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If your family is spread out around the country, a free conference call is a great way to get everyone together -- whether you need to resolve a difficult family problem or just want to catch up. You may not have considered this option because you assumed it would be complicated or expensive, but many online companies now offer easy-to-use, free conference call services. (To find a service, search online for free conference calls or family conference calls.)
To make a call, you and your family members arrange a convenient time to talk. Everyone then calls the phone number provided by the service, individually punches in another number or code you've created, and gets conferenced in to the family meeting. Everyone who participates will have to pay the long-distance charges (unless they have unlimited long-distance calling), but these services don't charge anything for the conference itself. Some services offer special features for a fee; for example, if money is an issue for your parents, you can pay to host the conference so they won't have any long-distance charges.
Great idea!