For some people, financial planning is mainly concerned with how best to go about building a nest egg, and how to make it last through retirement. But for many, there is a desire to ensure their estate delivers benefits beyond their own retirement, and produces a lasting legacy even after they have passed.
Why Estate Planning is Important
If you wish to leave behind a lasting legacy, whether it's for family and loved ones or a charitable institution, then you need to put a well-thought-out Estate Plan in place, so your legacy is established in accordance with your wishes. Without such a Plan, strangers (the State, Lawyers or individuals that don't have your interests in mind) could determine what happens to your Estate.
If you wish to ensure that you are in control of what happens to your estate, and if you want to guarantee that your estate is handled in accordance with your directives, then having an Estate Plan is paramount.
What We Can Do For You
Our Estate Planning service includes:
- We offer low-cost pre-negotiated price wills and trusts for our clients: We work with attorneys in 49 states to bring you lower cost options for wills and trusts. We help you with the process to assure that your wishes get fully implemented and to prevent future problems that are common, like not titling properly, or funding your trust, etc. Click the button at the bottom to contact us for a price list and to learn more.
- Helping you understand the importance of wills and trusts and their implementation: Wills and/or trusts should be the corner stone of your Estate Plan. We collaborate with your legal team to help create wills and trusts that reflect how you want your Estate distributed. From simple wills to revocable trusts and more complex special needs trusts – we help you navigate through the complexities and see that your wishes are fully implemented, so you won't need to worry!
- Creating Powers of Attorney (POA): Whether it's to manage specific assets, like your investments, bank accounts or real estate holdings after your gone; or whether it's meant to help others make health-care decisions in your best interest in case you are ill or incapacitated, you need to have a POA in place to ensure your wishes are followed. A well-crafted POA will also smoothen how decisions about your final arrangements, and those related to your estate, are taken care of once you pass. The POA should be part of your will or trust kit.
- Choosing Executors: The Executors of your Estate wield strong powers that determine how your Estate is finally dealt with upon your passing. We help you understand the importance of choosing an executor (s) for your Estate, and what criteria to consider when appointing someone to discharge this all-important role – especially if minor children/guardians are involved.
- Designating beneficiaries: If you don't choose beneficiaries for your assets carefully (or not at all!), your estate assets might well end up in the hands of individuals that you never intended should benefit from them, and should be up to date.
- Considerations for dependents needs: A well-thought-out Estate Plan will ensure that the needs of your dependents (be they minors, adult children, siblings, persons with special needs or aging parents) are taken care of in accordance with your desires.
- Tax planning considerations (minimizing Estate taxes and reducing probate fees): Without a well-thought-out Estate Plan, a considerable part of your estate could erode through taxes and other fees, even before your beneficiaries see a cent!
- Protecting your estate: Though you may no longer be here, many of your assets – like your long-term investments, property and other tangible assets – will likely need care, protection and management until they are finally disposed off, and the proceeds distributed to your designated beneficiaries. In the absence of an Estate Plan, your assets will likely not receive the type and level of protection your assets require.
- Health and welfare considerations: A comprehensive Estate Plan contains several components, including directives to your Executors and POA-holders about what to do in case your health (mental or physical) deteriorates. In the absence of those components of your Estate Plan, decisions impacting your health and welfare might be made by others (likely medical professionals or state-appointed representatives) whom you do not trust.
- Distributing your assets/legacy: Without proper Estate planning, your assets might not be distributed in alingnment with your final wishes. Creating legally-binding wills and trusts and ensuring your Estate Plan is in sync with them is essential to ensure proper distribution of your estate, and we can support you in this endeavor.