As the name suggests, estate planning is a plan to deal with your estate. Estate planning is essential to manage your assets when you are alive and finally when you die. This planning primarily deals with the aftermath of your death, like what would happen to your purchases or who you would give them to. All these things are decided through estate planning.
What Does an Estate Consist Of?
Estate is everything that you own. It can be your car or your life insurance. Your possessions and savings account all come under the umbrella of the estate. All the property you own is also part of your estate.
The Significance of Estate Planning
Everyone needs estate planning, but most people do not opt for it. Some don’t know about it, and some think it is unnecessary. But in reality, estate planning is for all of us. This is supposed to take care of your loved ones when you are no longer around. Thus, here are some reasons why estate planning is a requirement for all of us.
You Can Choose Who Inherits Your Assets
This is a necessary step to be taken while you are planning your estate. Often you might wonder why you must name anyone who inherits your property or other possessions. But it just so happens that after your death, the court decides who should receive your assets. Now you may believe that this will resolve itself as your state’s intestacy laws will take care of it. However, money tends to bring out the worst in people, and in our profession, we see a lot of family feuds over inheritance. You may have overlooked things, for example, being on the deed of one of your children’s homes to help them qualify for a mortgage. This would create an issue as now your other children can take advantage of the situation and try to claim those shares as part of their inheritance. Thus, it is always better to have estate planning to avoid such a family mess.
You Can Reduce Estate Taxes
A good estate plan can include tax mitigation strategies. For example, the current gift tax exemption is at a record high and can be used to limit your tax exposure. In addition, by creating a will and trust, you can achieve a hundred percent step-up basis for your primary home at the death of the first spouse.
Protect the Beneficiaries
Do you have children that are under the age of 18? These children are considered minors. Therefore, it is essential to have good estate planning in such a scenario. Remember, without the proper documents, such as a will or trust; your beneficiaries are subject to either a probate or administrative proceeding to receive their inheritance. Furthermore, a minor who stands to inherit will have no say over such inheritance until they come of age, and a guardian will be put in charge of their finances. A good estate plan allows you to choose who that guardian will be and how your monies will be used to benefit your minor children.
This is why estate planning is necessary, especially for families with minor children. Thru careful planning, you can protect and ensure that your children are well taken care of and hopefully not taken advantage of due to their inheritance.
Protection of Your Assets
Well, we love our belongings. Even if it is a small co-op or a big house, whatever we own is dear to us, and we want it to be taken care of when we are not around anymore. Estate planning is the perfect tool for ensuring that your assets are safe. A good estate plan can protect your hard-earned wealth from creditors and show that when the assets pass to your loved ones, they pass outside the marital property and their creditors upon your death.
Protecting assets is critical as it ensures that your heritage is kept safe and will continue flourishing long after your demise. In this respect, estate planning is the only and best option for asset protection.
Conclusion!
We hope this article has given you a brief idea of how estate planning is essential for all of us. The best time for estate planning is now. The sooner you do it, the better it is. You will be at peace knowing that your assets are distributed according to your wishes, safeguarded, and preserved for your loved ones. The best time for planning is now. Call us to schedule your free consultation.
