a man sitting on a table

Media / Blog

Estate Planning: Start Now, Not Later

Prev

Accumulate Points While At Home

May 10, 2020

Estate Planning: Start Now, Not Later

There is nothing like a global pandemic to get you thinking about your own mortality. Even in normal times, nobody likes thinking about whether they have properly planned for what happens if they get sick or in an accident and become incapacitated or pass away. Many people put it off until something bad happens in their lives that motivates them to act. Some people do not ever get around to it until it is too late.

Pandemic or not, here are six estate planning items all of us need to take care of so we are prepared for the inevitable:

1. Create or update a will

A will is a legal document that spells out your wishes regarding the care of your children, as well as the distribution of your assets after your death. If you do not prepare a will, the decisions about your estate will be made by judges based on the intestate laws in the state in which you reside. An executor is someone named in a will who is given the legal responsibility to take care of a deceased person's remaining financial obligations.

2. Consider a revocable living trust

A living trust is an estate planning tool used by individuals and families to pass on property while generally avoiding costs and delays associated with probate. It is especially helpful if you own property in more than one state.

3. Prepare advance health care directives

A health care directive (a.k.a. living will) is a written document that informs others of your wishes about your health care. It describes, in detail, what type of life-saving intervention you would like and in what situations it is to be used. It also allows you to name a health care power of attorney (a.k.a. agent or proxy) to communicate with your doctors and decide for you if you are unable to do it yourself. You should name both a primary and contingent agent. A HIPAA authorization should also be included in the health care directives.

4. Create a durable power of attorney for finances

This document allows you to give a trusted person authority to handle your finances and property if you become incapacitated and unable to handle your own affairs. This agent (sometimes referred to as "attorney-in-fact") can make sure your bills, including your taxes, get paid.

5. Make sure your beneficiaries are up to date and your assets are properly titled

Primary and contingent beneficiaries should be established and periodically reviewed for all financial accounts and life insurance policies. It is standard practice to designate primary beneficiaries on 401(k)s, IRA's, and other retirement accounts, but it important to designate contingent beneficiaries too. Primary and contingent beneficiaries should also be established for non-retirement accounts. These arrangements are typically called "transfer on death" for brokerage accounts and "payable on death" for bank accounts.

6. Organize your documents

Collect the documents, logins and passwords, keys, etc. in a place that is known by and accessible to the right people when it is needed. You should also have a list of your medical conditions, medications, allergies, names and phone numbers of your physicians, and insurance cards, readily available in case of an emergency trip to the hospital.


If you would like to receive more information on making smart money moves for your future, be sure to contact us today!

Next

What Are Your Options If You Can't Pay Medical Bills

About the author

a man wearing a suit and tie smiling at the camera

Steve B. Goldstein

Vice President, Private CFO®

Steve Goldstein is Vice President, Private CFO® with oXYGen Financial, Inc., and is based in Alpharetta, Georgia. Steve holds the Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM and Retirement Income Certified Professional® designations.

He is a 20-year veteran in the financial services industry and specializes in helping Baby Boomers and older Gen X'ers plan and manage their finances as they transition and live in retirement.

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. oXYGen Financial is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. Kestra IS and Kestra AS do not provide tax or legal advice. Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regard to your individual situation.

Background and qualification information is available at FINRA's BrokerCheck website.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Sign Up

Sign up for our exclusive Sunday Paper with a weekly market commentary, insightful personal finance blogs, and life changing education guides.

Email sign up

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. oXYGen Financial is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. Kestra IS and Kestra AS do not provide tax or legal advice. https://Bit.ly/KF-Disclosures

This site is published for residents of the United States only. Registered Representatives of Kestra IS and Investment Advisor Representatives of Kestra AS may only conduct business with residents of the states and jurisdictions in which they are properly registered. Therefore, a response to a request for information may be delayed. Not all products and services referenced on this site are available in every state and through every representative or advisor listed. For additional information, please contact Kestra IS Compliance Department at 844-553-7872.

PLEASE NOTE: The information being provided is strictly as a courtesy. When you link to any of the web sites provided here, you are leaving this web site. Kestra IS and Kestra AS makes no representation as to the completeness or accuracy of information provided at these web sites. Nor is Kestra IS and Kestra AS liable for any direct or indirect technical or system issues or any consequences arising out of your access to or your use of third-party technologies, web sites, information and programs made available through this web site. When you access one of these web sites, you are leaving our web site and assume total responsibility and risk for your use of the web sites you are linking to.