First Steps Financial Resources After A Death

 With over 27 years of experience in banking and financial services, and two decades of community service in grief care, Shane Phillips offers a unique perspective on financial issues and death. At the age of 16, Shane experienced the loss of his parents and sister in a plane crash. His parents had no life insurance, no estate plan, a lot of debt, and few assets. Despite the loss of his family and the ensuing financial challenges, Shane graduated from high school and college. He went on to a successful career in financial services for both regional and international financial institutions.

In 2004, Shane co-founded The Children’s Grief Education Association (CGEA). For over six years, the CGEA provided free grief counseling to over 400 Denver area children. The CGEA was merged into The HeartLight Center in 2011. From 2011 – 2014, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The HeartLight Center. Shane and his wife Valerie live in Castle Rock, CO. They have five children ranging in age from 12-21.

 This is a good book on finances and money for people that have recently had a death. The author touches on several financial subjects that a lot of people may not even think about when they are dealing with a death. I found the appendix with state specific information to be very helpful. I recently lost a brother and bought this book for his wife. Hopefully, she will follow the various suggestions. 

Simon Wise, Managing Partner Investment Firm - Los Angeles, CA 

Shane Phillips is an expert on this subject! Good to see this in print, Shane. You continue to touch lives with truth and hope and wisdom. Bless you!
Jory Fisher, Attorney and Consultant – Bel Air, MD

Shane provides expert advice from a career's worth of experience in financial services and charitable grief support. He's candid about what the bereaved might feel towards the departed. By demystifying the process, the reader can be less reliant on the knowledge and goodwill of well-meaning others. Even though I had a caring and supporting extended family when I lost my mother, this book still would have been useful to me seventeen years ago. As one who holds himself out as an attorney in this field, I believe that First Steps is a well-sourced, solid offering that I found informative and will provide to all my future probate clients. - Albert Brewster, Tax Attorney - Los Angeles, CO

As someone in his 50's with older parents I have been wondering what to do in times where a loved one has passed on. No, I have never even thought about what to do with regards to funerals, death certificates, titles, notifications etc. This is a VERY user-friendly book designed to walk one through the process of financially keeping things in order after a death. However, the best use for it in my opinion is to go through these matters prior to any death. This is a book which will get you thinking of the proper way to handle a death in the financial sense. By using this prior to loved one's passing and understanding the steps before grieving, it makes the process that much easier in a very difficult time.

- Mike Serio, CFA Dir of Wealth Mgt, Denver CO