No Will? What Happens Now Can Be a Horror Show

No Will? What Happens Now Can Be a Horror Show

Families who have lived through settling an estate without an estate plan will agree that the title of this article, “Preventing the Horrors of Dying Without a Will,” from Next Avenue, is no exaggeration. When the family is grieving is no time to be fighting, yet the absence of a will and an estate plan leads to this exact situation.

Why do people procrastinate having their wills and estate plans done?

Limited understanding about wealth transfers. People may think they do not have enough assets to require an estate plan. Their home, retirement funds or savings account may not be in the mega-millions, but this is actually more of a reason to have an estate plan.

Fear of mortality. We do not like to talk or think about death. However, talking about what will happen when you die or what may happen if you become incapacitated is very important. Planning so your children or other trusted family member or friends will be able to make decisions on your behalf or care for you alleviates what could otherwise turn into an expensive and emotionally disastrous time.

Perceived lack of benefits. Working with an experienced estate planning attorney who will put your interests first means you will have one less thing to worry about while you are living and towards the end of your life.

Estate planning documents contain the wishes and directives for your legacy and finances after you pass. They answer questions like:

  • Who should look after your minor children, if both primary caregivers die before the children reach adulthood?
  • If you become incapacitated, who should handle your financial affairs, who should be in charge of your healthcare and what kind of end-of-life care do you want?
  • What do you want to happen to your assets after you die? Your estate refers to your financial accounts, personal possessions, retirement funds, pensions and real estate.

Your estate plan includes a will, trusts (if appropriate), a durable financial power of attorney, a health care power of attorney or advanced directive and a living will. The will distributes your property and also names an executor, who is in charge of making sure the directions in the will are carried out.

If you become incapacitated by illness or injury, the POA gives agency to someone else to carry out your wishes while you are living. The living will provides an opportunity to express your wishes regarding end-of-life care.

There are many different reasons to put off having an estate plan, but they all end up in the same place: the potential to create family disruption, unnecessary expenses and stress. Show your family how much you love them, by overcoming your fears and preparing for the next generation. Meet with an estate planning attorney and prepare for the future.

Reference: Next Avenue (March 21, 2022) “Preventing the Horrors of Dying Without a Will”

How Is Insurance Used in Estate Planning?

How Is Insurance Used in Estate Planning?

It’s possible that life insurance may play a much bigger role in your estate planning than you might have thought, says a recent article in Kiplinger titled “Other Uses for Life Insurance You May Not Know About.”

If you own a life insurance policy, you’re in good company—just over 50% of Americans own a life insurance policy and more say they are interested in buying one. When the children have grown up and it feels like your retirement nest egg is big enough, you may feel like you don’t need the policy. However, don’t do anything fast—the policy may have far more utility than you think.

Tax benefits. The tax benefits of life insurance policies are even more valuable now than when you first made your purchase. Now that the SECURE Act has eliminated the Stretch IRA, most non-spouse beneficiaries must empty tax-deferred retirement accounts within ten years of the original owner’s death. Depending on how much is in the account and the beneficiary’s tax bracket, they could face an unexpected tax burden and quick demise to the benefits of the inherited account.

Life insurance proceeds are usually income tax free, making a life insurance policy an ideal way to transfer wealth to the next generation. For business owners, life insurance can be used to pay off business debt, fund a buy-sell agreement related to a business or an estate, or fund retirement plans.

What about funding Long-Term Care? Most Americans do not have long-term care insurance, which is potentially the most dangerous threat to their or their spouse’s retirement. The median annual cost for an assisted living facility is $51,600, and the median cost of a private room in a nursing home is more than $100,000. Long-term care insurance is not inexpensive, but long-term care is definitely expensive. Traditional LTC care insurance is not popular because of its cost, but long-term care is more costly. Some insurance companies offer life insurance with long-term care benefits. They can still provide a death benefit if the owner passes without having needed long-term care, but if the owner needs LTC, a certain amount of money or time in care is allotted.

Financial needs change over time, but the need to protect yourself and your loved ones as you age does not change. Speak with an estate planning attorney about your overall plan for the future.

Reference: Kiplinger (July 21, 2021) “Other Uses for Life Insurance You May Not Know About”

Share Your Estate Plan Now to Protect Your Family When You Are Gone

Share Your Estate Plan Now to Protect Your Family When You Are Gone

If one child will receive more than his siblings, even though his need is obviously greater, will that shared info create fighting between the children? And should children even have advance knowledge that they are going to receive an inheritance? These are some of the questions examined in the article “Disclosing estate plans in advance can save strife later” from The Indiana Lawyer. In most situations, advance discussions between family members are better to ensure family harmony.

Many estate planning attorneys have the “fair does not always mean equal” discussion with their clients. For some families, there is one child who is in dire need, while the others have prospered and don’t really need help. Maybe one child has special needs, or just hasn’t been as successful in life. In other cases, one child has already received substantial property from the parents, so no portion of the estate will be left to them. Regardless of the circumstances, which vary widely, having a frank discussion with all of the children is better than a series of surprises.

Research from the Federal Reserve Board shows that more than half of any given inheritance equals $50,000 or less, and more than 80% of all inheritances are less than $250,000.

With only half of what most people inherit being generally used to invest or pay down debt, most of these inheritances are spent, invested, or donated.

Regardless of the size of the inheritance, most parents expect that the beneficiaries of their estate will protect and preserve their legacy and use the money wisely. That is not always the case. If the parents want heirs to be careful with inheritances, they need to have a plan that will prepare heirs to act as stewards of their inheritances. The plan may be as simple as a series of conversations about saving and investing, or making charitable donations. It might also be complex, like meeting with the parent’s financial advisor and estate planning attorney and discussing wealth transfer and the potential to grow the wealth for another generation.

Families with larger estates often involve their children in annual gifting to get them used to the experience of receiving significant assets and learning how to manage these gifts. This has the added impact of allowing the parents to see how their children will respond to windfalls, which may guide how they distribute wealth in their estate plan. If one child is a repeat spendthrift, for instance, a trust may be a better way to pass the wealth to the child, with a trustee who can determine when they receive assets.

Families who have worked hard to leave their children with an inheritance, regardless of the size, should prepare their children by teaching them, through the parent’s actions, how their values impact their wealth, and how to manage it for themselves and future generations.

Reference: The Indiana Lawyer (October 16, 2019) “Disclosing estate plans in advance can save strife later”