The Black Nonprofits and Business Podcast · K. Holmes

My Exit Plan – Are You Prepared?

·50 min·4 clips

A grandmother bops her grandson with a cane at a funeral after he threatens to put her in a nursing home.

Host Kimberly Holmes interviews funeral services director Rhonda Green about the critical importance of creating a personal "exit plan" for end-of-life affairs. Green, who coordinates services for prominent clients and founded the "My Exit Plan" symposium, shares practical advice to prevent family conflict and financial loss. She stresses that anyone old enough to work or have a bank account needs a plan, citing a case where a young man's family waited years to access a million-dollar settlement because he lacked a will. Green explains that without an exit plan, families risk losing property to tax sales, missing unknown assets like life insurance, and experiencing severe division. Her annual symposium, a free event available in-person and virtually, covers topics like wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations with legal and financial professionals. She recounts a story where an elderly woman hit her grandson with a cane at a funeral after he threatened to put her in a nursing home, unaware the house was solely in her name. Green also describes a situation where a handwritten will, notarized for $5, allowed a grandmother to leave her house to her grandchildren instead of her addict children. She emphasizes the particular need for young adults with good jobs to designate beneficiaries on insurance policies to avoid probate delays. The conversation reveals that remarriage does not automatically update asset ownership, as illustrated by a second wife who nearly became homeless because her husband's ex-wife remained on the house deed. Green highlights celebrities like Aretha Franklin and Prince as cautionary tales of intestate disputes and urges listeners to designate guardians for minor children. The tone is candid, educational, and supportive, blending personal anecdotes with actionable steps. Listeners interested in estate planning, family legacy, and practical financial preparedness will find this episode invaluable. Those seeking light entertainment or who are uncomfortable with discussions about death and estate logistics might choose to skip it.

As heard by us

Practical guidance for anyone who wants their wishes documented before confusion takes over.

It treats a hard subject with plain language: what happens to money, wishes, and family plans when someone has not left things in order. One real case anchors the piece, where money stayed in an estate account for years because there was no will, and the rest stays focused on…

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Why you'd press play

If your wishes outlive you, this episode helps you put them on record.

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