The Death Readiness Podcast: Not your dad’s estate planning podcast cover art

The Death Readiness Podcast: Not your dad’s estate planning podcast

The Death Readiness Podcast: Not your dad’s estate planning podcast

By: Jill Mastroianni - Estate Planning & Probate Consultant for Women
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 You’re the one prepping for your child’s IEP meeting while trying to talk your aging dad out of getting a puppy. You’re booking medical appointments, managing the money, juggling work emails during school pickup and still expected to keep the fridge stocked and know who has practice, rehearsal, or a field trip tomorrow. Your parents are struggling, but they still insist they’re fine. You see the mobility issues, the memory slips, the unopened mail, but every offer to help feels like an argument. You’re scared to push. You’re scared to wait. And there’s no clear roadmap for how to do any of this without losing your mind or your family. Hosted by Jill Mastroianni, a former estate planning attorney turned trusted guide for women holding it all together, this podcast is your space to untangle the mess. With more than a decade of legal experience, Jill brings clarity to the hardest conversations most families avoid until it’s too late. Each episode offers honest stories, practical tools, and bite-sized steps you can actually take, even if you’re overwhelmed, even if you’re grieving, even if you’re still waiting for your mom to give you the password to the computer. You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need a place to start. Death readiness isn’t about control. It’s about love and the courage to face what’s next with open eyes and a steady hand.2025-2026 The Death Readiness Podcast Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Why Good Powers of Attorney Still Fail

    Why Good Powers of Attorney Still Fail
    Mar 3 2026
    Most people think signing a power of attorney is the hard part but the real challenge is making sure it actually works when someone you love needs to use it. In this episode, Jill shares a real-life story of a daughter trying to help her mother and running into unexpected roadblocks with a bank, even though the legal documents were properly signed years earlier. You’ll learn why “good” estate planning can still fail in the real world and the five practical steps you can take now to reduce friction later. This episode is about moving from legal theory to real-life implementation because Death Readiness isn’t just paperwork; it’s making sure your plan works when life gets messy. What You’ll Learn in This Episode First: Understanding the Basics A power of attorney (POA) is the legal document.The person named to make decisions on someone else’s behalf is the agent.The person granting authority is the principal.Capacity matters: once someone loses the ability to understand decisions, the window to create a power of attorney closes.Immediate vs. springing powers of attorney — and why that distinction matters in a crisis. Real-World Lesson: Why Good Documents Still Hit Roadblocks Banks often hesitate to accept older powers of attorney.Financial institutions prioritize fraud prevention and risk reduction.Front-line employees may not feel comfortable interpreting legal documents, even valid ones.A legally sound power of attorney doesn’t always match a bank’s internal expectations. Jill’s Five Real-World Power of Attorney Tips #1 Make effectiveness obvious. Clearly state when the power of attorney becomes effective so no one is guessing in a high-stress moment. #2 Include Third-Party Reliance language. Help banks and financial institutions feel protected when they rely on your document. #3 Get your power of attorney on file early. Don’t wait for a crisis. Ask each financial institution what they need now. And be careful: Agent ≠ Joint OwnerAdding someone as joint owner can change ownership rights and estate outcomes. #4 Meet banks where they are. Banks are cautious for a reason. Proactive conversations and appointments before a crisis can prevent future delays. #5 Refresh documents periodically. Even if nothing changes, updated documents often feel more reliable to third parties and can reduce resistance. Resources & Links Episode 17, How Powers of Attorney Work, When to Use Them, and When It’s Too Late to Get One Power of Attorney – Third Party Reliance Section: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PlbNW7Ty4VUxgvrRgOnVoGQJDnoc6hol/view?usp=drivesdk Connect with Jill: Website: DeathReadiness.comEmail: jill@deathreadiness.comLearn more about Jill’s solutionsSubscribe to the Death Readiness Dispatch!Submit a question for Tuesday Triage Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about. This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy. Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents. Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.
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    21 mins
  • How to Give Without Jeopardizing Government Benefits

    How to Give Without Jeopardizing Government Benefits
    Feb 24 2026
    A grandmother wants to divide her wealth equally among her grandchildren — but one grandchild has Down syndrome, and a simple gift could unintentionally jeopardize eligibility for important government benefits. In this Tuesday Triage episode, Jill walks through required minimum distributions (RMDs), why “equal” doesn’t always mean “fair,” and how thoughtful planning protects both generosity and long-term support. You’ll learn how special needs planning tools like ABLE accounts and third-party special needs trusts help families give with love without causing unintended consequences. What You’ll Learn in This Episode The Real Question Behind the Gift. Why a grandmother’s desire to treat grandchildren equally can create hidden risks, how generosity and fairness sometimes require different planning strategies, and the importance of slowing down before writing checks. Understanding Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). What an RMD actually is and why age 73 matters, how the IRS calculates your RMD using life expectancy tables, and the difference between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA when it comes to RMD rules. Family Dynamics Most People Skip. Why conversations with parents matter before giving money to grandchildren, common emotional expectations that quietly attach themselves to gifts, how financial gifts can create tension between generations, even when well intended, and alternatives to cash gifts that still feel meaningful Accounts for Minors Explained Simply. What a 529 account is and when it makes sense, the difference between UTMA and UGMA accounts, and why custodial accounts legally belong to the child. Special Needs Planning Essentials. What “means-tested benefits” actually means,why direct gifts can unintentionally reduce or eliminate SSI or Medicaid eligibility, how eligibility thresholds work and why even temporary increases matter, and the long-term consequences of well-intentioned gifts. Tools That Help Families Give Safely Third-party special needs trusts. Funded by parents or grandparents and assets don’t count against benefits. when properly drafted ABLE accounts. What ABLE stands for (Achieving a Better Life Experience), how these accounts allow savings for individuals with disabilities, 2026 contribution limits and key restrictions, and why coordination with parents is crucial. The Bigger Lesson. Why communication matters as much as the money itself, how mismatched expectations can create family conflict, andwhy thoughtful planning is an act of love, not just a legal exercise. Resources & Links Tennessee Estate Planning Services with Jill Mastroianni: https://www.deathreadiness.com/estate-planning-solution Connect with Jill: Website: DeathReadiness.comEmail: jill@deathreadiness.comLearn more about Jill’s solutionsSubscribe to the Death Readiness Dispatch!Submit a question for Tuesday Triage Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about. This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy. Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents. Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.
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    18 mins
  • Why Small Acts of Care Matter More Than You Think

    Why Small Acts of Care Matter More Than You Think
    Feb 20 2026

    In this Friday episode, Jill shares the unexpected lessons she’s learning from fostering a puppy named Boots, and how chaos, inconvenience, and small acts of care reveal what agency really looks like. Through stories about raising a guide dog puppy as a child, parenting, and estate planning, this episode reframes death readiness as something much more human: choosing small, meaningful actions even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

    What You’ll Learn in This Episode

    Agency isn’t always big or visible. Sometimes it looks like fostering one dog, making one appointment, or organizing one folder, small actions that still move life forward.

    Discomfort is often part of meaningful care. Whether it’s fostering a puppy or updating your estate planning documents, the things that matter most are often inconvenient, and worth it anyway.

    Preparation creates power. Jill reflects on responding to overwhelming world events by returning to what she knows best: knowledge, planning, and helping others feel more prepared.

    What we model matters. Fostering Boots becomes a way for Jill to show her daughter that small acts still have value, even if they don’t change the whole world.

    Estate planning and fostering share surprising parallels. Both require patience, emotional risk, and planning for a future you may not personally see.

    You don’t have to enjoy something for it to be important. Jill compares updating her records to running: she never regrets doing it, even when she doesn’t feel like starting.

    Small acts compound into legacy. The episode reminds listeners that legacy is built through consistent, imperfect, everyday decisions, not grand gestures.

    Resources & Links

    Detroit Dog Rescue: https://detroitdogrescue.com/

    Connect with Jill:

    • Website: DeathReadiness.com
    • Email: jill@deathreadiness.com
    • Learn more about Jill’s Solutions
    • Subscribe to the Death Readiness Dispatch!
    • Submit a question for Tuesday Triage

    Did you enjoy this episode? Share it with someone you care about.

    This podcast provides estate planning guidance for women and discusses real, practical issues, from caregiving, pre-planning a funeral, how to avoid probate using beneficiary designations, planning for individuals with special needs (and special needs trusts), whether you need a professional fiduciary (trustee or executor), how the estate tax works and how to preserve your legacy.

    Tuesday Triage episodes answer questions from listeners like you, from powers of attorney, healthcare advance directives (and whether they work when you’re pregnant), what a Last Will and Testament really is, whether you need a trust, how Medicaid works and how to have senior and elder care conversations and how to care for aging parents.

    Disclaimer: This podcast and all related content are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established here. Use of this information without careful analysis and review by your attorney, CPA, and/or financial advisor may cause serious adverse consequences. For legal guidance tailored to your unique situation, consult with a licensed attorney in your state.

    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
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