A family letter is a key part of a good estate plan. It is much more personal than many of your estate documents. A family letter allows you to share your heart and show appreciation and gratitude to family members. During a time when family members are grieving, it also helps them to complete many practical steps to protect your property.

The family letter may have up to ten different sections. Each section will cover an important but separate topic.

Estate Data

Your estate organizer usually has four parts. It will explain the family names and key information, identify your attorney, CPA and other financial and health advisors, cover all of your assets and financial information and outline your estate planning choices.

The estate organizer may be printed or you may use an online version. Your family letter should explain where the information is located. If you are using an online estate planner, it's important for your personal representative to know your account name and password so the information will be available.

Important Documents

Your important documents will generally be safeguarded in three different ways. First, many individuals have a safe deposit box. The safe deposit box typically holds birth certificates, death certificates, degrees and other legal agreements, marriage or divorce documents, military discharge records, property deeds, a personal property inventory, stock and bond certificates and vehicle titles.

Second, you may have a fireproof box at home. This box will frequently include your insurance policies, your living will, medical power of attorney or advance directive, trust documents and your will.

Third, there are some items that should be left with your attorney, friend, agent or another trusted person. These are items that may be needed while you are still living or will be necessary very soon after you pass away. These documents (or copies of documents) could include your financial power of attorney, a durable power of attorney for healthcare or advance directive, your living will, trusts and your will.

Accounts and Passwords

Because an increasing number of records and information are retained online in personal accounts, you will want to be certain that your personal letter lists all accounts. You may decide to include passwords with the personal letter. Alternatively, if you are entrusting all of this information to a specific person or other location, that should be identified.

With the rapid movement to online banking, online mutual funds and securities accounts, donor advised fund accounts, health savings accounts and your email accounts, you may have six to 10 accounts with various passwords. It will be important to have all of this information recorded.

Your Family History

While your estate organizer will include basic information about you and your family members, there is an excellent opportunity in your family letter to discuss your family history. This can include a few short paragraphs that give the names and background of your parents. List all of their children or other key relatives in your family. Your history may discuss marriages, divorces and any blended family relationships. Finally, the family history will show the date of death for persons who have passed away.

Family history can include discussions of your activities, interests and career. It enables all of your extended family to have a good picture of your entire life.

Care for Children, Grandchildren or Pets

If you are responsible for any children, grandchildren or pets, this is an opportunity for you to explain your plan for their care. While your estate planning documents will normally appoint guardians for your children or grandchildren who are under your care, it still may be beneficial for the guardian to receive recommendations from you on their education and other areas of development that you understand very well. If someone is to care for pets, you may have recommendations on the way in which that is done.

Memberships

You may have memberships in a number of organizations. Some memberships, such as for a country club or club that purchases sporting event tickets, are transferable to heirs. It would be helpful to your family for you to list any memberships that you have so they can handle them properly.

Care of Your Body

When you pass away, your body may be in the custody of a medical center or nursing home. If you have previously decided to make any organ donations, it is helpful to explain that decision in your family letter. The requirements for making organ donations are typically covered under state law. In many cases, decisions on organ donations are made when you sign your living will or advance medical directive.

Funeral or Memorial Services

The cost of many funerals now exceeds $10,000. If you would like to assist family members in the decisions surrounding your funeral or memorial service, the family letter is an excellent way to do so.

First, your family will need to decide whether to have a burial in a cemetery with a casket or to use cremation services and an urn. You may have personal or religious reasons for preferring one or the other.

With a casket and burial in a cemetery, your family will generally make use of a funeral home. Because there now is significant competition in the industry, funeral homes are starting to offer advance prices and package services. If you desire a specific range of services, type of casket or prefer not to be embalmed, those directions are helpful to your family.

There are funeral consumers' alliances in many locations. Your family may find assistance and guidance on www.funerals.org. This guidance may help them make good decisions during a very difficult time in the midst of grief over your loss.

If you are a veteran, your family may want to contact the Department of Veterans Affairs. You may qualify for a gravesite at no cost in one of the 130 national cemeteries for veterans and their spouses.

Obituary

In your funeral or memorial service, there will be eulogies. It is also customary to have a printed description of your lifetime. This will frequently include your basic history, awards, achievements, military service and lifetime employment. If you have specific requests for information to be included in the obituary, it is helpful to your family to give them guidance. You may have certain principles or values that are important to you that you would like to share through the obituary. This is an opportunity for you to communicate your values to the public.

Final Words and Blessings for Family

Your family letter may conclude with a word of blessing. It is a tradition in many cultures for the elders to provide a blessing for the next generation. This is frequently done when the elder is still living, but certainly your family letter provides a similar way to bless your children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces and other family members.

Your final words of wisdom and blessing for family members will be of great comfort as they grieve your loss. It is an appropriate and fitting way to conclude your family letter.

Can you recommend some simple tips for video calls with individuals with limited technology skills? My 80-year-old mother has been isolating herself for months now in fear of the coronavirus and I have not been able to see her face-to-face in quite a while.

Video chatting is a great way to stay connected and keep tabs on an elder parent when you cannot be there, but it is even more important now during this pandemic as many isolated seniors are also suffering from chronic loneliness.

There are various products on the market that can help you virtually connect with your mom. These products offer simple video calling for seniors who have limited ability or experience with technology. Here are some tips to consider.

Be patient with your loved one who is trying out new technology for the first time. They will likely be frustrated at first, but encourage them to keep trying. A simple solution for video chatting is to use smartphone features that allow video calling. If you place a video call to your loved one, they simply need to answer the call to be connected to you via video.

There are other options that offer free platforms, including smartphone and computer applications. There are many tutorials that may be helpful to set up these features. You will likely need to act as the “tech support” for your mom and walk her through the process of downloading an application to her computer, smartphone or tablet.

If your mom does not have a smart phone or tablet, there are devices that can be purchased ready to use out of the box. You should be aware that some of these devices require a subscription or Wi-Fi access.

If you decide to send your mom a tablet, you can simplify the use of the tablet through free applications that can be downloaded, which provide tutorials on how to use the device. If your mom does not have WiFi it might be best to purchase a tablet or smartphone with an accompanying cellular data plan to ensure access to video chats.

If you decide to purchase a smartphone or tablet, there are products you can purchase that provide a simplified menu of big icons and large text for only essential features. These simplified products provide clutter-free, one-touch access to make and receive video calls, send voice emails, view photos and videos, listen to personalized music, check the weather, play games, browse the internet and more.

You may find that a voice-activated gadget may be less intimidating for your mom, but most will require Wi-Fi access. Many of the voice-activated devices are simple to set up and may even be capable of being set up remotely.

Another option may include a smart picture frame, designed with seniors in mind. Smart photo frames offer remote access to update photos and initiate calls. There may be very limited features with a smart photo frame, but there will be less for your mom to worry about when using the photo frame. Most photo frames require Wi-Fi access to be used.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

I lost my job last month because of the coronavirus crisis. With little savings, I have been thinking about starting my Social Security benefits early to help me get by. But my question is, if I find a new job can I stop my Social Security benefits and restart them at a later date so they can continue to grow?

Yes, there are two ways to potentially stop your Social Security retirement benefits, once you have started collecting them, and restart them at a later date, which would boost your benefits. In order to do this, certain rules and conditions must be met. Here are your options:

Withdraw your benefits: One way to pause your Social Security benefits is to withdraw your Social Security application. This must be done within 12 months of starting your benefits and you will have to repay what you have received so far. If you choose this option, Social Security will treat your application for early benefits as if it never happened.

To withdraw your benefits, you will need to complete Form SSA-521 (SSA.gov/forms/ssa-521.pdf) and send it to your local Social Security office. Also, be aware that you can only withdraw from benefits once in a lifetime.

Suspend your benefits: If you are not eligible for withdrawal, but have reached your full retirement age and have not yet reached age 70, another option is to voluntarily suspend your retirement benefits. With a suspension, you do not have to repay the benefits you have received. You can restart them anytime you wish, or they will automatically be reinstated at age 70. See SSA.gov/planners/retire/ageincrease.html to find your full retirement age.

By suspending your benefits, you will earn delayed retirement credits, which means your benefit amount increases for every month of the suspension. Your payment will go up by two-thirds of 1% monthly or 8% annually. A benefit of $1,500 monthly, for example, increases by $10 for each month you have benefits suspended.

You can request a suspension by calling the National Social Security Office at 800-772-1213 or in person at your local Social Security office.

Working and Collecting Benefits

If you start collecting Social Security and you go back to work, but your income is modest, you may want to continue drawing your benefits while working. If your earnings are higher, it may make sense to stop your benefits.

Social Security has a "retirement earnings test." If you are under your full retirement age and earn more than $18,240 in 2020, Social Security will deduct $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn over that amount. For those who reach full retirement age in 2020, a less stringent rule applies. In this case, $1 will be deducted for every $3 you make above $48,600 until you reach the month of your birthday in the year you reach full retirement age.

It is also important to know that if you were to have reduced Social Security benefits because of the earning limits, they are not lost forever. When you reach full retirement age, your benefits will be recalculated to make up for what was withheld.

Also, if you do decide to work and collect Social Security benefits at the same time, you need to factor in tax implications. Because wages increase your income, it might make your Social Security benefits taxable.

If your combined income is between $25,000 and $34,000 as an individual filer or between $32,000 and $44,000 as joint filers, you will pay tax on up to 50% of your Social Security benefits. If you earn above the upper limit of these ranges, you will pay tax on up to 85% of your benefits. To help you calculate this see IRS Publication 915 at IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

My husband and I have been cooped up all spring and summer because of the coronavirus and would like to take a trip using a rented RV. Can you give us some tips and safety information?

Recreational vehicle (RV) travel has become a very popular option among U.S. retirees over the past few decades. It is likely one of the safest and most convenient ways to get away this summer.

Because it is a small home on wheels, RV travel will allow you to distance yourself from crowds of people. This reduces the risk of COVID-19 exposure that comes with other forms of travel, such as, air/train travel, lodging and eating in restaurants. However, there are still risks, especially in public places like gas stations, shared restrooms and picnic areas, so exercise caution. If you have never traveled by motor home or RV, here are a few tips to consider.

Renting an RV

To help you determine the RV size and model you need for your trip, consider your budget, your destination and the number of travelers. If it is just you and your husband visiting several locations and driving long distances, you may want a smaller motor home with better fuel economy. But if you are taking other family members or friends, you may want a larger RV with slide outs and more sleeping areas.

You may be able to locate an RV rental dealer near you. Other options include using peer-to-peer RV rental, which can be a little cheaper.

Rental costs will vary greatly depending on what you choose and how far you drive. Prices range anywhere from $50 up to $500 per day.

When renting, be sure you get detailed instructions from the owner or rental company on how to use the RV’s systems, including the generator, air-conditioning, leveling, slide outs, electric and entertainment, as well as how to empty waste tanks and refill fresh water.

You should also know that because of COVID-19, most RV rental companies are vigilant about cleaning and disinfecting their units. The CDC offers tips at CDC.gov/COVID19. To find the information easily, type “Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home” in the search bar.

Trip Planning Tips

It is always wise to map out your trip route and reserve your campgrounds in advance. This is especially important during the pandemic, because some campgrounds and RV parks, as well as local, state and national parks may be closed or operating with restrictions.

There are free tools that can help you plan your trip. Some of these tools allow you to plot out routes, calculate mileage and travel time. The tools may also identify RV campgrounds, points of interest and restaurants along the way.

Most RV parks rent spaces on a nightly or weekly basis with rates typically ranging from $30 to $50 per night, however some spaces in city and county parks may be $10 or even free. RV parks can also range from rustic facilities with limited or no utility hookups, such as those often found in state and national parks, to luxury resorts with amenities that rival fine hotels.

For first-time RV renters, staying at a fully loaded RV park or campground with full hookups, a dump station and staff on site is highly recommended. For more safe travel tips this summer, visit Coronavirus.gov. Some helpful information can be found by clicking on “specific resources for travelers.”

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

I manage a large doctor’s clinic that treats hundreds of seniors each month. We are moving to more telehealth visits to help keep our patients safe at home during the coronavirus pandemic, but this new way of seeing a doctor is befuddling to many of our elder patients. How can patients best prepare for a telehealth appointment?

To help keep patients safe and at home during the coronavirus crisis, more and more doctors and other health care providers are turning to telehealth or telemedicine appointments. These remote visits use digital communication devices, such as a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Although telehealth has been around for a few years, recent updates to regulations and a surge in demand has made it the easiest way to receive many different types of medical care. Most telehealth appointments tend to be primary care, follow-up visits that can assess symptoms or follow up with patients who have had a medical procedure. Telehealth also works well for some specialties like dermatology or mental health care (counseling/therapy) services.

What can patients expect from a telehealth visit and how should they prepare? The first step is to call your doctor’s office to find out whether telemedicine visits are available and whether you will need to set up an account or install special software on your computer, phone or tablet.

Until recently, medical professionals were required to conduct telehealth visits through platforms such as Doxy, Thera-Link or MyChart that were compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. Some of those requirements have been relaxed in the current crisis, so many providers are using popular apps such as FaceTime, Skype and Zoom to conduct visits.

Once you know what technology you will be using, get familiar with it. You do not want to spend the first 10 minutes of your visit trying to figure out how to unmute the audio. For patients that are not familiar or comfortable with technology, ask a relative or friend with a smartphone, tablet or laptop to assist you.

Take the time to clarify the purpose of the televisit before it begins. Prioritize a written list of three or four issues you want to discuss with your doctor and make a list of the medicines and dosages you are taking. Also, have relevant medical devices or logs on hand, such as a penlight or smartphone flashlight for viewing a sore throat, a blood-pressure cuff and thermometer (or recent readings), blood-sugar logs if you are diabetic or a food log if you have gastrointestinal problems.

Wear loose clothing that will allow you to show your medical provider what is concerning you. If you have received medical care at different places, such as an urgent care facility or another doctor’s office, have your latest medical records with you during the telemedicine visit.

The length of the appointment may depend on the problem. A routine visit could be very quick, while others, such as a physical-therapy appointment, may last as long as a session at a clinic. Waiting rooms are sometimes replaced by virtual waiting rooms.

Before the visit ends, make sure you know the follow-up plan. Do you need to schedule an in-office visit, fill a prescription or get a referral to a specialist?

Right now, Medicare and Medicaid are covering the cost of telehealth visits (see medicare.gov/coverage/telehealth for details), and most private insurers are following suit.

If, however, you do not have a primary care physician or need urgent care, you can get help through virtual health care services. Many of these services currently do not accept original Medicare, but they may be covered by private insurers including some Medicare Advantage plans. Be sure to check before your visit.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

The recent news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic got me thinking about my own end-of-life decisions if I were to get sick. Can you recommend some good resources that can help me create a living will or advance directive, or other pertinent documents? I have put it off long enough.

Creating an advance directive is one of those things most people plan to do, but often do not get around to actually doing. Only about one-third of Americans currently have one. The current global pandemic may be changing that. Here is what you should know about advance directives, along with some resources to help you create one.

Advance Directives

There are two key documents you should have to adequately spell out your wishes regarding your end-of-life medical treatment: A "living will" which tells your doctor what kind of care you want to receive if you become incapacitated, and a health care power of attorney (or health care proxy), which names a person you authorize to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to.

These two documents are known as an "advance directive," and will only be utilized if you are too ill to make medical decisions yourself. You can also change or update your advance directive whenever you please.

While it is always advised to consult with an attorney to draft legal documents, it may not be necessary to hire a lawyer to prepare an advance directive. There are free or low-cost resources available today to help you create one, and it takes only a few minutes from start to finish. If you are not computer savvy, ask a family member or trusted friend to help you.

The advantage of having a digital advance directive versus a paper document is being able to access it quickly and easily via smartphone, which is crucial in emergency situations when they are most often needed.

Another document you should know about that will compliment your advance directive is the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or POLST (sometimes called Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, or MOLST). A POLST form translates your end-of-life wishes into medical orders to be honored by your doctors. To learn more about your state's program or set one up, see POLST.org.

Readers should also know that if you have already prepared an advanced directive, a POLST form or the VA advance directive Form 10-0137, there are websites that allow users to upload, store and share these documents.

Finally, to ensure your final wishes are followed, make sure to tell your family members, health care proxy and doctors. If you make a digital advance directive or have uploaded your existing forms, you can easily share them electronically to everyone involved. If you make a paper advance directive that is not uploaded, you should provide everyone copies to help prevent stress and arguments later.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.