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ESTATE PLANNING—Part 1

After almost twenty years in the financial services industry, I can tell you firsthand as an attorney that estate planning is the most overlooked, misunderstood and procrastinated piece of the financial plan for most families. I can also tell you from experience why that’s usually the case: most people think putting together an estate plan is a lot more complex, costly and time-consuming than it almost always turns out to be. In fact, with just a little focus of time and resources, a family can save itself thousands of dollars and countless hours of time wasted in picking up the pieces after the death of a loved one because a viable estate plan was never put in place.

This article is part one in a short series on the aspects of estate planning. Today, we’ll touch on the very basics and will feature two important documents – the will and the trust. In a few follow-up articles, we’ll take a deeper dive into issues regarding taxes, gifting, beneficiaries, and we’ll look at which ancillary documents, in addition to wills and trusts, round out the “basic set” of estate planning documents for most families.

Who is the beneficiary of your 401k or IRA?

This oversight could cost your loved ones dearly.

Something seemingly so easy as to declare the beneficiary of your 401k has caused heartache for many unsuspecting heirs, who are unintentionally left with nothing.

Take the case of Ben Langford, who worked at a privately owned company for 25 years. He named his wife of 38 years the beneficiary of his 401k account in the event he died before her. As it turned out, however, she died first.

Consequently, Ben smartly updated his account, naming his three grown children as the co-beneficiaries of his account.

Importance of Estate Planning

Estate Planning is one of the most important steps that any person can take to ensure that their property and their health care wishes are honored, and that loved ones are provided for in their absence (either death or incapacitation).

Passing Property to a Spouse? Here is a Rundown of Rules Governing What Happens

In all but one of the fifty states, you cannot disinherit a spouse.  In Georgia it is permitted. If you leave a will that makes little or no provision for your surviving spouse, or if you have arranged title of assets so that there is no probate estate, your surviving spouse is entitled to elect