Estate planning and creating a legacy are on the top of most retirees’ minds. Estate planning is the art of making sure your loved ones still talk to each other after you pass on. Leaving an unplanned estate can destroy the strongest of family units. Make sure you take the time to build this important element into your comprehensive Retirement Plan.

By definition, estate planning is a process designed to help you manage and preserve your assets while you are alive, and to conserve and control their distribution after your death according to your goals and objectives. But what estate planning means to you specifically depends on who you are. Your age, health, wealth, lifestyle, life stage, goals, and many other factors determine your particular estate planning needs. For example, you may have a small estate and may be concerned only that certain people receive particular things. A simple will is probably all you’ll need. Or, you may have a large estate, and minimizing any potential estate tax impact is your foremost goal. Here, you’ll need to use more sophisticated techniques in your estate plan, such as a trust.

What Are the 5 Components of Estate Planning?

1. Wills and Trusts

A common misconception is that only wealthy people need wills or trusts. In fact, a will or a trust is a crucial part of any estate plan, whether you are wealthy or of modest means. A will or a trust will direct the distribution of your estate (all of your property and assets) after your death, according to your wishes. A will can also name a guardian for any child you have who is not at least age 18 at the time of your death.

2. Durable Power of Attorney

Each of us has a complicated web of financial and legal responsibilities to take care of from day to day. We pay bills, manage bank accounts, sign documents, and perform any number of other ordinary, yet important, tasks. Should we become unable to perform these tasks due to illness, injury, or death, chaos can ensue. Bills won’t get paid, deposits won’t go into our accounts, and responsibilities won’t be met. A durable power of attorney, however, allows you to name a trusted individual to handle your financial and legal affairs should you be unable to manage them yourself, whether temporarily or permanently.

3. Medical or Healthcare Power of Attorney

Like the durable power of attorney, a medical power of attorney, sometimes called a healthcare power of attorney, allows you to authorize a trusted individual to make decisions about your medical care if you are unable to make those decisions for yourself. Having a living will or advance healthcare directive does not preclude the need for a medical power of attorney, as situations may arise that are not addressed in the living will, and those will require decisions to be made by the person you have designated.

4. Living Wills and Advance Directives for Medical Decisions

Living wills and advance healthcare directives are legal documents that specify your preferences for medical care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself and are terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, late-stage dementia, or near death. The living will or advance healthcare directive can ensure that you get the medical care you want and are not given treatments that you don’t want. It can also relieve your family members of decision-making in a time of crisis and minimize confusion or disagreement about what you would choose if you were able.

5. Beneficiary Designations

While you are creating your estate plan, you should also ensure that you have named beneficiaries and that your beneficiary designations are up to date. Beneficiaries will need to be named for benefits that are paid directly without going through the estate, such as benefits from life insurance policies and retirement plans.

Protecting what matters most

No one can predict the future, but we can certainly prepare for it.

Today’s families are concerned about the bigger picture: healthcare costs, retirement readiness, and protecting their family’s quality of life. That’s why we’re committed to helping provide holistic solutions designed to help people achieve a lifetime of financial security.

Insurance from Roberts Wealth Management helps protect people’s financial future with solutions through every stage of life. Explore our range of cost effective options below, and rest easy.

Some retirees underestimate the impact a big market loss may have on the future of their income. Luckily, insurance can be used to protect more than just your physical assets. It can also be used to help protect your future. Our firm specializes in helping individuals safeguard their retirement nest eggs by offering a variety of insurance products and financial planning strategies.

Some of our Insurance Services include the following, but not limited to:

• Critical Illness Insurance
• Indexed Universal Life Insurance
• Life Insurance

When looking at any type of financial planning insurance can protect more than just physical assets. We specialize in helping look at the whole picture to safeguard your retirement nest eggs and income. We have a very comprehensive financial platform offering which we work with you to create your financial planning strategy.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a simple, one-size-fits-all solution to retirement planning? Unfortunately, retirement planning isn’t that easy.

It’s hard to make a plan that both meets your immediate needs and makes your retirement savings last. Plus, everyone has different retirement goals. Some people want to relax after decades of hard work. Others want to stay busy with volunteering, hobbies, traveling or part-time work. Others might need to care for family members.

That’s why working with a trustworthy financial advisor to build a custom plan can make a big difference. But where should you start? We recommend asking your advisor these five questions to kick off a strong working relationship that’ll pay off in the years to come.

Question 1: Where will my retirement income come from?

The question sounds easy enough to answer, but sometimes it’s not. It can be tricky to create a consistent paycheck that’ll last throughout your retirement.

Retirement income usually comes from one or more of these sources:

• Retirement accounts or pensions
• Social Security benefits
• Part-time work
• Passive income from investments
• Guaranteed income from annuities

When and how much you withdraw from each will be a major part of your retirement plan. Talk with your advisor and make sure you have a plan that fits your needs.

Question 2: What’s my plan for Social Security?

Social Security is still one of the most reliable sources of retirement income. It provides income for you and your survivors that’s adjusted to your cost of living. Depending on your situation, Social Security benefits may make up all or just a small part of your retirement income.

There’s no right answer for when to claim Social Security benefits. That’s why it’s important that your advisor knows your goals so they can make the best recommendation.

Question 3: How should I prepare for health and long-term care costs?

Many people think planning for health care in retirement is just enrolling in Medicare Part A and paying some Part B premiums. But there’s more to think about. Even a healthy 65-year-old couple has a 75% chance that at least one of them will require significant long-term care.

Whether you’re in assisted living or paying for home health care, the costs can add up. And Medicare or other medical insurance often won’t cover the bill. Having a good long-term care plan may save you and your family headaches down the road.

Question 4: How should I invest?

That depends on your risk tolerance and, more importantly, your risk capacity. You may be OK with taking risks but find it hard to recover from a market drop.

A good advisor will take a full look at your assets and give you honest advice on how to invest wisely.

Question 5: How should I manage inflation?

Inflation affects each of us differently. Retirees living in their own homes may experience rising utility and food costs, while those living in a retirement community may have to deal with their rent going up.

It’s important that your retirement plan includes a cushion to help you manage inflation. Make sure your advisor is aware of your situation so they can give you the best advice.

Retirement planning is an ongoing process.

Even when you have a retirement income plan, it may not be final. Some factors that can affect your planning are:

• Personal or family health changes.
• Inflation, market or interest rate changes.
• Tax and legislative changes.
• Divorce or the death of a spouse.

You and your advisor can always revisit your plan as your retirement goals and financial needs change.

Tax planning is often a forgotten part of retirement planning. This is an important step in the planning process, which is why Roberts Wealth Management Advisors have in-house tax planners.

Some of our Tax Services include the following, but not limited to:

• Tax Advisory
• Tax Planning
• Tax Minimization Planning

IRS and State / Local Representation

Our staff knows the tax laws, and we know how your tax return was prepared. We can provide complete representation services before the IRS as well as state and local authorities. We are also experienced in negotiating in Compromise with the IRS and various States.

Tax Planning

We continuously monitor federal, state, and local tax law changes to allow our clients to minimize current and future tax liabilities. If necessary, we can implement tailor-made due-date tax compliance monitoring systems to prevent costly interest and penalty assessments attributable to late filing. Of course, we offer full tax preparation and filing services.