For most people, entering the realm of estate planning can feel a bit like traveling as a tourist into another culture. Because the language itself is unfamiliar, asking a question can result in an answer that is equally confusing.
Legacy and Estate Planning
However, if you are retired and no longer generating employment income, you should make sure you weigh the financial implications of any potential move.
With apologies to poet Robert Burns, the best-laid estate plans of women and men sometimes go awry.
As a review of terms, a will is a legal document that specifies how a person’s estate should be handled only after that person’s death. A living will has nothing to do with how your “things” like property, money, jewelry, etc. are to be distributed. Unlike a will, it is, in fact, a document that comes into play while you’re still alive.
No one knows when their time will come, which is why it’s important to have a last will in place. This document ensures that your final wishes are carried out after your death. Without a will, the laws of the state of your residence at the time of death will determine what happens with your estate.
I’ve decided I no longer want to leave my estate to my children. They are ungrateful brats. How can I set things up to give my money to charity when I die?
Non-probate assets are those assets which do not go into an estate when the owner dies.
Without a valid will, a person’s estate passes to their surviving heirs under intestate succession (i.e., ‘succession without a will’).
Part of being a responsible homeowner is having a proper estate plan in place. After all, considering the home is generally the largest asset most people own, it’s prudent to ensure this asset is passed to the people you wish to leave it to.
According to the Exit Planning Institute of Ohio, recent studies show that over 60% of the current U.S. business market is owned by baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), who are ready to exit or transition their business over the next 10 years.