Jenni Rivera: Is your family prepared for a sudden tragedy?

Most people don't like to think about their own mortality. I know I rarely think about the possibility of dying when my children are still young--not because I don't think it could happen, but because I don't want to imagine what that would be like. But with the sudden death of mom of 5 Jenni Rivera, I've realized I haven't really prepared myself or my family to deal with a potential tragedy like hers.

Although I know there's not much you can do beforehand to help ease the agonizing pain your children will feel if you die unexpectedly, there's actually several steps you can take to make sure they'll be taken care of financially and emotionally.

For starters, you need to choose and assign a guardian for your children in case you and your spouse both die. This is no easy task and should be decided after careful consideration, since the person you choose will be responsible for your children in your absence.

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First, make a list of all possible candidates and then consider the pros and cons of each one of them by thinking of their own parenting style, their proximity, their current life situation and how comfortable your children feel with them. Once you choose a person, the only way to make it legal is by including the person's name in your will. Please don't assume that if you and your spouse die, the court will assign your children to your mom, your sister or other close relative because that's simply not the case.

You also need to designate a property guardian/manager to handle your children's finances until they reach adulthood or beyond. The person you've chosen as your children's personal guardian can also be the property manager or you can choose someone completely different. You can specify the persons name on your will, your living trust, your life insurance policy or your retirement account. 

These decisions won't be easy, but think of the peace of mind that will come knowing that if something were to happen to you while your children are still young, these things will be in order. 

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