What Steps Lead to an Effective Estate Plan?
Do you have an estate plan? A lot of people don’t, for a lot of different reasons. Some people would rather not discuss their death under any circumstances, other people think they are too young to worry about an estate plan, while others just don’t know, or aren’t, sure where to begin. However, it’s a good idea for everyone to have an estate plan in place; and for those who already have one, it’s a good idea to review it often.
A good estate plan consists of several things, but every estate plan is a little different according to each individual’s circumstances. However, there are some aspects that are consistent with every effective estate plan. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
- Be sure you determine who will be in charge of your estate and your affairs should become unable to do so.
- It’s always a good idea to set things up to avoid probate both in this life and for your heirs when you die. Trusts can help you do this.
- Make sure to take care of your children, including children from a first marriage if you have divorced and remarried.
- Protect the assets that your heirs will inherit from lawsuits, divorces and high taxes.
- Be sure to leave provisions and assets for any children or grandchildren with special needs.
These are just a few of the important things to keep in mind when planning your estate. If you have more questions about estate planning, especially as it pertains to your taxes, then please contact GROCO today at 1-877-CPA-2006. We can help answer your questions and get you prepared for the future. Click here to learn more.
Behavioral Finance: Beyond Greed and Fear
Behavioral Finance: Beyond Greed and Fear “Modern portfolio theory,” a complex mathematical system explaining the workings of the financial markets, has been quite influential on the thinking of investment managers over the last quarter century. The theory derives from the work of a handful of finance professors, several of whom were awarded Nobel Prizes for…
California Billionaires
California Billionaires March 10, 2006 Recent reports show that there are at least 100 new billionaires in the world this year, adding to the ever expanding list. Many billionaires reside in California, and are displayed below. Listings include rank, name, age where known, wealth in billions of dollars and source of the money. A number…
Mandatory e-pay for CA Taxpayers with +$80K of Tax Per Year
Mandatory e-pay for CA Taxpayers with +$80K of Tax Per Year Update: 11/10/09: The FTB now has a pay-by-phone option available. See: http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/mandatory_epay/paybyphone.shtml That Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has begun mailing notices (FTB 4106 MEO) to taxpayers who meet the mandatory e-pay threshold. The new mandatory e-pay law requires taxpayers to remit their payments electronically…
Retire Your Mortgage Before You Retire
Retire Your Mortgage Before You Retire By George L. Duarte, MBA, CMC Broker, Horizon Financial Associates An increasing number of baby-boomer homeowners seem to be resigning themselves to the fact that, unlike their parents, they will be making mortgage payments well into retirement. If you look at statistics, you can see where this anxiety comes…