Everplans -- the First of its Kind Technology Startup -- Brings Modern Tools and Approach to the Tough Topics of Death and Dying

NEW YORK, June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Everplans today officially came out of stealth mode to announce its flagship site, Everplans.com, the most comprehensive end-to-end resource dedicated to making it easier to plan ahead for your family so they're taken care of when you die.

Every day, 150,000 people die globally, and in most cases families are unprepared for the logistical realities that must be addressed after a loved one passes.^[1] Grieving and emotion must frequently be put on hold for weeks or months as families coordinate a funeral and then attend to the myriad financial and legal issues, ranging from distributing personal property and transferring bank accounts to gaining access to confidential passwords required to shut down online memberships and subscriptions.

Everplans uses technology to provide step-by-step guides, interactive workbooks and checklists to help people understand their options, make informed decisions, and navigate the complexities of death and dying. For families who use Everplans before a death, the tools can help the family and their loved one have the important conversations that reveal unexpressed wishes and preferences regarding their funeral, their assets, and their legacy. For those who use the site once a death has occurred, Everplans helps ease the burden of communicating and updating information related to the service, memorial and related events.

And the time for planning is now. Today, nearly half of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are also either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child.^[2] This "sandwich generation" is responsible for the financial and medical care of their parents, their children, and themselves, and faces a massive burden of caregiving and decision-making in the coming years. As the population ages at an unprecedented rate (the number of seniors in America will double to 72.1 million by 2030^[3]), the need for creating concrete plans is both financially and emotionally imperative—for seniors and their adult children.

"By using technology to create more order and simplicity around a very chaotic and stressful topic, Everplans is making it as easy as possible to create a plan and share it with the right people, so that your planning actually pays off," said Adam Seifer, co-founder of Everplans. "Our team has a lot of experience building tools to help people share content and collaborate. We've done that for social networking and music and photos. Now, we're looking to take what we've learned and bring it to this previously ignored space."

Everplans' tools extend far beyond helping people immediately before and after a death. With 27% of all deaths occurring in people younger than age 65^[4], the goal is to demystify death and eliminate the fear that creates barriers to end-of-life planning. A modern, technology-driven experience offers step-by-step instructions on purchasing life insurance, establishing guardianship plans, creating advanced directives, naming a power of attorney, writing wills, and creating estate plans.

"We understand that thinking about death is difficult, but it's never too soon to plan for the end of life, because death isn't hypothetical," said Abby Schneiderman, co-founder of Everplans. "It will happen to all of us. I've witnessed first-hand the effects of not having a plan and the toll it can take on a family. We created Everplans to ease some of the burden—money, time, and stress—for families at one of the most difficult times in their lives."

About Everplans

Everplans is a leading online resource dedicated to empowering people to plan for and deal with end-of-life and death. Everplans was founded in 2011 by Adam Seifer and Abby Schneiderman, entrepreneurs with a passion for helping people and a proven track record of creating successful online communities. For more information, please visit www.everplans.com.

For more information on the personal stories behind Everplans and its Advisory Board, visit http://www.everplans.com/everplans-media-center.

^[1] Aubrey D.N.J, de Grey (2007). "Life Span Extension Research and Public Debate: Societal Considerations". Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology. Volume 1, Issue 1. 10.2202/1941-6008.1011
^[2]http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/01/30/the-sandwich-generation/
^[3]http://www.aoa.gov/Aging_Statistics/
^[4] CDC, 2011, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_06.pdf

SOURCE Everplans