Despite it being important, over 50% of Americans have begun no estate planning. Eventually only doing the bare minimum, leaving out many of their assets.
If it wasn’t for informative articles like this one it is likely, they would fall victim to some common mistakes with estate planning that can cause some real harm to their assets and those they leave behind. Know more about inheritance Tax.
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Not Making A Clear Plan
This is assuming that there is only one correct way to plan an estate and not planning at all. Without an estate plan in place, your assets are left to the probate court for distribution and end-of-life care.
It is important to meet with an estate planning attorney to develop an estate plan relatively early. But not only making one, understanding what the plan entails.
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Set and Forget
Just as life changes, so should the estate plan.
Updating estate plans any time there is any life change is essential. This includes regulatory changes, certain legal changes may influence the handling of any estate and it is wise to keep up to date.
Another important time to revisit your plan is moving to a new state. State laws regulate all the documents related to the management of your estate plan.
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Waiting Too Long
The best thing to do is to be proactive, planning before you need it. This is especially important when dealing with a person who is sick, but also the idea that someone is “too young” to be planning an estate.
Estate planning is associated with later life, but the unforeseen sometimes happens. It is always wise to have a plan in place.
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Power of Attorney
A power of attorney document declares a particular person the right to manage the affairs of a person both financially and medically.
The power of attorney document must be drafted when someone is of sound health and mind. They need to understand what they are making and be willing to draft the document alongside a legal advisor.
If for any reason someone is influencing them or they are not in a clear state of mind, likely, they are not acting in their best interests and it could lead to serious problems when dealing with their assets.
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Impact of Financial Decisions
There are several details that people overlook or deal with improperly that will end up costing them a great deal of money or at the very least cut their estate out of money they could have got.
Estate Taxes
There are several options when looking at reducing estate taxes that offer benefits at the same time. Each of these involves how a person is declaring assets or transferring assets.
By putting a child’s name on a deed for a home you intend on leaving them, you are giving them a sizable gift, in the eyes of the IRS. Because of that, it is heavily taxed. A more frugal way to leave such a large item is in inheritance and You should know about inheritance Tax.
On that topic, gifts of up to $14,000 are exempt from estate tax.
Life Insurance Trust
Any life insurance policy will be subject to large estate tax fees in your passing. These fees are likely to eat up much of the payout, leaving the beneficiaries with little to nothing.
By setting up a trust you can avoid these taxes and cut down on the time that your family will have to wait on receiving the money from the policy.
Small Mistakes With Estate Planning Can Hurt
No matter the size, mistakes with estate planning can cause some serious issues both financially and legally. But if you plan early on and update as needed, there is no reason you should run into any problems.
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