It's the ultimate gift to your loved ones. An airtight
estate plan not only takes the guesswork out of who gets what when you pass
away, sparing your family costly court battles and potential infighting, but
also delineates your wishes for end-of-life medical decisions.
Parents who fail to select a legal guardian for their minor
children, for example, unwittingly leave that decision in the hands of the
court in the event tragedy strikes. The same is true if you fail to name a
health-care proxy or financial power of attorney and illness or injury renders
you unable to manage your money and medical care. The following list of dos and
don'ts can help ensure your affairs will be handled according to your wishes.
The to-dos
Do update your
beneficiaries. With each life event, including a birth, death, divorce
or marriage, you should review the designated beneficiaries to your life
insurance policy and retirement accounts and amend as needed. Naming
beneficiaries in your will is not enough, Frye said, especially if a
discrepancy exists.
Do trust in trusts. A
revocable living trust is a powerful estate-planning tool. Its primary benefit
is that it allows you to pass assets to heirs outside of probate, the costly
and lengthy legal process that is used to resolve all claims, pay off debt and
distribute what remains of your property to your heirs. In many states, probate
can last two years, during which time your heirs will not have access to their
inheritance.
Do name a guardian for
your minor children. If your kids are under the age of majority, which
is 18 in most states, it is critical that you designate a guardian to care for
them in the event you die prematurely. A judge will otherwise be forced to
select the person they deem fit. And it may not be your first (or fifth)
choice. A trustee should also be named to manage and distribute their
inheritance according to your wishes. Just be sure to ask their permission
first.
Do be specific. Estate
planning is not the time for ambiguity. If you want your kids to sprinkle your
ashes at sea, tell them which coast or what beach. Don't leave your jewelry
collection to your children and let them sort it out later. Itemize your
valuables, including jewelry, antiques and artwork, and name a beneficiary for
each item.
Do get help. A
do-it-yourself mentality is all well and good when it comes to home
improvement, but estate planning is one area where failure to secure expertise
can cost you more in the end. The more complex your estate, the more valuable
professional counsel becomes. (Perhaps one of your children helps to run your
family business, or your new spouse and children don't get along.)
The don'ts
Don't name your
estate. The biggest no-no when it comes to estate planning is naming
your estate as your IRA beneficiary. Your assets would, as a result, be subject
to claims and creditors during probate. Thus, when you die, the proceeds from
your IRA would be used to pay off any debt in your name. Whatever money
remains, if any, is then distributed to your heirs.
Don't keep it a
secret. All the estate-planning documents in the world won't do you or
your loved ones any good if you forget to tell your beneficiaries where the
paperwork is kept. For assurance, you may want to consider leaving a copy with
your attorney, keeping one in your fireproof home safe and even giving a copy
to your heirs. Otherwise, your family won't know what your burial wishes are,
or that you intended to leave the pearl necklace to your granddaughter, until it's
too late.
Don't tilt trouble. It's
not sufficient to create a revocable living trust. To fulfill its purpose of
keeping your assets out of probate, you need to actually transfer assets into
the trust. Be sure, too, he said, that if you leave assets to your spouse in a
trust and he or she has children from a prior marriage, the language clearly
indicates that upon your spouse's death, any remaining assets should pass
exclusively to your own children.
Don't get stuck in the
TOD trap. Another common misstep is over-reliance on "transfer on
death" accounts, an easy and (sometimes) effective alternative to a trust
that avoids the need for probate and clarifies how your investment assets will
be divided among your children. Such accounts, however, are not immune from
creditors or angry ex-spouses should your child's marriage end in divorce.
Don't forget a backup
plan. You must also look out for yourself, of course. That's where the
living will, or advanced health-care directive, comes in. Such documents
outline your end-of-life preferences regarding medical treatment, including
surgery, organ donation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Essentially, it
tells them whether to pull the plug or not should you become critically ill.
No one can predict how long they will live, but a carefully
crafted estate plan can preserve your financial legacy and protect your family
even in the event of sudden tragedy. Better yet, it can all but eliminate
opportunity for conflict among those you love most.
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