Estate Planning

The person who can best decide what to do with your estate is you. You best understand what risks are acceptable, what protections should be afforded, how much to save, how much to set aside for retirement, how much to pass on and to whom.

While estate planning usually focuses upon the disposition of your assets upon your death, it also involves planning for your lifetime needs and focuses upon your care if you become unable to manage your own affairs during your lifetime. There are many considerations - some strictly monetary, while others are personal and emotional.

Some goals of estate planning include:

•Assuring the transfer of your assets to your designated beneficiaries

•Reduce federal estate and gift taxes and generation-skipping taxes

•Minimize probate administration costs such as attorneys’ fees, court costs

There are a variety of tools that can be used to attain your estate planning goals. Some of these include ownership options, beneficiary designations, powers of attorneys, trusts, wills, patient advocate designations.

In the process of planning I will assist you to explore the vehicles available. Each option has advantages and disadvantages, and each has a legal and financial implication and a tax consequence. Cutting these costs, or at least being aware of the toll they exact, is the reason for estate planning.  I will assist you selecting the tools that will best meet your needs - one size does not fit all.

It will benefit you and those important to you, to take the time now to explore concerns impacting the acquisition and preservation of your assets