Archives: Newsletters

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the federal gift and estate tax exclusion amount, which had previously been $5 million (adjusted each year for inflation) per individual. The exclusion amount for 2020, including the adjustment for inflation, is $11.58 million. However, the increase in the exclusion amount is temporary and, unless Congress extends it, will expire on December 31, 2025. This has caused concern that if taxpayers made gifts of the additional $5 million (adjusted for inflation) between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2025, the benefit could be “clawed back” in the calculation of their estate taxes if they died on or after January 1, 2026—i.e., after the expiration of the increased exclusion amount. This concern arose because gift and estate taxes are calculated together, as a unified calculation. The determination of whether any tax is due is made by applying a credit based on the basic exclusion amount. The credit is first applied against the gift tax, and to the extent that any credit remains at death, it is applied against the estate tax. Some worried that if the exclusion amount at death is lower than the amount of the exclusion when lifetime gifts were made, this could create a difficult situation in which tax could be due at death, but no money would be left to pay it, because it had been given away during the taxpayer’s lifetime.

Special Rule

In November 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final regulations providing that taxpayers who take advantage of the higher gift and tax exemption applicable between 2018 and 2025 will not lose the tax benefit of the higher exclusion amount upon their subsequent death on or after January 1, 2026, when the exclusion amount is set to decrease to the pre-tax reform level. Instead, the new IRS regulations adopt a special rule allowing an estate to compute its estate tax credit using the greater of the exclusion amount applicable to gifts made during an individual’s lifetime or the exclusion applicable on the date of death.

Use It or Lose It

The IRS also clarified that the increased exclusion amount is a “use or lose” benefit available to an estate only to the extent that a person who dies on or after January 1, 2026 has actually used it by making gifts during the increased exclusion period (between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2025). In Example 2,[1] the IRS provided an illustration of this situation. If Terry, who has never been married, makes gifts of $4 million between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2025, and dies after December 31, 2025, during a period when the inflation-adjusted amount of the exclusion has reverted to $6.8 million, the credit to be applied for purposes of computing Terry’s estate tax credit is based upon the $6.8 million exclusion amount applicable as of the date of death: That is, the $4 million dollars actually used is treated as the exclusion amount for the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2025, rather than the higher amount (for example, $11.58 million if the gifts were made during 2020) Terry could have utilized, but did not, during the increased exclusion period. As a result, because Terry, now-deceased, only made lifetime gifts of $4 million, the greater of the two exclusion amounts that should be used to calculate the estate tax credit is $6.8 million.

Application to Spousal Portability

The IRS regulation also addresses how the use by a surviving spouse of a deceased spouse’s unused exclusion amount, otherwise known as the portability option, will apply if the increased exclusion amount sunsets as expected at the end of 2025. The portability option allows an estate to elect to transfer any unused portion of the last deceased spouse’s unused gift and estate tax exclusion (DSUE) to the surviving spouse, who can apply it to cover any gift or estate tax liability arising from later lifetime gifts or transfers at death. The new IRS regulation makes clear that if an estate elects to transfer any DSUE to the surviving spouse between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2025, when the increased exclusion amount is effective, it will not be reduced as a result of the sunset of the increased exclusion amount.

In Example 3, the IRS illustrates that if Whitney died between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2025, at a time when the exclusion amount was $11.4 million, and Whitney had not made any taxable gifts and did not have a taxable estate, the executor of Whitney’s estate could elect to allow his surviving spouse, Robin, to use his $11.4 million exclusion amount. If Robin, who does not make any lifetime gifts and does not remarry, dies after the sunset of the increased exclusion amount at a date when the exclusion amount is $6.8 million, the credit to be applied in computing Robin’s estate tax is $18.2 million ($11.4 million, the unused portion of the gift and estate tax exclusion amount applicable on Whitney’s date of death, plus $6.8 million, the exclusion amount applicable on Robin’s date of death). 

Let’s Collaborate to Help Your Clients Take Advantage of the Tax Savings

Here are a few of the strategies we can implement together to enable your clients to take advantage of the higher exclusion amount available until December 31, 2025 (unless Congress decides to either extend the increase or make it permanent), whose application is now clarified by the IRS’s anti-clawback regulations.

Lifetime gifts. You can help your clients benefit the most from the higher exclusion amount by advising them to make use of it through strategic lifetime gifts. Lifetime gifts typically result in transfer tax savings (assuming the assets gifted do not decline in value). Individual clients have the opportunity to remove $11.58 million and married couples can remove $23.16 million from their taxable estates by making lifetime gifts in 2020. You can provide valuable guidance to your clients by helping them transfer appreciating assets to their children or loved ones—or preferably to a trust for their benefit, which will provide asset protection for the beneficiaries and direction regarding distributions. This will also enable you to keep assets under management and gain new clients by assisting the next generation with their financial and estate planning.

Spousal lifetime access trusts. If a gift of $11.58 million is too large for your client to comfortably make without retaining some of the benefits of that money, your client can make a completed gift to a spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT), using the temporarily increased exclusion amount. The client’s spouse can be a beneficiary of the trust, providing access to the trust assets to support the family if they are needed. A properly drafted SLAT will ensure that the trust’s assets, including any growth of the assets, will not be subject to estate tax liability at the death of the gifting spouse.

Grantor trusts. Using a grantor trust, your clients can make a gift, taking advantage of the increased exclusion amount, but also pay the income tax, enabling the trust’s beneficiaries to eventually receive assets that have grown with no reductions as a result of the grantor’s payment of the income tax. The grantor can reduce his or her taxable estate both in the amount of the assets transferred to the trust and the amount of income tax paid on the trust assets.

We Are Here to Help

Working together, we can help your clients take advantage of significant tax savings provided by the increased gift and estate tax exclusion amount during the current window of opportunity. We look forward to working with you to create the most advantageous estate plans for your clients, designed with their unique circumstance in mind. Give us a call today to discuss how we can collaborate for your clients’ benefit.

[1] Treasure Decision 9884 (which sets forth the final regulations) states that although the proposed regulations included examples that did not reflect the annual inflation adjustments to the exclusion amount, “the examples in the final regulations reflect hypothetical inflation-adjusted [basic exclusion] amounts.”

Millennials (born 1981 to 1996) are well known for their distinctiveness as a group. They have followed paths and set goals that are decidedly different from those chosen by previous generations. They are highly diverse, better educated, more socially conscious, and wait longer to have families than their parents and grandparents. But one thing millennials have in common with other generational groups is the need for estate planning. Unfortunately, a startling 79% of millennials do not have basic estate plans in place. Their needs and goals may vary, but having an estate plan in place is crucial for every adult, including millennials. Whether your clients are young or old, they do not know what the future holds, and together, we can help them put plans in place that not only provide for their own future needs but also those of their loved ones.

Will and/or Trust

Millennials may not have accumulated as much wealth as older Americans, but it is important for them to make sure that their assets will go to the family members or loved ones they have chosen at their death. If they do not have a will or trust, their assets will pass to the person designated by the state intestacy statute, which may not be the person they would want to inherit their prized possessions and money. In addition, if they are married and have young children, they need to take steps to ensure that their spouse and children are provided for. A trust is often the best solution: If the millennial client’s spouse inherits their money and property outright under a will and the spouse eventually remarries, it could go to the second spouse instead of your client’s children. In addition, the inheritance will be vulnerable to claims made by the spouse’s creditors. A trust can avoid these results by allowing the client to choose who receives their property and money, as well as the timing and size of the gifts the beneficiaries receive.

Pet trust. Many millennials, especially those who live in large urban areas, are choosing either to delay having children or to remain childless. Many of those childless millennials adopt pets who become as beloved and doted upon as if they were children. Those clients, especially if they are single, should consider a pet trust to provide for their pet’s care if something happens to them. This can include if the client dies or is physically unable to care for the pet themselves. The pet trust can not only specify a caregiver for their pet, but also provide care instructions and set aside funds sufficient to care for the pet’s needs (medical care, grooming, exercise, etc.). If a substantial amount of money is being left for the benefit of the pet, an additional person can be appointed to solely manage the money.

Charitable remainder trust. Millennials are well known for being socially conscious and wanting to make a positive difference in the world. If your millennial clients want their money and possessions to support a charitable cause when they pass away, they may be interested in establishing a charitable remainder trust, which enables them to benefit from a stream of income for their own life, with the remainder of the assets in the trust going to a charity they have selected upon their death.

Planning for Student Loans or Credit Card Debt

As the cost of college tuition continues to increase, the level of debt millennials have begun their adult lives with is startlingly high. The average student loan debt of adults aged 25 to 34 is $33,000 per borrower. Federal student loans typically are forgiven upon the borrower’s death, but the estates of borrowers who obtained private loans can be pursued by those lenders. In addition, high credit card debt is prevalent among millennials. Life insurance sufficient to cover income tax on the cancellation of debt in the case of a federal student loan or to cover the debt itself if a student loan is owed to a private lender or if money is owed to a credit card company may be a good solution for millennials who are concerned about the burden their debt could place on their loved ones upon their death.

Digital Assets

Millennials, as the first generation who grew up using the internet, have typically amassed a much greater quantity of digital assets than members of previous generations. These assets may include social media accounts, blogs, photographs and videos, financial accounts, and email accounts, among many others. A comprehensive list of these of these assets, which may be among your clients’ most prized possessions, as well as the accompanying usernames and passwords, and instructions for their management, is essential to ensure that their wishes are honored if they pass away or become too ill to manage them on their own. Depending upon your clients’ wishes, they can appoint a separate person to wind up (or continue managing, e.g., in the case of a blog) these assets and accounts, or they can choose to have their executor or trustee handle this aspect of their estate. The list, which can be incorporated into your clients’ other estate planning documents by reference, should be stored in a secure place along with their will and/or trust.

Powers of Attorney

Medical power of attorney. Young adults may not realize that their parents no longer automatically have the right to make medical decisions on their behalf if they become too ill to make them or if they are unable to communicate their wishes. Even if they are married, their spouse still needs to be properly designated using a medical power of attorney in order to make decisions for them. It is also important to designate a trusted person to act on their behalf if the spouse is unavailable. If they fail to designate a trusted person to make medical decisions for them if, e.g., they are in an automobile accident and are unconscious, a court proceeding may be necessary to appoint someone to fill that role. Your millennial clients should also consider completing a living will spelling out their wishes regarding medical treatments they want–or don’t want–at the end of their life or if they are in a persistent vegetative state.

Financial power of attorney. Another document that is essential for your clients’ care if they were to become unconscious or too ill to make their own financial decisions is a financial power of attorney. It allows the person they have named to pay bills, take care of their home, manage their accounts, and make other money-related decisions. Even for clients who are married, a financial power of attorney is important because any bank accounts or other property that are not jointly owned cannot be managed by the spouse without it—unless the spouse goes to court and asks to be appointed as your client’s guardian, causing unnecessary stress in an already distressing situation. A financial power of attorney can also be helpful for those millennials who do a lot of international travel and may occasionally need someone to handle financial matters while they are out of the country.

Let’s Collaborate for the Benefit of Your Millennial Clients

Millennials may think that estate planning is only for the elderly. However, regardless of whether they have accumulated much money or property, an estate plan is crucial, not only for the well-being of their families, loved ones, and pets, but also to put plans in place in case they become ill or are severely injured and cannot make medical and financial decisions for themselves. You can add value to them as an advisor by educating them about the benefits of planning ahead and the increased stress and heartache that their loved ones will likely face if they become incapacitated or die without a comprehensive estate plan. Let’s work together to help your millennial clients prepare for the future.

According to a 2015 study conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, approximately 43.5 million caregivers provided unpaid care to an adult or child during the prior 12 months. Those who have taken on the role of caregivers for ill or disabled spouses, aging parents, children or other loved ones with special needs are typically selfless and giving individuals who may not stop to consider their own financial and estate planning needs. It is likely that you have clients who are providing this type of care. It is essential to broach this subject with your clients to ensure they have financial and estate plans in place that address both their own needs and those of their care recipients.

As their trusted advisor, you can encourage them not only to recognize their own emotional needs and develop the skills needed to deal with the stresses of caregiving, but to take the time to create financial and estate plans, or if they have those plans in place, to reevaluate them at regular intervals. It is crucial for caregivers to ensure not only that their own future is secure, but to also create plans that provide for their families and their care recipient if something should happen to them. The following are some suggestions about how you can help clients who are caregivers.

Discourage isolation. You have developed a relationship with your clients and meet with them regularly. When you become aware that one of your clients has taken on the role of caregiver, it is important to encourage them not to neglect their own needs. Urge them to seek out the emotional support of others, either family members or other caregivers, who can understand and empathize with both the rewards and the physical, emotional, and financial burdens associated with caregiving.

Create a budget. Caregiving may involve additional expenses, particularly if the care recipient is a spouse, a child with special needs, or even a parent who lacks their own financial resources. A recent report by AARP estimated that family caregivers spend $7000, on average, on costs related to caregiving, which translates into nearly 20% of their income. Your client may also need to reduce their hours at work or stop working to provide care for their loved one. You can help your clients stay on top of their finances by assisting them in creating a budget and advising them to take steps to save for the future. Even if they are only able to set aside a small amount each month, over time, it can grow into a substantial nest egg. You can also help your clients to explore state or federal aid and tax credits or deductions that may be available to caregivers to ease the financial burden.

Contribute to retirement accounts. If your clients have employers that offer 401(k)s and match their contributions up to a certain percentage, they should contribute as much as they can up to the amount the employer will match. In addition, you can help your clients establish either a Roth or traditional IRA to take advantage of the tax benefits provided by those accounts.

Consider long-term care insurance. Clients who are caregivers are more aware than most people of the high cost of medical and nursing care. Encourage them to consider long-term care insurance to help cover the cost of their own in-home care, assisted living care, nursing care, and hospice care when the time comes. Although long-term care insurance is expensive, paying for long-term care out of pocket is much more expensive and can quickly deplete their savings and investments.

Create or revise an estate plan. In addition to the typical concerns about providing for family members, clients who are caregivers for their parents, spouses, or loved ones with special needs may have a heightened level of concern about what will happen to their loved one if they pass away or become too ill to care for them. Who will care for their loved one, and how will it be paid for? Remind your clients that a well-thought-out estate plan can provide them with peace of mind by ensuring that plans are in place to provide for the needs of their care recipients. The estate plan should be reviewed regularly to make any modifications needed to address changing life circumstances and laws.

Name a guardian.

Parents who are caregivers for a special needs child should name a guardian—and more than one alternative—in their will or revocable living trust to serve in the role of parent if the parents die or are no longer able to care for the child. Otherwise, the decision about who will act as a guardian will be left to the courts, which may not reflect the parents’ wishes.
If the care recipient is an adult, it will be necessary for the caregiver to ask a court to name the caregiver as their loved one’s guardian and/or conservator to be able to make decisions about their health care, living arrangements, and finances. A conservator, who typically handles financial matters, may need to be a different individual from the person providing day-to-day care.

State law varies regarding the designation or appointment of a successor guardian for an adult. Some states allow a standby guardian to be appointed at the same time the first caregiver is appointed or to be designated in the initial guardian’s will or another written document, as long as it is properly witnessed. If anything happens to the initial caregiver, the standby guardian can immediately step in to begin providing care. Some states allow a standby guardian to serve for a brief time but require court approval before being appointed as the permanent guardian. Still other states have laws enabling the court to consider an individual your client nominates in their will as a successor guardian when the court is making the decision about who is the best person to take on that role. We can help your clients determine the best course available to them.

Consider a special needs trust.

A will alone is unlikely to be adequate to address the needs of your client’s care recipient. If your client leaves money outright to the person for whom he or she is caring or to another caregiver, it could be spent in a way that is contrary to your client’s wishes, and it is vulnerable to creditors. In addition, it could make your client’s loved one ineligible for government benefits or aid.

A special needs trust is one estate planning tool that may be very beneficial for your clients’ care recipients. A special needs trust can help preserve the beneficiaries’ eligibility for government benefits, name a well-qualified trustee, designate a care manager, and preserve their loved one’s quality of life. You can help determine which of the caregivers’ resources can be used to fund the trust or provide products such as life insurance policies to ensure that sufficient funds are available in the trust to provide for the beneficiary’s care. The funding plan should be revisited regularly and updated when necessary, providing you with the opportunity to continue to properly manage the assets. Together, we can help your clients develop a plan that sets aside, protects, effectively manages, and distributes assets for their care recipient’s lifetime, and equally important, designates a trusted individual to act as an advocate for their loved one if they cannot.

It Requires a Team Effort

Helping your clients design a plan that addresses both their own needs and those of their care recipients is a great way to provide tremendous value and solidify your relationship with them. Your clients rely on you to help them plan and make wise decisions to enhance their financial security, but it is important to assemble a team that can work together to create a comprehensive financial and estate plan. Depending upon the individual circumstances of each client, this could include you, as the financial advisor, an estate planning attorney, a tax advisor, a trustee, and care service providers. Please give us a call to discuss how we can collaborate to provide your caregiving clients with the optimal plan for their individual circumstances.

As your client’s trusted advisor, you may be the first person the family turns to when a family member or loved one passes away. Although it is important for your client to contact us soon to start the process of estate or trust administration, the shock and grief of losing a loved one are often overwhelming. Sometimes, family members simply need a brief respite before addressing these legal matters.

However, there are several practical and legal considerations that the person named as the executor of the estate or trustee of the trust should address in the initial weeks following the death, prior to the administration of the estate or trust.  During this stressful and emotional period, your client may forget about certain tasks which may lead to problems if left undone, and there are important legal considerations your client must heed. Here is a list you can provide to your client of some important initial steps to take:

Checklist of Initial Responsibilities

• Make burial arrangements. If some time is likely to pass before burial, for example, if there will be a delay prior to a special ceremony and burial in a veteran’s cemetery, your client should make arrangements with a funeral home to store the deceased loved one’s remains until the service.

• Obtain ten original certified death certificates. After someone passes away, their death should be registered with the local or state vital records office, which can then issue official death certificates. A state-licensed funeral director or coroner typically prepares and files the death certificate with the state. A death certificate is often required to claim life insurance benefits, close bank accounts, transfer titles, and take care of other matters connected to the estate.

• Ascertain the immediate needs of beneficiaries and expenses that must soon be paid. Your client should determine which of his or her loved one’s accounts contains cash that can be accessed for the beneficiaries’ needs and other expenses. The last thing you want is for an item to be repossessed or the electricity turned off due to non-payment.

• Arrange care for animals. If your client’s loved one had pets or other animals, care should immediately be arranged for them. The will or trust may name the person your client’s family member has chosen to care for them, but if there was no will or trust, your client may need to arrange for someone to look after the animals until a caretaker can be determined.

• Inspect the loved one’s home to make sure it is secure. If your client’s family member owned a home, your client should walk around the home to make sure any points of entry are locked and that there are no maintenance issues that need to be addressed. The police department should be notified that the home will be vacant so police can patrol the area more frequently.

• Change the locks. It is important for your client to change the locks on the home to ensure that neighbors, service providers (maids, dog walkers, etc.), and even family members who had keys are no longer able to enter the home.  This is important to ensure that no one prematurely removes any property from the home, even if they are well-intentioned.

• Remove valuables from the home and store them in a secure place. Jewelry, cash, works of art, furs, and other especially valuable property should be kept in a safe place until the estate or trust is administered and the items are transferred to the proper beneficiary. Check on the insurance coverage for these items.

• Secure vehicles. Any cars your client’s family member owned should be locked. No one should drive the car, and the odometer should be checked to determine the mileage at the time your client’s loved one passed away. If the car is parked on the street or in a driveway, your client should notify the police to keep a closer eye on it. Insurance on the car should be maintained.

• Arrange for the home and yard to be maintained. Your client should continue lawn care and general home maintenance to ensure that the house does not become an eyesore and a target for thieves.

• Discontinue services that are no longer needed, and hire any new personnel required by a beneficiary or dependent. If your client’s deceased loved one had domestic help, security guards, or assistants that are no longer needed, stop the services after checking any contracts or written agreements. If a beneficiary or dependent now needs the help of an assistant or maid, the necessary workers should be hired to ensure they receive the proper care.

• Leave the heat or air conditioning on. To prevent any problems that may arise as a result of very high or very low temperatures, it is important to continue to heat and cool the home. In addition, if the home is vacant during cold winter months, a faucet should be turned on or cabinet doors opened to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.

• If required, alert local officials of the vacant home. In some areas, a higher tax rate is applied to vacant homes, so in those places it is important to notify the city if the home is vacant and part of an administration.

• Contact agencies to cancel benefits. If your client’s family member was receiving Social Security, veterans, or other benefits, the relevant agency should be notified of the death. Your client should not cash any benefits checks that arrive after death, and if any benefits are received covering a period after death, they should be returned.  Depending on the timing of the death, the government agency may automatically withdraw the last electronic payment.

• Cancel subscriptions and monthly service agreements. If your client’s loved one was receiving a newspaper, magazine, or other regular subscription or monthly service, it is important to cancel them, and if applicable, request a refund.

• Cancel credit cards and charge accounts. Your client should notify all of the deceased person’s credit card companies of the death and close the accounts as soon as possible. It is also important to notify all three major credit bureaus of the death to avoid identity theft.

• Locate insurance policies. Your client should find all his or her loved one’s insurance policies. The homeowner’s insurance company should be contacted to confirm that there is coverage for fire, flood, and/or other needed items as part of the homeowner’s insurance policy. In addition, your client should locate the deceased family member’s life insurance policies, which may have been issued by alumni associations, travel clubs, credit card companies, trade associations, etc.

• Gather personal records. Your client should locate all bank statements, checkbooks, canceled checks, and at least the past three years of income tax returns.

• Determine if anyone owed money to the deceased loved one. While gathering the needed personal records, check to see if there are any documents reflecting debts owed to the deceased individual. Your client should contact those individuals to collect the amounts owed.

Legal Considerations Your Client Should Keep in Mind

• After your client’s loved one has passed away, anyone authorized by a power of attorney to act on the now deceased person’s behalf is no longer valid. Therefore, for example, if a family member was in charge of paying the deceased person’s bills as an agent under a financial power of attorney, that person should stop paying those bills after the individual has died. The executor of the will or trustee of the trust is now the proper person to handle those matters.

• If your client’s family member made arrangements for his or her funeral in advance utilizing a document such as a Remembrance and Services Memorandum, the deceased person’s written instructions may be legally binding under state law, and thus, the survivors may be obligated to comply with them. It is also possible that the client’s family member prepurchased their funeral arrangements through a local funeral home.

• If any of your client’s deceased loved one’s property or money was not part of his or her trust at the time of death or was not made a part of the trust at the time of death automatically, that money or property must be handled through the probate process. That is, the money or property cannot be distributed to anyone, including the trust, without involvement by the probate court.

• If there is any possibility that your client or any other family member may want to disclaim, i.e., refuse to accept, any money or property they will inherit, it is important not to take any action that would be considered an acceptance of the inheritance. For example, if your client is one of the beneficiaries of the deceased loved one’s life insurance, but would like his or her share to go to the next beneficiary in line, your client should not complete any paperwork and reject any checks involving the life insurance policy. There may be tax consequences if they accept the money and then choose to give it to a different beneficiary.

• Your client and other family members should not prematurely distribute any of the deceased individual’s property or funds. The executor of the will or trustee of a trust are the only individuals allowed to distribute the deceased individual’s money or property and must pay all debts and taxes before transferring any funds or property to the beneficiaries.

Call Us As Soon As Possible

Although your client can handle many of these initial concerns, the administration of your client’s loved one’s estate or trust will be quite complex. Even small mistakes could end up being a major headache. It is important for your client to contact an experienced estate planning attorney to help with probate or trust settlement and/or administration, as well as any other legal matters that may arise during this difficult and emotional time. Our goal is to provide your clients with peace of mind by guiding them through the administration and settlement of their family member’s trust or estate, so please encourage them to call us as soon as possible.

In 2008, Congress recognized the need for the public to understand the importance and benefits of estate planning by passing House Resolution 1499, which designated the third week of October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Nevertheless, according to a 2019 survey carried out by Caring.com, 57% of adults in the United States have not prepared any estate planning documents such as a will or trust despite the fact that 76% viewed them as important. Many of the respondents said this was due to procrastination, but many others mistakenly believed that it was not necessary because they did not have many assets.

Estate Planning Awareness Week is a great reminder of the need to explain what estate planning is to your clients and why it is crucial for them not to delay putting an estate plan in place, regardless of the size of their estate.

What Is Estate Planning?

Estate planning is an important part of your clients’ financial planning, as the creation of an estate plan enables the growth, protection, and transfer of their wealth in accordance with their identified goals. It involves much more than simply designating who they would like to receive their property when they die. An estate plan will help provide financial stability for your clients’ surviving spouse, preserve and protect their assets, minimize tax liability and other costs, support their designated charities, and name trusted individuals to make decisions on their behalf in the event they become incapacitated.

As your clients’ trusted financial advisor, you can help them become aware of their need to create or update their estate plan to achieve their goals. A good estate plan typically consists of multiple components that are tailored to meet your clients’ individual goals and needs. Ask your clients if they have in place some of the most commonly used estate planning tools, which include:

Last Will and Testament. It is essential for your clients to have a will: If they do not, their property will be distributed according to state law rather than in a way they have chosen. Although the results are occasionally the same as they would have wanted, they more often are not. Most people would rather not have this decision made for them, as it can sometimes lead to very undesirable and unintended  results. In a will, your clients can name an executor–also called a personal representative–who will help carry out their wishes as specified in their will and designate a guardian for minor children or other dependents.

Trust. A trust may also be appropriate for clients who seek privacy and wish to avoid probate. Many people find a revocable living trust to be beneficial, as they can retain control of their assets prior to their death, but those assets can pass immediately to their named beneficiaries without probate after their death. Trusts are often superior tools for incapacity planning. Some types of trusts also provide tax advantages or asset protection.

Powers of attorney. A financial power of attorney will allow your client to designate an individual to make financial and property decisions on their behalf. Financial powers attorney enable a trusted individual to file taxes, pay bills, apply for government benefits, and much more. Financial powers of attorney can be customized to meet your clients unique situation and goals.  Similarly, a medical power of attorney enables your client to designate a person they trust to make medical decisions for them when they are incapacitated or otherwise unable to communicate.

Advance directives. Also known as a living will, an advanced directive is a legal document used to provide instructions for your clients’ family, doctor, or other healthcare provider if they unable to communicate the information themselves, including, for example, whether or not they wish to remain on life support if they are in a persistent vegetative state or terminal condition.

Beneficiary designations. Some property, including trust assets, can pass to your client’s beneficiaries without having to be mentioned in their will or go through the probate process. This includes funds held in IRAs and 401(k)s, and life insurance. For some types of accounts, such as 401(k)s, a spouse is the primary beneficiary by law unless the spouse signs a waiver. Nevertheless, it is essential for your clients to name a primary beneficiary, as well as a contingent beneficiary, to receive the funds upon their death for these accounts or policies. Otherwise, the funds held in these accounts, or the death benefit in the case of a life insurance policy, may be distributed according to state law or pursuant to the terms of the retirement plan rather than according to your clients’ wishes.

How to Broach the Subject

Estate planning is often a difficult topic to bring up with clients, as it brings the unpleasant topics of aging and death to the forefront of their minds. However, creating or updating an estate plan can also provide significant peace of mind for your clients by ensuring their life savings are protected, plans are in place in the event they become ill, and their property is passed down according to their wishes.

One way to begin the conversation is to talk first about whether their beneficiary designations accurately reflect their wishes, and whether the primary beneficiaries of their accounts or policies could actually handle a lump sum payment or windfall upon their death. You might discover that their goals and wishes are not as straight forward and that they need estate planning to ensure their assets are transferred to whom they want and in the way they wish.  They might have specific ideas on how to provide for the care of any children, grandchildren, or pets.  Your clients may also have concerns about how their finances, property, or business interests would be managed in the event they become incapacitated.

Let’s Work Together

Educating your clients about the need for a comprehensive estate plan will demonstrate that you care not only about their present financial planning, but also the protection of their legacy, their personal wellbeing, and the welfare of their children or grandchildren. As your clients’ financial advisor, you are closely attuned to their financial needs and goals, both for themselves and for their families, and you keep abreast of changes in their life circumstances, i.e. divorces, marriages, children reaching adulthood. As a team, we can work together to make sure that your clients have an up-to-date estate plan that provides financial security for themselves and their families and makes arrangements for their care should they become incapacitated.

Contact us today to discuss how we can collaborate for the benefit of your clients.