Money Money Money Money

I was surprised Bill had put me as the beneficiary for the tax shelter I had just transferred to him. $81,000 had been given to him approximately twelve weeks before he passed away. I had been told there was $79,000 left. The second weekend I was at Bill's helping Laura and Kyle pack, a statement from the investment company arrived. It showed only $65,000. Reading through the papers I learned that he had received a distribution of $4500. But where was the other $10,000+? I called the financial adviser when I got back home. He told me that even before he had a chance to get the spousal rollover going, Bill had contacted the parent company for the funds, faxed them a copy of the dissolution papers, and got them to cut him a check for over $10,000. For some reason that made me feel better. That was the old Bill. True to form, grabbing that money as fast as he could, and making it vanish faster than anyone could imagine. If he had been well during those last months, there would have been very little left. I know his ultimate goal was to buy a house or a duplex, and I think he would have wanted to leave about $50,000 to cover that, but he was bad with money and addicted to gambling. Who knows how much would be in that account today if he had received it several months earlier or if he had stayed healthy just a couple more months?