What Financial Information Should Be Included In An Estate Planning Organizer?
An estate planning organizer should have a balance sheet that lists all of the assets and liabilities in the estate. If there is real estate, deeds and recent property tax bills should be included; if there are investment accounts, copies of recent account statements containing the account numbers should be included. Retirement plan statements that include the names of the beneficiaries of that retirement plan, as well as insurance policy documents that include the names of the beneficiaries of that insurance policy plan should be included. Lastly, contact information for creditors, mortgage companies, credit cards, and any other sources of debt should be included.
What Tax Information Should Be Included In An Estate Planning Organizer?
A copy of an individual’s most recent income tax return and a list of any estimated tax payments that have been made should be included in an estate planning organizer. It is helpful to have a pocket dedicated to notes or receipts pertaining to estimated tax payments that are collected during the year. This way, in the event that the individual dies at any point during the year, the successor trustee would know how much they already paid toward their income taxes. Information pertaining to charitable gifts that were made and withdrawals from retirement plan accounts should also be included in an estate planning organizer.
What Other Information Might Be Included?
It would be helpful to include in an estate planning organizer a list of the names of the professionals who have advised the individual, such as their attorney, accountant, insurance agent, investment advisor, and anyone who is involved with the management of a business owned by the individual. This would allow the trustee to easily contact people who already have some basic knowledge of the estate and who could assist the trustee in obtaining missing information. Since people often want to make charitable gifts, it may also be a good idea to include a list of charities to which the individual would want to contribute. Finally, you can give instructions for final arrangements, such as burial or cremation, and funeral/memorial service preferences.
Who Should Get A Copy Of The Organizer?
No one should have a copy of an estate planning organizer; it will contain so much information that it should be kept private. However, someone should know the location of the organizer.
How Often Should An Organizer Be Updated?
An estate planning organizer should be reviewed or updated at least once a year. An individual may want to pick a specific date on which they will choose to review the information. The initial assembly of an estate planning organizer is the hard part—reviewing it from time to time really doesn’t require too much work.
Additional Information On Estate Planning Organizer In California
If you are in the San Gabriel Valley area and you have questions about or could use assistance in the estate planning process, contact our office. We are one of the very few law offices that will assist you with this process and ensure that you have an established estate planning organizer.
For more information on Financial Info In Estate Planning Organizer, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (626) 385-6303 today.
