Estate planning involves creating a strategy to grow, conserve and transfer wealth. The goal is to maintain financial security through life and ensure the intended transfer of property at or before death. This goes even further than monetary wealth, an estate plan anticipates your needs in the event of incapacity and declining health and ensures your assets are distributed the way you intend.
It also gives you control over your life savings and assets in face of many situations such as:
- If you are in a blended family or your “significant other” is not a spouse
- If your family resides out of state or is otherwise unable to assist
- If you foresee conflict with your heirs
- If you are a business owner
- If asset protection is important
Estate Planning for the Family Business Owner
This information has been prepared to help the family business owner tackle two very important issues:
- Who will take care of the business in the absence of the owner due to unexpected illness or incapacity (like a disabling car wreck or stroke)?
- Who will take care of the family business, own it and manage it after the original owner's death?
Estate Planning for Women
Women, especially mothers, are usually the family member in charge of making sure everyone else takes care of themselves and does what they are supposed to do. The caregiver for children and older parents or ill relatives has to get them to the doctor, to their pharmacy, take elderly relatives to their bank, make visits to nursing homes, etc. Whether you actually are a mother or not - women usually have major responsibilities as the nurturing female that others look to for comfort, moral support, care in time of crisis, etc. We have lots of resources written for women and the special place they fill in every family structure, whether you are married, single, remarried, divorced, a mother or not.
Common Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
We have been helping families with their estate since 1942. We have seen many different issues and problems arise. Because of this we put together a list of common mistakes that you can easily avoid when planning for the future.
Glossary of Estate Planning Terms
When planning your estate, it is very valuable to learn some of the estate planning terms that your attorney will be using when he or she discusses your particular estate planning issues. This brochure lists many of the basic terms you should become familiar with during this process.
Disclosures:
Not a deposit; not FDIC insured; not guaranteed by any federal government agency; not guaranteed by the bank; and may go down in value.