This weekend, my foster puppy Boots and I went to an adoption event at Detroit’s Eastern Market. Before we left, I did everything I could to prepare her.

Death Readiness Dispatch

April 15, 2026

Hi there,

 

This weekend, my foster puppy Boots and I went to an adoption event at Detroit’s Eastern Market. Before we left, I did everything I could to prepare her.

 

I adjusted her harness just right. I packed her food and her toys in a Trader Joe’s paper bag so she’d have something familiar. I printed out her pet information sheet so a future family would know her routines, her quirks, and why she’s the very best little girl.

 

But despite my and Boots’ best efforts, she wasn’t adopted…yet. Transitions are hard. And the best I can do for Boots and for her future family is prepare them with the tools and information to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

When there is no guarantee

I joined a call last week arranged by a professional fiduciary serving as Executor of an estate. At one point, a beneficiary said to the executor: “You better find all of his assets.”

 

She wanted a guarantee, but there isn’t one. Because in this situation, there was no preparation for the transition. And when this individual died, a lot of that knowledge died with him.

There is no master list.

When you die, there is no master asset list generated, no all-encompassing database, no omnipotent search bar. So what happens?

 

Someone you love starts digging through tax returns, old mail and conversations they half remember. And that’s all happening while your loved one is grieving.

 

Even when professionals step in, it’s not always straightforward.

In this week’s episode, I talk about the work that professional fiduciaries like Mollie Lacher do—tracking down assets using tools like Trustate, reaching out to employers and calling financial institutions. And even then, it depends on whether the people with the information actually respond. 

How assets get lost after death and what to do

Is unclaimed property a safety net?

Unclaimed property is where assets go when institutions can’t locate an owner after a certain period of time, and the state holds onto them until someone claims them.

 

It’s not a safety net, at least not in the way you think. The system is slow, reactive, and dependent on information that may never connect. I’m still getting financial mail for a deceased person at a house I bought almost three years ago. I’ve sent every piece of mail back “Addressee Unknown – Return to Sender” but the mail keeps coming.

 

Assets often don't get lost because they disappear, but because no one ever knew they existed.

Getting Death Ready isn’t easy.

But neither is leaving your family to figure it out without a map. When I packed up Boots’ things for the adoption event, I wasn’t just thinking about her. I was thinking about the family who comes next.

 

What would they need to know? What would make this easier for them?

This is exactly the gap The Death Readiness Playbook is designed to fill.

 

It’s not just a set of worksheets. It’s an educational, practical estate planning resource that helps you understand what you have, how it works, and what your family will actually need to know.

 

The hardest part isn’t filling in blanks. It’s knowing what matters in the first place. The Playbook walks you through that so you’re not just organized, you’re prepared.

 

Thanks for being here.

PS: Happy Golden Birthday to my daughter April who turns 15 today!