It's Uncomfortable, But You've Got to Do It...
By Dr. Steve Sjuggerud
December 12, 2007

"Heart's too weak to operate," the surgeon told us over the weekend.

It was crushing to hear. My dad was rushed to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Florida Hospital in Orlando last week. He's been there since. So have I.

The news has gotten better. "You're no longer urgent," the surgeon now says. "We'll send you home soon. Do what we tell you to do, and we'll reconsider surgery after the holidays."

The best part, if there has been one, is that my dad has been himself throughout this. He's had surprisingly little pain. He's surprised by all the hubbub. 

It's hard to talk about hopes and dreams in the intensive care ward. The next family trip, improving your golf score... these are not in the program now. The goals are simpler... coming home, seeing family over the holidays, and hoping the heart is well enough in the new year for the surgeon to change his mind.

But we do need to take care of something important when he comes home. It's uncomfortable. But it has to be done...

I've learned on this trip that my dad has stored the family's affairs on some computers. I've also learned that my mom is not so computer savvy. It got me concerned... worried that my parents need to get their affairs in order.

This was not a conversation I wanted to start... It's like talking to your life insurance agent, I assume. You don't want to ponder the possibility of when you'll die. But it is inevitable.

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If you're in retirement, have you talked to your kids about your family affairs yet?

If the two of you were no longer here tomorrow, what would happen?

Would you leave your kids with a mess to sort out? Would you run the risk of family assets simply being lost?

I'll admit it... If both my wife and I were no longer here tomorrow, another family member would have a big mess to sort out. Getting our affairs together never seems to be the top priority. But after this week, my priorities have changed.

I finally did start the big conversation with my mom. It couldn't have gone better...

"Since your dad was a career test pilot, and he flew in Vietnam and such, we always had all that stuff together," my mom told me.

I was impressed and relieved at how organized they were, and my mom didn't have to share any details. Before we talked, I thought I'd have to roll up my sleeves and help out – I thought I'd be spending a few weekends shuffling papers at their house.

I'm glad I brought it up. My mom wouldn't have known my mind wasn't at ease if I had not talked to her.   

I think we did it in the right way... I know enough to know where all the important papers are. But I don't know what any of them say.

I strongly urge you to have this conversation with a family member you trust. And the right way to do it, I would say, is like my parents did...

I'm thankful to be leaving Orlando with good news... knowing that my dad should be going home soon... and knowing that their affairs are in order.

Letting your family know you've got your act together will give your family peace of mind, and it's extremely important. Don't wait for an emergency before you have the conversation...

Best regards,

THE CHINA INVESTMENT STRATEGY, PART TWO

We've said it for years... one of safest, most profitable forms of investing over the next decade will be to: Figure out what the Chinese need and sell it to them.

This strategy has been phenomenally profitable for owners of BHP Billiton, the world's largest diversified commodity producer (and longtime True Wealth holding). In just the past three years, BHP has advanced 250% while supplying China with coal, iron ore, and anything else it needs to build cities, power plants, and roads.

As cash piles up on producers' balance sheets, the obvious corollary to the China strategy is: Figure out the equipment and services mining companies consume while digging and drilling, and sell that stuff, too.

The success of this strategy is shown in today's chart of Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers (RBA). RBA is the world's largest auctioneer of used forestry, construction, agriculture, petroleum, and mining equipment. Need a bulldozer, dump truck, tractor, or forklift? Go to a Ritchie Brothers auction. The company has ridden the mining and construction boom to record profits and a nearly 400% share price increase since 2002. As the developing world enters its prime commodity consumption phase, expect this theme to last for years...

– Brian Hunt