Written by Sheldon Metz, J.D. - Sheldon is a financial advisor and partner with the Stevanovic Metz Group

If measured in the amount of money American consumers spend, it is easy to argue that Halloween has become the second most popular holiday. Even after a year of elevated inflation, the National Retail Federation is expecting Americans to spend $11.6 billion on Halloween in 2024.3 I think it’s safe to say that Halloween has become so popular that it is threatening to become a year-round celebration.

If you feel like 12-foot skeletons and giant flying animatronic witches are crashing your July 4th barbecue, it’s not just your imagination playing tricks on you. Retailers have gradually moved up the launch dates for Halloween merchandise in recent years to help drive sales.

For some retailers, like Michaels, 2024 marks their earliest rollout yet. The craft store introduced its first in-store Halloween collection in late June this year, according to the company’s chief merchandising officer.

Home Depot beat everyone to the Monster Bash this year by launching all online Fall holiday decor in April! That’s right, Easter Sunday was on March 31 and about one-week later Home Depot was fully ready for the upcoming “Summerween” season.1

Why is Halloween slowly creeping up earlier in the calendar every year? The answer is easy, it’s because of us. Yes, we the American consumer are to blame for candy shelves that have Peep’s and chocolate Cadbury eggs sitting next to candy corn.

Don’t believe me? Here is John Gehre, Michaels’ chief merchandising officer, on why Michaels (and other retailers) start selling Halloween four months after Christmas:

"We know many of our customers start decorating as soon as Independence Day passes and eagerly await the first Halloween drops — a moment they call #CodeOrange.”2

Absolutely horrifying, isn’t it? According to Michaels’ internal data, Americans start decorating for Fall and Halloween “as soon as Independence Day passes” and they’re just trying to meet that demand with spooky supply, it’s economics 101.

Ok, full transparency…my family and I really love Halloween. Now, before you start jumping to conclusions about how I’m the guy dragging out 50-foot skeletons on Groundhog Day, I can assure you with full confidence that Halloween decorations do not come out until at least the first day of Fall. No “Summerween” for us! (Although we really get into Christmas in July but that’s a story for a future article.)

My 9-year-old, Mackenzie, has always loved Halloween. Even when Mackenzie was really little, she was the kid giggling as she skipped through a Spirit Halloween and animatronic monsters jumped out at her. She starts planning what we are all (yes, all of us) are wearing for Halloween in August. As a result, our family has a pretty good track record of Halloween costumes. Check out the photos below for proof.

So, when trying to figure out a new series of articles to write, I couldn’t help but notice the leaves starting to change on our maple tree in the front yard and that’s what inspired what you’re reading now.

Over the month of October, I’ll be writing a series of articles entitled, “Scary Stories From the World of Estate Planning.”

When most people think of estate planning, they imagine a set of documents ensuring their loved ones are taken care of after they’re gone. But what many don’t realize is that a poorly crafted estate plan - or worse, - no plan at all - may lead to financial problems, family disputes, and even legal battles.

In this series, we’ll dive into the real-life examples of estate planning mistakes that have left families in turmoil and estates in chaos. Each story in this series will highlight a common mistake or oversight that could happen to anyone.

Estate planning is not a one-size-fits all process. From outdated wills to forgotten assets and misunderstood tax consequences, the smallest misstep can lead to a lot of problems.

The good news is that these could be avoidable with careful planning. A huge reason why our team emphasizes comprehensive financial planning and full estate plan reviews is to proactively identify potential issues and address them before they turn into a problem.

By sharing these stories, I hope to shed light on the importance of having an updated, comprehensive estate plan that reflects your current situation, assets, wishes, and values.