Don’t Leave It Up To Chance…Plan for Your Estate in Advance!

Estate issues are extremely important to your family should you pass away or become unable to function as you do today.  If you do not plan for your estate, you’re taking a big risk.  To make sure your family is better prepared, take a look at the following checklist. If there are items you cannot check, you may want to consider contacting an estate planning attorney right away.    

Account Registration

Are your accounts registered properly with the correct persons on the account? If you have a living trust, have your accounts been registered in the name of the trust?

Beneficiary Designation

Are the beneficiaries named on your accounts still the correct beneficiaries? Are these beneficiary designations consistent with your overall estate plan?

Health Care Directive/Living Will

Do you have specific wishes regarding the administration of life-prolonging procedures? This document can convey your wishes when you are no longer able to communicate them.

Durable Power of Attorney (General and Healthcare)

Have you named someone to make financial and healthcare decisions on your behalf, should you become incapacitated? A Durable Power of Attorney is an important document that allows you to name this individual. It is even more imperative to those who do not have, nor wish to set up, a living trust.

Trust

Are you concerned about estate taxes, avoiding probate, controlling the transfer of assets to your heirs, leaving assets to children, protecting assets during incapacitation or eventually needing assistance with money management and paying bills? If so, consider setting up a trust.

Will

Do you have a last will and testament? At a minimum, you need to have a will to insure that your assets transfer in the manner that you would prefer them to transfer.

Secure Planning Strategies has the ability to offer our expertise as we are here to provide great attorney referrals if you do not already have one. In addition, we will work with your attorney to help determine which of the above-mentioned items would be appropriate in your situation and we can also refer you to an excellent CPA if your situation requires it.  In any event, don’t leave your estate to chance.  Plan for your estate in advance and start the protecting process by calling us today at: (248) 827-2580 or e-mail us at info@spsfinancial.com.