It may be a delicate subject, but it is often left to financial advisers to remind clients of their mortality.
EU leaders have agreed a further €109bn (£96bn) bailout for Greece, one-third of which will come from private sector bondholders.
Ratings agency Moody's has cut the Republic of Ireland's debt rating to junk status.
There was little relief coming Portugal's way after Moody's downgraded the country's credit rating to junk status (Ba2 from Baa1).
The downgrading of Portugal's debt to 'junk' status by Moody's earlier this week has led to renewed criticism, this time from the European Commission (EC), of the role and behaviour of credit ratings agencies.
Portugal has moved a step closer to implementing a €78bn bail-out programme after the country's Social Democrats (PSD) won a conclusive victory in the general election yesterday.
"Spain is like Ireland, Portugal and Greece, only more so," warns Stuart Thomson, Chief Economist with Ignis Asset Management.
European governments yesterday discussed the prospect of a fresh multi-billion euro bailout for Greece - just a year after committing €110bn - in a bid to calm the markets and stabilise the region's currency.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the IMF, has agreed to undergo medical tests over allegations of sexually assaulting a hotel maid in New York, in a case which has thrown European debt crisis talks into disarray.
Confidence in Portugal's property market has taken a further knock as demand falls in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve.