Estate Planning Basics
What is an estate plan?
An estate plan is a set of documents that set forth, in a legally enforceable way, your wishes for who can assist you with various decisions during your lifetime, who will handle your affairs after you pass away, the beneficiaries of any inheritance and how those beneficiaries receive assets.
What makes an estate plan complete?
What documents do you need to have a comprehensive estate plan? Any complete plan will address not just where your assets go after you pass away, but also who has the authority to assist with financial and medical decision making while you are living. Click below to learn more about the components of a complete estate plan.
Should I have a will or a trust?
Whether your estate plan should be anchored around a will or a trust depends on several factors relating to your assets, your family and your goals. Click below to find out what type of plan would make sense for your family.
I have an estate plan. Now what?
Maybe you have an estate plan in place, but you’ve been told you’re not done. After creating any estate plan, you’ll have homework to ensure your beneficiaries are set up properly and/or trust is funded. Click below to learn how to do your “homework.”