In our recent blog post we listed 6 essential components of your Estate Plan that should be reviewed on a regular basis and why it’s so important to keep them updated. Today we’ll go into more detail about the first of these components; what they are, and how to review them.
Fiduciaries– Make a list of all the people you’ve named in any fiduciary role in your estate plan, including Trustees, Executors, Health Care Agents, Financial Agents, Guardians, and Advisors. Has your relationship with any of these people changed? What about the person’s own family or financial situation? Do you still feel confident in each person’s ability to carry out your wishes?
Assets– Look at the schedule of assets you have with your Estate Planning materials. If you don’t already have a schedule of assets, make one right now. Don’t forget to include property, bank accounts, stocks, Retirement accounts and Life Insurance policies. Of all the assets on this list, have all of them been put in the name of your trust or has your trust named as the beneficiary? Have all of your new assets been added to your trust? If you refinanced your home, was it put back in the name of the trust? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, it’s time to call your attorney.
Distribution and Beneficiaries– For most people, the whole purpose of a will or trust is to make sure that property is distributed according to their wishes upon death. So take your time reviewing that section of your estate plan. Is your list of beneficiaries still accurate? Do you have any new children or grandchildren? If so, your estate plan should reflect these changes.
In our next blog we’ll have more information about the second part of the list of things to review in your estate plan: Health Care, Guardianship and documents pertaining to minor children, and last but not least, legal updates.