Coming Soon in Batavia & Bolingbrook: `Estate Planning Explained'

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

Sometimes attributed to Benjamin Franklin, sometimes to others, the root of the pithy saying isn’t nearly as important as whether you heed its wisdom.

With “Estate Planning Explained,” Dr. Jim Flanagan and Dr. Lydia Manning of Bentron Financial Group will lead free presentations at 7 p.m. on consecutive evenings, Wednesday, January 15th and Thursday, January 16th at Batavia Public Library and the Fountaindale Public Library District in Bolingbrook, respectively.

To learn more and register, visit the Batavia library calendar at https://batavia.libnet.info/events and the Fountaindale calendar at https://communico.fountaindale.org/event/12166326.

The Batavia library is at 10 S. Batavia Ave. For more information, call 630-879-1393. The Fountaindale library is at 300 W. Briarcliff Road in Bolingbrook. For more information, call 630-759-2102.

In the session, Flanagan and Manning will cover the estate planning process from beginning to end, including the need to plan, the most common planning techniques and the documents involved. The class will also explain the difference between a will and a trust while providing attendees an understanding of probate, wills, power of attorney for healthcare, power of attorney for financial matters, living trusts, and guardianship appointments.

By the end of the session, attendees will have gained a thorough understanding of the steps they need to take to protect their spouse and heirs.

Flanagan founded Bentron Financial Group in 2001. He has provided financial guidance to people at or near retirement age for over 30 years. In that time, he has become a nationally recognized expert on financial issues impacting older adults and late-life transitions. Flanagan is the author of Packing For Retirement: A Practical Guide to Prepare for Retirement at Any Age.

He has served on the Oak Park/River Forest Township Senior Services Committee since 2008. In 2010, he founded the Celebrating Seniors Coalition, a not-for-profit organization that provides seniors with emergency services and raises public awareness of issues affecting seniors in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park.

Dr. Flanagan also has a series of financial pointers, dubbed My Generation Minute, that air regularly on the radio at 87.7 METV FM in the Chicago area.

With academic training in gerontology, sociology and women’s studies, Dr. Manning has developed expertise in resilience—how older adults persist through distressing events and navigate everyday challenges and opportunities.

Her wide-ranging experience in the field of aging includes launching the Center for Gerontology at Concordia University Chicago in 2015. A Concordia associate professor and professor for seven years, Manning has held a host of other leadership positions in higher education and industry.

Bentron Financial Group is online at www.bentron.com.