MassMutual Offers Free 'Letter of Intent' Template to People with Disabilities and Their Families, ...( Tool helps families organize plan f...),Health

Tool helps families organize, plan for future of loved ones with special

needs

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today made available on its Web site a free template of a Letter of Intent (LOI) that families can use to begin developing or supplementing life care plans for family members with a disability or other special need.

The template, created with the input of MassMutual professionals with decades of combined experience in special needs planning, is a fillable Word document that can be customized by parents and/or caregivers to reflect their specific situations. Parents and caregivers can visit http://www.massmutual.com/specialcare/resources to request the template, which is on a compact disc.

A Letter of Intent provides critical caregiving instructions to future guardians, trustees and advocates of the person with a disability in the event of the death of a parent or caregiver. While not a legal document, the LOI can be an effective supplement to a will or trust because it attempts to ensure that a family's wishes will be fully understood.

"A Letter of Intent is a great way for families and caregivers to gather all relevant information in one place, make clear the family's intentions, and communicate important insights about the unique personality, needs, likes and dislikes of the family member with special needs," said Randy Cushing, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, and Special Care Planner, whose practice is associated with Commonwealth Financial Group of Boston, a MassMutual general agency.

"Because the template is an electronic document, it can be easily updated or conveniently sent to other family members, caregivers and advisors," added Cushing, who uses the Letter of Intent template with his clients who have special needs.

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