Client Estate Plan Review Checklist (Part 2)
In the last post, I shared about specific things to keep in mind while reviewing your estate plan. Here are 10 more: 11. Charitable Contributions If you have chosen any charitable organizations for planned donations, make sure these organizations still align with your intentions, goals, and values. 12. Estate Tax Considerations See if any changes …
Continue reading “Client Estate Plan Review Checklist (Part 2)”
Client Estate Plan Review Checklist (Part 1)
An effective estate plan is like a finely-tuned machine, and it needs regular maintenance to make sure it operates harmoniously in the face of life’s changes and challenges. An estate plan should be revisited every few years as well as after any major life change to make sure it is still aligned with your current …
Continue reading “Client Estate Plan Review Checklist (Part 1)”
Estate Planning for Child-Free Adults
During your life: When it comes to estate planning to prepare for what may happen while you are still alive, you’ll want to make sure you have documents in place for your spouse or other individual(s) you trust to be able to make medical and financial decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated or …
Estate planning for a single parent
Estate planning serves to ensure an individual’s assets are distributed as they wish after they pass away. Proper estate planning is even more vital for a single parent to ensure the wellbeing of their children as they are solely responsible for providing for and protecting their children. One of the most vital aspects of estate …
Estate Planning Essentials: How Smart Real Estate Titling Can Save You
How you title your real estate holdings is key to making sure your assets are transferred according to your wishes after you have passed away. In making decisions about how to title your assets, you’ll want to consider things such as avoiding probate, minimizing estate taxes, and liability protection. Avoiding Probate People often want to …
Continue reading “Estate Planning Essentials: How Smart Real Estate Titling Can Save You “
Can you build an estate plan like a house?
Much like the process of building a house, the steps to building an estate plan should be well-defined and carefully considered. Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your estate plan: · Get the right “builder.” Just like for a house, you will most likely need to hire an estate planning professional …
Continue reading “Can you build an estate plan like a house?”
Estate Planning For Unmarried Couples
A number of couples, including some who have been together for many years, choose not to legally marry for a variety of personal and financial reasons. Sometimes older couples decide against marriage because they don’t want to affect their children’s inheritance. There are others who don’t want to deal with the legalities of marriage. Some …
Families get these 3 things wrong about estate planning, advisor says
In the wake of the pandemic, the topic of estate planning has suddenly become a lot less taboo, according to Lee Baker, a certified financial planner based in Atlanta. “We get more calls around estate planning,” he says. Baker is the founder, owner, and president of Apex Financial Services and is a member of CNBC’s Advisor Council. “The …
Continue reading “Families get these 3 things wrong about estate planning, advisor says”
Estate Planning Pitfall: You Haven’t Coordinated Beneficiary Designations With Your Will
If it’s been years since you drafted or last updated your will, it likely references many of your existing assets, such as retirement plan accounts and life insurance policies. You also have paperwork on file with the applicable financial institutions. It’s possible that you have modified one of these documents after life events such as …
I Created An Estate Plan When My Spouse And I Had Kids, Why Should I Update It Now? (Part 2)
In the last post, I wrote about 5 different major life events and changes for which you should revisit and potentially revise your estate plan. Here are 3 more life changes that are cause to take another look at your estate plan and update your documents if necessary: You may need to change important individuals …