water rationing which is on-track to get even worse, as there is no meaningful rain in the forecast. I am struggling to keep our grass and landscape alive on our five acre property. The good news is, some weather forecasters believe that “La Niña” could bring some major drought relief to Texas sometime this fall, and at least the days are getting shorter.

Other than the drought, things are all well and good with the Halbert family. The kids are back in school now; my son is a sophomore engineering major in college and earned an academic scholarship at the end of his freshman year; my daughter is a Senior in high school this year and was awarded “student of the year” honors last year by the school faculty and administration.

As always, I am most grateful for my loving family, my many loyal clients and to all of you who faithfully read these weekly E-Letters. Your comments and suggestions are always appreciated.

Very best regards,

Gary D. Halbert

SPECIAL ARTICLES:

Brookings “Experts” Admit Stimulus a Bust:

http://www.aim.org/briefing/brookings-experts-admit-stimulus-a-bust

Buy-and-hold strategy losing grip on investors

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-trading25-2009aug25,0,2266089.story

Why Obama Appointed Bernanke to a New Fed Term

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1918422,00.html

Forecasts & Trends E-Letter is published by ProFutures, Inc. Gary D. Halbert is the president and CEO of ProFutures, Inc. and is the editor of this publication. Information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed as to its accuracy. Opinions and recommendations herein generally reflect the judgement of Gary D. Halbert, Mike Posey (or another named author) and may change at any time without written notice. Market opinions contained herein are intended as general observations and are not intended as specific investment advice. Readers are urged to check with their investment counselors before making any investment decisions. This electronic newsletter does not constitute an offer of sale of any securities. Gary D. Halbert, ProFutures, Inc., and its affiliated companies, its officers, directors and/or employees may or may not have investments in markets or programs mentioned herein. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. Reprinting for family or friends is allowed with proper credit. However, republishing (written or electronically) in its entirety or through the use of extensive quotes is prohibited without prior written consent.

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ProFutures, Inc.
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Austin, Texas 78738

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ATTORNEY’s ADVICE – NO CHARGE

Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice! A corporate attorney sent the following out to the
employees in his company:

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put ‘PHOTO ID REQUIRED.’

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card
accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the ‘For’ line. Instead, just put
the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the
number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it
passes through all the check processing channels won’t
have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your
home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your
home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work
address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it
is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get
it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides
of each license, credit card, etc.
You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the
account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel….
Keep the photocopy in a safe place.
I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel
either here or abroad.
We’ve all heard horror stories about fraud that’s
committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security
number, credit cards.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first hand knowledge
because my wallet was stolen last month… Within a week,
the thieves ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package,
applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved
to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to
change my driving record information online, and
more.

But here’s some critical information to limit the
damage in case this happens to you or someone you
know:

5. We have been told we
should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is
having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so
you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find
them.

6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction
where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to
credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step
toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here’s what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)

7. Call the 3 national credit reporting
organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and
also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never
heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to
tell me an application for credit was made over the internet
in my name.

The alert means any company that checks your credit knows
your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by
phone to authorize new credit.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks
after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are
records of all the credit checks initiated by the
thieves’ purchases, none of which I knew about before
placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been
done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend
(someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead
in their tracks..

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about
your wallet, if it has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

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We recently had an opportunity to spend a week in Cairo, Egypt. A family member was there on business and invited us to join him and his family. We decided on Sunday that we would commit to going, and had to prepare quickly because our flight was leaving three days later, on Wednesday. It’s probably one of the most spontaneous things I’ve ever done in my life, and a week of memories that I would have regretted not making! I pride myself on being prepared for just about everything, but was made even more aware on this trip. I thought this information might be helpful to you, no matter where your travels take you.

1. Internet Usage. I travel with a netbook that’s equipped with Skype, and was looking forward to the ability to make calls to friends back home just to say, “Hey, I rode a camel today!” We stayed in a beautiful conference center hotel, but the internet was only available if you paid by the hour, and even dial-up was only available if you upgraded to a deluxe suite. We really weren’t in our room more than to shower and sleep, so we passed on the upgrade, and I stayed in touch with family there and at home via email and texting on my Blackberry.

2. Know how to use your phone in another country. Unless you want a big surprise on your phone bill next time, be sure to get international calling and data packages. Then, instead of just thinking you can pick up the phone and call whoever you want, realize that you need to know HOW to do that. When we got to the airport and wanted to call the hotel for a pickup, we didn’t know the country code for Egypt, or the city code for Cairo. We ended up paying 65 Egyptian Pounds (about $15 US) to take a cab to our hotel when we could have gotten a f.r.e/e/ shuttle if we could have made the call.

3. Traveling with others. Stay at the same hotel. My daughter and family were staying at a hotel being paid for by my son-in-law’s company. I didn’t want to pay the $180 US per night, and found this conference center for $100 US per night. It was a considerable savings, and the travel agent told me that our hotels were only 2 kilometers apart. Turns out we were a 20 minute cab ride apart that cost us 40 Egyptian Pounds (about $8 US) each way. It would have been so nice if we’d have been right there so we could have just walked back and forth to see each other.

4. Understand the currency exchange. Egyptian money just seemed to blow out of our hands. With $100 LE being worth about $20 US, it seems like you’re spending a lot of money starting out. I spent the week calculating and dividing prices by 5 to see what the value is in US. Here’s a site for learning more about the conversion from US to any other currency: http://www.xe.com/ucc/

5. Will you need medication? I always carry a supply of over-the-counter medications with me so I’m ready for anything. I woke up with a sore throat the day after we rode the camel and went inside the pyramid. I carry a Z-Pack (antibiotics) with me, just in case. I won’t take it unless I am so sick it knocks me off my feet, but at least I have it. I can’t imagine trying to get medical care in Egypt. Other meds that are good to carry are something for colds, allergies, and every traveler’s nightmare: diarrhea.

6. Prescription medication. Keep it in the original bottles so there are no questions asked about the content. Be sure to bring more than you need for the trip – you never know how circumstances may change.

7. Clothing. Bring clothes to be prepared for anything. I always carry a skirt and appropriate shoes/sandals. I never wore them, but wanted them in case we went somewhere with a dress code. I brought a long sleeved shirt in case evenings were cool. I keep a windbreaker in my suitcase for every trip. I rarely use it, but it’s always there.

8. Shoes. I pack clothes that will generally all work with one pair of shoes. I wore my Crocs on the plane. (Easy to slip off and on at airport security.) They are the best for sightseeing because they are comfortable. I also brought flip flops and wore them a few times. I brought tennis shoes, thinking I’d use the workout facility at the hotel, but we did so much walking during the day that I didn’t feel the need. I packed sandals for the skirt, but never wore them, either. I could have worn the flip flops with that skirt and would have probably been fine.

9. Electricity. Make sure you have electric converters and the proper plugs for any electronics you bring. I took a converter package with us, but only one of the plugs worked. With two cell phones, camera batteries and a netbook to keep charged, we had to take turns charging until we picked up another set.

10. Batteries. Bring extra batteries for cameras, etc. My camera battery charges in a wall charger, so in the evenings, I removed it from the camera and re-charged it. I also brought an additional battery so that if the power ran out during the day while I was out, I could switch them. Our day at the pyramids, that’s exactly what happened. Imagine how disappointing that would have been if I couldn’t have taken all the pictures I wanted that day.

11. Survival food. We enjoyed trying the local foods once we arrived there, but I rarely go anywhere without having something to snack on in my purse. It makes sense that I’m going to have a stash if I’m traveling to another country. Pack a few of your own comfort foods. We had pretty good food on the plane, (KLM) but I liked having my own granola bars and nuts to snack on when I was hungry. I like to carry individual packages of almonds for a quick fix of protein. My husband carried his own comfort food – Cheetos and Cheez-Its. Friends who know I always carry food say that they want to be with me if there’s ever a problem traveling. You never know when you’re going to get stuck on an airplane or in an airport.

12. Credit CardsLeave your usual credit cards at home. Travel with one card per person and make sure you’ve got plenty of credit available on it. The reason for one card per person is that if one of you loses yours, you still have one to get you home. Before leaving home, make a Xerox copy of the fronts and backs of your wallet contents. Include driver’s license and credit cards. My wallet was stolen in Las Vegas one time and I had to file a police report before I could get back on the plane without a driver’s license. It would have been helpful to have had a copy of my license.

13. Documentation If you are traveling internationally, you’ll need a passport. Check with your airline or travel agent to see what other documentation you might need. Make a copy of your passport, as well as your traveling partner’s passport, and then exchange copies. That way, if one of you loses your passport, or has your stuff stolen, you at least have a copy.

14. Money That depends on you, but be sure to carry enough cash. Before we could get into the airport, we had to buy visas. That cost us $30 US each. We also stopped at the bank in the airport and converted about $200 US to Egyptian Pounds. You can’t count on being able to use a credit card for everything. If you want the best deals in the bazaars, you need the cash.

16. Don’t drink the water. Learn whether your hotel or resort has filtered water. We stayed at a conference center and I drank water out of the tap all week, but when we went out to eat, most restaurants brought an unopened bottle of water. Better to be safe than spend your vacation in the bathroom…but if that happens, you’ll be glad you packed that anti-diarrheal for the trip.

16. Good idea to find a local grocery store to buy bottled water. We paid 14 Egyptian Pounds for a 2 liter bottle of water in the restaurant, but it was only about 5 Pounds at Spinneys, the equivalent of Walmart in Egypt! Especially when you’re in the desert, you need to drink lots of water.

17. Language? Most people who have anything to do with tourists have some basic knowledge of English, but sometimes you can really get lost in the translation. We had some frustrations with the language barrier and yet we managed to get by. One day I approached someone working in the mall about directions to the escalator, and we just couldn’t communicate. In some cases, a form of charades came in handy.

18. Fighting jet lag? The day before we left, I started wearing two watches. I set the second one for Cairo, which is 8 hours ahead of Houston time. As soon as I got on the plane, I started trying to adjust to Cairo time. We left here about 5 pm CST, so it was 1 am in Cairo. At the recommendation of a friend, I purchased some melatonin and took one to help relax. I don’t think I ever slept more than an hour at a time, but I slept when tired. The last leg of the flight from Amsterdam to Cairo, I tried to stay awake so that when I arrived in Cairo at 9:45 pm, I would be ready for bed. That was not a problem. I got a good night’s sleep and was ready to go to the Egyptian Museum the next day.

19. Invest in a good neck pillow. I have owned the inflatable kind for years, but on this trip, it developed a leak on the trip home. Better to have one of the squishy ones that has beads inside. It’ll help you keep from having a sore neck when your head bobs around.

20. Carry an empty bottle with you. You can’t take liquids through security, but you can carry an empty bottle with you and fill it up in the airport. I can never get enough water on an airplane, so I carry a sturdy bottle with a strap holding the lid to the base. When I get inside the US airport, I fill it up, and if necessary fill it again before I get on the plane. On the way home, you can pack the bottle. Safer to buy bottled water in most other countries.

21. What else do I need to know? While we felt perfectly safe in Cairo, I never wanted my family to be out of my sight. We had a little blonde granddaughter with us who stirred so much curiosity that we felt we were traveling with a celebrity. People waved at her as they passed our taxi, and when close enough, some of them just wanted to touch her hair. The people were respectful of us, but it was a bit frightening for a 6 year old. Just stay together, no matter where you’re traveling, and have a backup plan for where you’ll meet if you do get separated. You just can’t be too careful. It’s also a good idea for children to have identification in their pockets and a way to contact you. This is where that international phone plan can literally be a life saver.

I’m very grateful we had the means to take this trip when it was offered to us. Just one more reason for being prepared by having a passport, a credit card with money available, and some cash in the bank. If even one of those things had not been available to us, we would have missed out on this wonderful opportunity for a vacation of a lifetime.

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To all of you who have heard about ObamaCare Health Care Bill (HR 3200) but have never read it please take a look at these 2 websites and read all the way through.

It is long but it is so very important to know what is about to happen.

The healthcare overview is very informative and explains it in a way we can understand and that one is not to long for you to read!

http://www.liberty.edu/media/9980/attachments/healthcare_overview_obama_072909.pdf

http://patriotupdate.com/home/story/580/Read_The_Full_Text_Of_The_ObamaCare_Heath_Care_Bill_HR_3200

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