Beneficiary designations are a crucial part of estate planning, yet they are often overlooked. Once you have signed your estate planning documents, you need to make sure that your beneficiary designations are consistent with the rest of your estate plan.
Many people equate estate planning with older people who have more assets and more to protect. However, that doesn’t mean younger people should ignore the benefits of estate planning. According to Caring.com, only 34% of adults ages 35 to 44 have a will and 18% of adults ages 18 to 34 have one.
Estate planning is a critical part of financial planning, but something many Americans procrastinate about. Drafting a will and a health care proxy or power of attorney, maybe creating a trust, and maximizing your loved ones’ inheritances by minimizing taxes are all important matters you don’t want to leave to chance.
You should go to an estate planning attorney to sort things out and make sure both of you are on the same page about who owns what, who gets to stay where and for how long into the future.