1. A Financial Overview
A financial overview lays out in a
straightforward narrative the basics of the client’s finances, and can be
helpful for loved ones who may not be numbers-oriented or conversant in
financial matters, or for a spouse who is not involved in key household financial
decisions. The overview can include broad outlines of the client’s estate plan:
where to find the documents and who the key agents are. It can also include
information about the household's key financial assets, like real estate and
cars.
2. A Master Directory
A client’s master directory goes hand in hand
with the financial overview. It includes actual account numbers for the
accounts described in the financial overview, as well as the URLs and names of
any individuals the client deals with at the institutions where the accounts
are held. This is highly sensitive information and should be encrypted or, in
the case of a physical document, kept under lock and key.
3. A Plan for Personal Property
Most wills will state that any tangible personal
property, such as furniture, should be sold and the proceeds added to the
client's estate. For items the client may want to earmark for specific
individuals — jewelry, artwork, home items and the like — a memorandum of
tangible personal property specifies who will inherit those items. The client
should understand that the memorandum is not technically part of the will, and
can be updated. Most states consider such memorandums legally binding as long
as they are mentioned in the will.
4. A Plan for Pets
4. A Plan for Pets
Many clients want to include provisions for pets
in their estate plans. The gold standard is a pet trust, which includes the
pets to be covered, who should care for them and how, and the amount of money
to cover their continuing care. Alternatively, the will can specify a caretaker
for the pet and leave assets to that person to care for the pet — but the
client must understand that the designated person is not legally bound to use
the money for the pet’s care. At a minimum, the client should verbally
communicate a plan for pet caretaking.
5. A Digital Estate Plan
5. A Digital Estate Plan
An increasingly important component of estate
planning relates to management and transfer of the client’s digital
possessions, including tangible digital devices (computers and smartphones),
data stored on devices or in the cloud and online accounts, such as LinkedIn
and Facebook. A crucial first step to get a handle on all this is for the
client to create an inventory of all digital accounts and store it in a safe
but accessible location. Clients who own valuable digital assets, such as
cryptocurrency, should discuss these with an attorney and incorporate them into
the formal estate plan.
6. A Plan for the End of Life
Advance directives articulate a person’s
attitudes toward life-extending care, but these documents are typically written
in boilerplate language, and do not go into great detail on these matters.
Clients who want to spell out additional background to loved ones who might be
making health care decisions on their behalf should be encouraged to do so
verbally, in writing or both. A good place to begin is The Conversation
Project, which can help clarify their thinking and help them discuss
end-of-life matters with loved ones.
7. An Ethical Will
7. An Ethical Will
An ethical will in which the testator hands down
his or her belief system to loved ones began in the Jewish community, but has
gained traction across cultures over the past decade. In contrast, a
conventional will lays out the testator’s wishes about distribution of
financial and physical property. A client who is inclined to create an ethical
will need not wax profound or write the document in one go, but instead can be
encouraged to jot down beliefs as they come to mind, and balance bits of wisdom
with deeper life lessons learned.
During the past four months, more than 141,000
Americans have died of COVID-19.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the pandemic
has prompted some people to get serious about creating or updating their estate
plans, according to Christine Benz,
Morningstar’s director of personal finance.
Benz underscores the importance of ensuring
that key estate planning documents are in place — first and foremost, a will,
an advance directive (or living will), powers of attorney for health care and
financial matters, and guardianships for minor children. Trusts may also make
sense in certain situations.
But advisors can also help clients consider
other, sometimes overlooked add-ons in the context of their estate plan,
especially if their goal is to make life as easy for your loved ones as
possible and to ensure that their wishes are carried out after death.
Check out the gallery for Benz’s seven items
that can be added to a client’s estate plan.
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