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It’s not easy to plan for the unexpected while also caring for your family and taking care of yourself. In this episode of Invested: Advancing Women in Work and Wealth, meet Samantha Russell, Chief Evangelist at FMG, and Linda Grant-Smith, Wealth Strategist at Baird, about their personal and professional experiences with caregiving. Both share their individual stories and share their advice on how women can prepare for a range of caregiving roles and family life stages, including prenuptials, parenting and childcare, and end-of-life planning.

Having to say goodbye to a loved one is never easy—and if you are authorized to make financial decisions on his or her behalf, you may face even more challenges. Closing out someone’s personal, financial, and legal affairs while grieving their loss can be stressful, so consider using this checklist as a step-by-step guide to help stay on track.

Many families are not aware of important legal issues that affect their 18 – 21-year-old children. Parents are often so focused on the fact that the drinking age is 21 that they do not realize that their 18-year-olds are, for most other purposes, adults in the eyes of the law. Parents no longer have the same access to information or control over their children after age 18. Proper planning for the legal issues that arise with an 18 – 21-year-old child can help avoid problems later.

Losing a loved one can be very difficult. Yet, as an executor, spouse, or family member, you need to take steps to ensure that your loved one's financial affairs are properly settled as part of the family’s end-of-life planning. To help with the process, this step-by-step guide outlines the key tasks, including selecting an executor, considering the need for an attorney, managing online bills and paperwork, and planning for the future. A checklist is also provided to help you collect key personal and family financial information.

Social media and other digital accounts have a life of their own. Managing them is one aspect of managing a deceased person's digital estate. Sometimes the problem is simply closing an account while other times, you hope to gain access to a loved one's accumulated photos, videos, or other important files. To help manage your digital accounts and plan ahead, know the rules governing Google accounts, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Dropbox.

Research indicates that multigenerational involvement is the single most important factor in sustaining family wealth into the third generation and beyond. Furthermore, the families that most successfully integrate younger members into their family operations seem to share the same philosophies and core values. It’s a family enterprise mindset that prepares the rising generation to be able to step in immediately and manage the family’s financial assets, run the enterprises, and preserve the culture and legacy.