Monthly Tips
March 2026
TIP 1 Final Song Wishes
A minor note on funeral planning. Recently a colleague was fuming about a recent viewing at a funeral home. What was the trouble? “The background music in the room was John Lennon’s ‘Imagine.’ Lovely melody, but do you know the words to that song? ‘Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try’? Who thinks that is appropriate for a funeral?”
No one likes to think about funerals, especially their own, but it will be easier on family and friends if arrangements and wishes are shared in advance.
https://gstrustco.com/about-us/why-garden-state-trust/
TIP 2 Planning for Incapacity
Accidental falls are on the rise, which may not be surprising given the concurrent rise in our elderly population, but the magnitude of the increase is likely to raise a few eyebrows. According to USAFacts.org, deaths from accidental falls have tripled since the year 2000. They even have outpaced deaths from car accidents!
Learn more about the potential causes for accidental falls, some easy prevention measures, and how one can protect their financial life should a fall occur and incapacity strike in our latest blogpost: Prevention, and When Prevention Fails
https://gstrustco.com/solutions-services/solo-agers/
TIP 3 St. Patrick’s Day
We may all be seeking the proverbial gold at the end of the rainbow left by leprechauns, but here’s a fun fact to share on St. Patrick’s day this year – The rainbow moves with us so reaching the end of the rainbow is not possible. Because a rainbow is the result or perception of light refracting on raindrops, when you move toward the rainbow you are actually seeing a different rainbow refracted on different raindrops which moves with you as you move.
Though we may not be able to get the gold at the end of the rainbow, that impossibility of finding the end is what makes the story so great. When seeking to preserve or increase real wealth, an even better story is the investment policy formulation from Garden State Trust company. It describes the tangible process we go through with clients to align investment strategies with their goals and risk tolerance. Take a look!
https://gstrustco.com/investments/managing-preserving-wealth/
TIP 4 IRS Tax Scams
With Tax Filing deadlines coming up, it’s the usual case that scam calls, emails, and even text messages are on the rise too. The IRS lists some of the common scams associated with tax season here.
Although AI may make life easier for finding information online, it can also make it easier for scammers to clone voices of loved ones for sophisticated scams. AI chatbots can now respond via voice to things being said to make the robot caller seem human. Some phones have tools to screen calls and make the caller identify themselves prior to answering, so this time of year might be a good time to consider turning that feature on.
Always remember in regard to your taxes, that the IRS will not call and demand immediate payment, or request payment via a credit or debit card or gift card, or threaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.