Robert A. Imparato, Jr CFP®

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional

 

Craig A. Hyldahl CFP®

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional

 

R.I.C.H. Planning Group, LLC

105 Fieldcrest Avenue, Suite #507

Edison, NJ 08837

 

Robert: 732-326-5240

Craig:   732-326-5240

Fax:     732-326-5331

 

Robert: robert@richplanninggroup.com

Craig: craig@richplanninggroup.com

Website: www.richplanninggroup.com

November/December 2019

Filling in the Cracks

Young worker sealing joints of office window

If you think of estate planning as something that is necessary for only the very wealthy, it might surprise you to learn differently. From keeping an updated will to having healthcare and legal powers of attorney, estate planning is so much more. And with so much paperwork involved to ensure your loved ones inherit what you intend, it’s easy to miss a crack or two that can create an estate planning nightmare.


Whether you’re creating your first estate plan or updating an existing one –with the help of an estate planning attorney – there are some missteps you can avoid when you know what to look for. Here are a few tips:


Even-Steven
An estate plan may include tax-saving strategies, but its basic intent is to govern how your assets are distributed when you’re gone. Many estate plans and wills go the Even-Steven route, simply stating that heirs receive the exact same percentage of assets. That works when you’re distributing cash. It doesn’t if you have to split Grandma’s brooch or Grandpa’s handmade chess set three ways.


There are two ways you might distribute the assets that can’t be split, and both begin with conversations with heirs to learn what is meaningful to whom. Once determined, you might distribute these assets while alive. Or you can add specific language to your will to ensure everyone gets their assets intact.


Match Assets
You don’t need a will to distribute life insurance policy proceeds, IRAs and other retirement accounts because they already have – or should have – beneficiaries designated. Another reason to not include this information in a will is the public glare of probate. If you must include this information in your will or estate plan, take extra care to make sure beneficiaries and assets line up.


Review Regularly
Whether dealing with beneficiary-linked or will-directed inheritances, make it a practice to review your designations and will at least annually. Divorces, remarriages, blended families, new family members and family deaths can create the need to redo beneficiary designations and change the terms of a will or estate plan.


Talk to an attorney to learn more and to a financial professional to learn how life insurance can work in estate planning situations.

GE-2572772 (06/19)(exp.06/21)


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Securities offered through Equitable Advisors, LLC (NY,NY (212) 314-4600), member FINRA,SIPC (Equitable Financial Advisors in MI & TN). Investment advisory products and services offered through Equitable Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. Annuity and insurance products offered through Equitable Network, LLC, which conducts business in California as Equitable Network Insurance Agency of California, LLC; in Utah as Equitable Network Insurance Agency of Utah, LLC; and in PR as Equitable Network of Puerto Rico, Inc. Equitable Advisors and Equitable Network are affiliated companies and do not provide tax or legal advice. R.I.C.H. Planning Group, LLC is not owned or operated by Equitable Advisors or Equitable Network. Equitable Advisors and Equitable Network are brand names for Equitable Advisors, LLC and Equitable Network, LLC, respectively. GE-4833845.1 (7/22)(Exp. 7/24) CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
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