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Joe Died Suddenly, What If It Were You?

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What if you die suddenly? It’s a question that’s been on my mind because it happened to a long-time client of mine. We’ll call him Joe. He was the friend who would send you political emails at all hours of the night. We all know someone like him. He kept you in mind as he fumed about the direction of the country, and he was on your mind because he was clogging up your inbox.

This was Joe’s way of taking his mind off of other things. Yes, he was fed up with what was going on in politics. It made him angry, but it also helped mask his sadness. You see, Joe’s only child, his son whom he loved dearly, died suddenly a few years ago from a massive heart attack, leaving Joe to carry on the family name—a burden he didn’t want to bear. You could hear his pain when he spoke of his son. It was in a raspy, southern drawl, with the weight of the world stuck in his throat.

Joe died suddenly just a few weeks ago, found on the floor of his office. His daughter-in-law said he didn’t suffer, but she and I know he had been suffering for years. Her two sons are the beneficiaries of Joe’s trust. One is in his early twenties, and the other a late teen. Thankfully Joe dictated how they will receive their inheritance—he didn’t want money to ruin them. He’s their Warren Buffet who would remind his kids, I’ll help you to be able to do anything, but you won’t do nothing.

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RIP Joe.

Action Line: It’s never too early to decide how you will be remembered. Let’s keep in touch.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.
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