The Importance of Reviewing and Updating Estate Planning Documents

Contributed by: Nick Defenthaler, CFP®

Estate planning is typically not an area that most of us get excited about. Let’s be honest, it can be a tough thing to discuss and dig into. Proper estate planning, however, and sometimes more importantly simply staying on top of your plan and keeping your documents up to date, is an essential part of your overall financial game plan. Far too many of us don’t have any documents drafted, period. If we do, chances are they were prepared more than 10 years ago – and we all know how much life can change over the course of a decade! Here are a few things to consider when going through the process of updating your documents:

Reviewing Beneficiaries

One of the simplest things we can do to ensure assets are passed on to who we want, is to have the proper beneficiaries listed on all accounts. This may seem like a “no brainer” but I can’t tell you how many times we’ve discovered, after reviewing accounts with clients, that changes need to be made. Recently, we worked with a new client who was in the process of “end of life planning” for her mother who had recently become divorced. While reviewing accounts and the estate plan with the attorney, we discovered that mom’s ex-husband was still listed as the primary beneficiary on an IRA that totaled nearly $500,000.  Although her trust had been updated to have her assets pass to her children post-divorce, the beneficiary designations were not updated on one of her largest assets. Many people are shocked to find out that although a will or trust may stipulate one thing in regards to asset distribution, a beneficiary designation trumps those documents. Luckily, we were able to help the mother switch the beneficiary of her IRA to her children approximately one week before her passing. This highlights the need to take reviewing beneficiaries extremely seriously, which is why we do this annually with you during your review meeting.

Reviewing Trustees, Personal Representatives, and Powers of Attorney

Just like we tell clients in regards to their financial plan, the same goes for their estate plan – it’s not a “one and done” type of thing. Something this important requires a process and the need to review and stay on top of it as the years go by and as life changes. It can be an eye opener for clients when we share with them who they have listed as a trustee in their trust, a personal representative in their will, or as a power of attorney for medical or financial purposes. Many times, those listed are parents who are now deceased or are siblings that now live on the other side of the country. At the time the documents were drafted listing those individuals made perfect sense, but maybe now the client’s children are mature and responsible enough to be in charge of their parent’s estate and to be their decision maker if needed. Typically, we recommend reviewing your documents every 3 years and immediately after a life event such as a marriage, death of a spouse, divorce, birth of a child, etc. 

As you can see, staying on top of your estate plan is extremely important. It’s also vital to keep these documents well organized and ideally provide copies to your financial planner and have your attorney retain copies as well. We also stress to communicate your wishes and to have open conversations with those who you name to administer your estate. This will help to keep everyone on the same page and help to avoid potential conflict that could arise during a time frame that family should be coming together and not stressing over dollars and cents.

Nick Defenthaler, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Nick is a member of The Center’s financial planning department and also works closely with Center clients. In addition, Nick is a frequent contributor to the firm’s blogs.

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This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Nick Defenthaler and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. You should discuss any legal matters with the appropriate professional.

Passing on Wealth & Money Values to the Next Generation

Contributed by: Matthew E. Chope, CFP®

I work with a lot of moms and dads who want their kids to know what they think is important. Since I’m their financial planner, these values are often tied to money. In an ideal situation, parents want to give their children and grandchildren the freedom to choose for themselves when wealth is passed on to them. But oftentimes, I’ve seen an inheritance turn into guilt, bring out greed, or even sprout into remorse…when all the parents wanted was for their kids to be okay.

Discussing Inheritance + Values

I recently spoke at The Private Wealth Midwest Forum in Chicago to other professional advisors regarding multigenerational family wealth issues. I shared how to help families manage wealth across the generations, covering the successes and challenges I’ve witnessed with families. A major part of the equation is communicating across the generations. The conversation is different when you’re talking to a tween than a college grad. By taking maturity level into consideration, you can tailor the conversation to focus on what brings meaning to money for them. I generally try to have parents or grandparents lead this discussion and share their values, how their wealth was conceived, and their ongoing intentions. Involving children in the conversation and encouraging them to share fosters deeper understanding.

Are My Kids too Young for this Conversation?

I had a meeting with an 11 year old and his father recently – he’s my youngest new client! We started chatting about what money means and providing an early education about stocks vs. bonds, working for the family business, and his wages vs. the company’s profits.  I was amazed at how much the 11 year old could understand. He was quicker with all of the math in his head than I was! Parents often assume their children are too young for serious conversations about wealth and inheritance. I feel the time is right as soon as the parents are ready and I always encourage my clients not to wait until it’s too late!

Knowing How to Give and How to Receive

Once your family has the conversation and develops an understanding of what is sacred, there are other ways to link money with meaning. I hear from clients that, “Our tax guy said gifting money is a smart thing to do.” But simply dropping checks into a bank account can be like a meteor strike if your family hasn’t invested time and effort in the money and in a meaningful conversation. I encourage parents and grandparents to accompany monetary gifts with a note about the value and meaning of the gift. Your goal is likely to help your children on their journey, but not provide for entropy … so tell them that. The act of transferring wealth may not change, but the values associated with the inheritance can provide valuable perspective for both the givers and the receivers. Is it time for you to begin the family conversation? I’m here to help.

Matthew E. Chope, CFP ® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Matt has been quoted in various investment professional newspapers and magazines. He is active in the community and his profession and helps local corporations and nonprofits in the areas of strategic planning and money and business management decisions. In 2012 and 2013, Matt was named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine.

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Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Matt Chope and not necessarily those of Raymond James.

Family and Finances: How to Help Aging Parents Stay in Control

Contributed by: Sandra Adams, CFP®

I recently attended my daughter’s college orientation.  During one of the presentations to parents, the speaker said something that struck a chord with me:

“As hard as it may be, it is time for you as parents to let go of the reigns and give your children control of their own lives. Let them take care of things for themselves and make their own decisions. This may mean that they make some mistakes, but this is the time for them to learn.” 

Wow!  Did that hit home!  How hard is it as a parent to let go and let your child start doing things for themselves when you have been doing things for them for the last 17 – 18 years?  But isn’t this what your child has been waiting for?  To be an adult and to have control over his or her own life?  Isn’t that what we all wait for?

Why Control Matters at Any Age

As I sat and thought about the issue of control a bit more, I began to think about the older adult clients that I work with and about how hard they fight to keep control over their lives as they age.  I thought about the adult children of those clients who often feel as if, at some point, they may have to take away that control if the older adult losses the capacity to maintain control for themselves.  It can be particularly stressful for adult children to be put in a situation of needing to take over “control” for their aging parents without having a clear idea of their parents’ desires for their lives as they age.  So, what can be done to avoid this potential situation?

• Have open and honest conversations about the older adult’s plans for their future aging life; this may include a family meeting (tips here on having your own) that is led by your financial planner to include conversations about financial assets and how longer term care planning and future housing options might be funded.

• Make sure that all of the proper estate planning documents are up-to-date and that they are accessible (consider keeping copies on file with your financial planner’s office, as well).  Particularly important are Durable Power of Attorney Documents for General/Financial and Health Care/Patient Advocate.

• Ensure that all wishes and plans for the future are documented in writing.  Also make sure to have your financial affairs organized and documented.  Our Personal Financial Record Keeping System & Letter of Last Instruction is one helpful tool you can use.

Control is something we all want to have over our own lives … and something we fight to keep.  As parents of young adults, we struggle to let go of the control for fear that our children might take a few falls.  At the same time, we might be struggling with the thought of having to take control from aging parents who might be struggling with capacity issues as they age.  But, if you’ve planned ahead and helped your parents communicate their wishes, you won’t have taken their control from them at all. Instead, you will be assisting them in carrying out their own well-designed future.

Sandra Adams, CFP® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics. In 2012-2014 Sandy has been named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine. In addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she is regularly quoted in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine and Journal of Financial Planning.

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Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Sandy Adams, CFP® and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. You should discuss any legal matters with the appropriate professional.

3 Tips on Setting Up a Trust from the RJ Trust School

Contributed by: Matt Trujillo, CFP®

I recently had the opportunity to attend Raymond James Trust School in Cleveland, Ohio with about 30 other financial professionals.  It was a great refresher, but I learned some new things as well. Below are three of my key take-aways from the RJ Trust School that may help guide you in making decisions about a trust.

3 Take-Aways from the RJ Trust School:

1. Sometimes to save money people will have a will drafted which calls for a trust to be set up at their death. This type of trust is called a “Testamentary Trust”. One of the issues with structuring your estate plan in this fashion is that with a Testamentary Trust the probate period will continue until the trust terminates which could be as much as 90 years in some states!  This is a long time for creditors to submit claims against an estate, and something to keep in mind when you are considering having documents drafted.

2. Trusts aren’t just about avoiding estate taxes! There are many other reasons to have assets held in trust name. Here are a few that were mentioned at RJ Trust School:

   • If the beneficiary is a spendthrift and you are worried they might spend all the assets in a short period of time

   • If the beneficiary just doesn’t understand money well and will struggle with financial management

   • If the beneficiary doesn’t have time to manage additional financial matters

   • If the beneficiary has potential credit problems and if they inherited assets outright their creditors could seize the assets

   • If the beneficiary is in a bad marriage and inherit assets outright, a soon to be ex-spouse might have a claim

   • If the beneficiary has special needs it might be better to have inheritance held in trust so they don’t lose government funding

3. If you’re married, you should strongly consider filing form 706 electing portability at the death of the first spouse, even if you don’t have a taxable estate at that time.  With the recent changes in estate tax law a lot of people think they automatically get their spouse’s estate tax exemption as well as their own. However, as the instructor at RJ Trust School pointed out, you only get both exemptions if you file the appropriate paperwork electing for “portability” at the first death.  For example, if an estate didn’t have estate tax issues at the first death, but grew significantly after the date of death, it could now be subject to estate taxes. That’s a situation that could have been avoided by filing form 706.

If you are considering implementing some estate planning documents or amending the one you currently have in place, you should meet with a qualified estate planning attorney first!

Matthew Trujillo, CFP®, is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Matt currently assists Center planners and clients, and is a contributor to Money Centered.

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This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Matthew Trujillo and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.

Beyond Retirement: An End of Life Planning Lesson

Contributed by: Sandra Adams, CFP®

As we work with clients at The Center, we talk about how to “live your plan.” To us, that means focusing and achieving your financial goals so that you can you can live those goals that you have been envisioning within your planning.  To be honest, this phrase often arises in the context of conversations about living out dream retirement wishes, like traveling the world, writing that book you always dreamed of writing, or owning a second home on the beach – not in the context of end of life planning.

I recently witnessed a client “live” her end of life plan.  While you might not think this to be a very significant or exciting accomplishment, it brings me to tears and smiles (all at the same time) every time I think of it.

Communicating Your Wishes

“Ann” was in her early 90’s and quite a strong character. Although she suffered from a chronic disease, she was relatively active early on in our planning.  She needed to update her estate planning because she had outlived all of her blood relatives and needed to put plans in place for when she knew she might not be able to handle her own affairs.  What she did know was that she would NEVER want to go to a nursing home – she wanted to be cared for her in her own home and we needed to find to a way to make that happen.  Ann put her wishes in writing and communicated those wishes to everyone involved along the way.

Outlining Your Plan

Over the next several years, Ann’s health worsened and she needed to hire a geriatric care manager and caregivers. Toward the end, there were caregivers at her home nearly 24 hours a day with some Hospice care provided. With careful planning, Ann was able to support this with her financial resources. I do not tell you that this was easy. There were many times over the years when Ann became anxious, claimed she was living too long, and wasn’t sure what to do. But she was never willing to compromise on moving from her home.  Ann had specifically outlined how she wanted to live (and how she didn’t want to live – in a nursing home).  On one of her last days, Ann said, “I am happy.” To me, this confirmed that she had carried out her plan for her end of life to her satisfaction.  These are the types of situations that I help my clients with often.

End of Life Reading

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande is a book that I read recently on end of life issues.  It brings to light that most of us do a very poor job of planning for or thinking about our end of life, and we certainly don’t communicate our wishes to our families. We do a lot to plan for our ideal lives, our ideal retirements, so why not end our lives right?  By taking the next steps and planning for the end of our lives, as well, we can make this happen (even though it is not always the most pleasant topic to discuss).  My favorite takeaway from the book is this:

            “All we ask is to be allowed to remain the writers of our own story.  That story is ever changing. Over the course of our lives, we may encounter unimaginable difficulties. Our concerns and desires may shift.  But whatever happens, we want to retain the freedom to shape our lives in ways consistent with our character and loyalties.”  -Atul Gawande

Sandra Adams, CFP® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics. In 2012-2014 Sandy has been named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine. In addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she is regularly quoted in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine and Journal of Financial Planning.

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Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Sandra D. Adams, CFP®, and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the opinions of Atul Gawande. You should discuss any legal matters with the appropriate professional. The experience described here may not be representative of any future experience of our clients. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Your Go-To List for Record Retention – Just in Time for Tax Season

It’s hard to believe that it’s already time to start going through piles of records and getting your documents in order for tax season.  If you’re like me, going through this process reminds me of how much I hate to see stacks of paper and has me dreaming of a nice, neat desk!  Here is a concise list to help you determine what to keep and what to shred as you get organized this year:

Bank Statements: Keep one year unless needed for tax records.

Cancelled Checks: Keep one year unless needed for tax records.

Charitable Contributions: Keep with applicable tax return.

Credit Purchase Receipts: Discard after purchase appears on credit card statement if not needed for warranties, merchandise returns or taxes.

Credit Card Statements: Discard after payment appears on credit card statement.

Employee Business Expense Records: Keep with applicable tax return.

Health Insurance Policies: Keep until policy expires, lapses or is replaced.

Home & Property Insurance: Keep until policy expires, lapses or is replaced.

Income Tax Return and Records: Permanently.

Investment Annual Statements and 1099's: Keep with applicable tax return.

Investment Sale and Purchase Confirmation Records: Dispose of sale confirmation records when the transactions are correctly reflected on the monthly statement. Keep purchase confirmation records 3-6 years after investment is sold as evidence of cost.

Life Insurance: Keep until there is no chance of reinstatement. Premium receipts may be discarded when notices reflect payment.

Medical Records: Permanently.

Medical Expense Records: Keep with applicable tax return if deducted on tax return.

Military Papers: Permanently (may be required for possible veteran's benefits).

Individual Retirement Account Records: Permanently.

Passports: Until expiration.

Pay Stubs: One year. Discard all but final, cumulative pay stubs for the year.

Personal Certificates (Birth/Death, Marriage/Divorce, Religious Ceremonies): Permanently.

Real Estate Documents: Keep three to six years after property has been disposed of and taxes have been paid.

Residential Records (Copies of purchase related documents, annual mortgage statements, receipts for improvements and copies of rental leases/receipts.): Indefinitely.

Retirement Plan Statements: Three to six years. Keep year end statements permanently.

Warranties and Receipts: Discard warranties when they are clearly expired. Use your judgment when discarding receipts.

Will, Trust, Durable Powers of Attorney: Keep current documents permanently.

My best advice?  Print this list and keep it with your tax records to revisit each tax year.  And call your financial planner if you have any questions about what you need to keep. 

Sandra Adams, CFP® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics. In 2012-2014 Sandy has been named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine. In addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she is regularly quoted in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine and Journal of Financial Planning.

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Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

This list may not be a complete description of the documents available for shredding or their retention requirements. You should discuss any tax matters with the appropriate professional.

Estate Plan: Making the Mistake of not Writing a Will

 I’m sure you’ve all heard the scary statistic on the number of people who don’t even have a simple will in place, but every time that fact enters my eardrums and hits my brain, I literally squirm in my chair. The  AARP reports that 41 percent of baby boomers and 71 percent of millenials don’t have wills. A simple estate plan that includes wills, durable power of attorney forms, and letters of instructions will typically cost less than $1,000 from a qualified attorney.  I get that it’s “just one of those things” that gets swept aside each year but, to be blunt, it’s simply foolish to not have these documents in place.  By not having these important forms drafted and on file, you are potentially creating an absolute nightmare situation for your family that includes extensive time, energy, stress and cost that could easily be avoided. 

Do I need a Trust?

I recently attended the Raymond James Trust School, an all-day educational seminar dedicated to the exciting world of estate planning!  While it may not be my personal favorite area of financial planning, it is crucial and essential to maintaining a well-rounded, solid financial plan.  Trusts may or may not be necessary in your personal estate plan, but a trust is a great tool to give you more control over assets and to avoid probate.  Clients are often confused as to what a trust actually is or what it truly accomplishes.  For more information, here’s a link to a brief whitepaper on some reasons why a trust may be appropriate for you.

When to review Beneficiaries

Another area that clients often forget about is keeping up with the beneficiaries on their accounts or life insurance policies.  We’ve had clients discover that ex-spouses are still listed on insurance policies and deceased family members are listed as primary beneficiaries on million dollar retirement accounts.  It is something we proactively check to make sure the correct individuals are selected when we initially set-up an account. However, there is a responsibility that falls on the client to keep us informed of life-changing events that would warrant a beneficiary change.  This is why we work together as a team with our clients to do everything we can to avoid such monumental mistakes. 

Designating Charities

One final thought that I found especially interesting were the numbers surrounding charitable giving.  Over $325 BILLION was given to charity last year – 72% of those funds were given by individuals.  This fact made me smile.  Although times are still tough for many, Americans are among the most generous in giving to those in need.  Charitable planning and giving is something very important to many clients and is something we help clients with often.  Please don’t hesitate to bring this topic up with us if you ever have questions or want to talk more about efficient ways to give your favorite charities. 

Nick Defenthaler, CFP® is a Associate Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Nick currently assists Center planners and clients, and is a contributor to Money Centered and Center Connections.

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The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Center for Financial Planning, Inc. and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. You should discuss any legal matters with the appropriate professional. C14-013998

Do You Need to Update Your Estate Planning Documents?

 The question should be WHEN do you need to update your estate planning documents, not IF. If you don't have estate planning documents in place yet, and you are over the age of 18, now is the time to get at least Durable Power of Attorney documents for both health care and financial decisions in place. These Durable Power of Attorney documents give someone else the ability to make decisions and take actions on your behalf during your lifetime if you are unable to do so for yourself. A simple Will is also appropriate for most individuals, even if you don't have significant assets or property.

When to Review Documents

If you already have documents in place, the common rule of thumb is to review your documents at least every 5 years. Changes in estate law or significant life changes may warrant a change in the meantime. Examples of these life changes are:

• Birth of your first child (update will to name guardian(s) in the event that both parents pass away before the child is an adult).
• Divorce
• Death of a spouse
• Second marriage
• Inability of one or both of your Durable Powers of Attorney, named executor, or Successor Trustee become unable to serve
• You desire changes to your plan (how you want assets distributed, to whom, by whom)
• You have a significant health change

It is important to note that if changes to your estate documents are made, there are steps you need to take to ensure that they can be followed at a later date, when/if needed:

• If you have a trust, make sure that appropriate assets are titled to the trust and that beneficiaries are updated on retirement accounts, life insurances, etc.
• Make sure that your financial advisor has updated copies of all documents.
• Most importantly, make sure that key family members/friends know that the documents exist and know where they are kept.

Keeping your legal affairs up-to-date, and making sure that your legal and financial plans are working in tandem, are vital to ensuring that your future desires are met. Work with your financial planner to discuss what documents and changes might be appropriate for you.

Sandra Adams, CFP® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics. In 2012-2014 Sandy has been named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine. In addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she is regularly quoted in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine and Journal of Financial Planning.

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Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

You should discuss any legal matters with the appropriate professional. Any opinions are those of Center for Financial Planning, Inc. and not necessarily those of Raymond James. C14-013670

5 Steps to Being Cautious While Still Taking Life’s Chances

In the arena of finance, risk is inherent.  Think about the risks you take everyday. When it comes to investment expectations there is always the risk that the outcome will be different than anticipated. When it comes to the income your family depends upon, there is always the risk of job loss. When it comes to budgeting, there is always the risk of inflation, which could leave you without enough to keep up with the rising cost of things around you. When it comes to your family, there is always the risk that someone could face a health challenge or a long-term illness.

Learning About Risk

After 25 years working with people, I have seen families lose children and grandchildren to tragedy.  I have witnessed divorce and marriage and have seen first-hand financial windfall and destruction. Helping clients through all this has helped me gain a better understanding of risk tolerance and realize that risk preferences vary greatly.  Most people want to avoid risk as much as possible, but many have to learn that the hard way.  Remember your first loss? The big one? How did it affect you? If it was truly the big one, then it made you sit up and take notice.  It left an impression on you and your decisions.  And it may have given you a deeper understanding of what risk really means.

5 Steps to Managing Risk

Despite the fact that we all must learn to live with risk, there are steps we can take to help mitigate the downside when it comes to financial planning:

1. Diversification, asset allocation and rebalancing: While this won’t make you rich quick, it should help reduce overall portfolio volatility.

2. Insurance: For a relatively small cost you can provide for the safety of a young and growing family for many years and provide protection in case of premature death or disability.

3. Emergency Funds: Always maintain the appropriate emergency balance for your situation.  A simple rule of thumb is 3-6 months of expenses. Then you may want to consider choosing investments that are marketable and liquid for your taxable portfolios.

4. Long-term Care Insurance: To avoid a catastrophic financial blow if a spouse develops a long-term illness and needs expensive health assistance, consider long-term care insurance when you’re in your late 50s.

5. Estate Planning:  By taking just a few minutes to write out a plan, there’s a better chance of things happening as you wish. Write a holographic will (handwritten and signed) or go to your state website and pull off the appropriate documents (like wills, powers of attorney, patient advocate designations, etc.). Complete them or set up a meeting with an estate planning attorney to help you with this process. 

If you need help getting started with any of these steps or making a personal plan to help you prepare for life’s inherent risks, contact me at matthew.chope@centerfinplan.com.

Matthew E. Chope, CFP ® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Matt has been quoted in various investment professional newspapers and magazines. He is active in the community and his profession and helps local corporations and nonprofits in the areas of strategic planning and money and business management decisions. In 2012 and 2013, Matt was named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine.

Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute investment advice. Any opinions are those of Center for Financial Planning, Inc. and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Diversification and asset allocation do not ensure a profit or protection against loss. Rebalancing a non-retirement account could be a taxable event that may increase your tax liability. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. C14-005525

Designating beneficiaries: Don’t Let Your IRA Get Derailed

 Imagine you’ve lined up your will, your trust, all the necessary estate planning documents, thinking you’ve covered your bases. But here’s one you may have forgotten: naming beneficiaries for your IRA. A friend recently found out the hard way that this easily overlooked detail causes huge headaches. You see, her mother wasn’t sure who to name when the account was opened and decided to think about it.  Time went on and her mother passed away before this detail was corrected, sending the IRA to probate. The two intended beneficiaries will eventually get the money, but they will be forced to take the distributions much faster than they want (and absorb the tax implications), rather than stretching the payments over a longer period of time.

Here are some potential problems when a beneficiary is not named on an IRA:

• There is no backtracking by trustees or personal representatives to “fix” the omission
• The account will be distributed according to your will; through the probate process which can be lengthy depending on the complexity of the estate
• The account becomes subject to the creditors of your estate
• The opportunity for tax deferral by spreading out distributions over a longer period of time may be lost.

It seems easy enough to name a beneficiary, but the reality is that this important designation is often overlooked. To prevent unforeseen mishaps, have your IRA beneficiary form reviewed by your financial planner annually to make sure it reflects your wishes and fits with your overall financial planning objectives. 

Laurie Renchik, CFP®, MBA is a Senior Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. In addition to working with women who are in the midst of a transition (career change, receiving an inheritance, losing a life partner, divorce or remarriage), Laurie works with clients who are planning for retirement. Laurie was named to the 2013 Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine, is a member of the Leadership Oakland Alumni Association and in addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she manages and is a frequent contributor to Center Connections at The Center.

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Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing information is accurate or complete.  Any opinions are those of Center for Financial Planning, Inc., and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James.  You should discuss any tax or legal issues with the appropriate professional.