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Estate Planning Strategies

Your Guide to Estate Planning

Estate planning allows you to transfer wealth while minimizing taxes for your heirs. An estate plan gives you greater control over your assets, helping you manage them during your lifetime and easing the transition after your death. It also allows you to prioritize charitable giving and make sure your wishes are met. Our financial planners can help you create an estate plan that meets your requirements and allows you to leave the legacy you want.

Preserving wealth from one generation to the next can be complex and time-consuming. Guidance from a competent, experienced advisor can go a long way toward helping make sure your financial success is shared with your family, friends and the charitable organizations you designate, according to your wishes.

We have helped generations of families develop wealth-transfer strategies that seek to reduce estate taxes while pursuing specific legacy and charitable giving goals.

  • Legacy Planning often includes many non-monetary considerations that need to be documented or communicated to loved ones.

  • Charitable Giving can provide tax benefits for you and your heirs.

We can help you articulate your estate planning goals and will work closely with your tax and legal advisors to help ensure your financial strategy reflects your estate planning needs. Or, if you prefer, we can provide a referral to our own team of outside professional advisors who are adept at the intricacies of estate and tax planning. Whether you use a trust* or another method for accomplishing your long-term estate planning goals, we can assist you in navigating and simplifying today’s complex estate planning landscape.

*LPL Financial Representatives offer access to trust services through The Private Trust Company N.A., an affiliate of LPL Financial.

Tax and legal services are not offered by LPL Financial or Henderson Wealth Partners.

How Estate Planning Helps

Having an estate plan relieves a tremendous burden for your beneficiaries. With an estate plan, you can clarify how you want your property to be distributed. It can even help you give to your favorite charities or care for a disabled or elderly family member. A proper estate plan helps you put your affairs in order, but it also minimizes the tax burden for your heirs and the time spent in probate.

Control over Your Assets

You can use your estate plan to retain control over your assets during your lifetime while putting someone else in charge of asset management. You can also distribute assets to your beneficiaries during your lifetime using various tax saving strategies, such as the gift tax exemption. Your estate plan allows you to dictate what happens to your assets when you’re ill or after your death. It speeds up probate and reduces the tax burden for your heirs, too.

Wealth Transfer

An estate plan is most useful for the smooth transfer of wealth to your beneficiaries. Depending on the size of your estate, this may be a complex undertaking. Our estate planners can help you minimize the tax burden and simplify the wealth transfer. You can even choose to transfer some or all of your wealth to charitable organizations and causes. 

When you set up a transfer of wealth, you decide who receives the wealth and when. You can put your assets in trust and only distribute an income to your beneficiaries. This is useful if your heirs are underage or need lifelong financial support. You also decide who manages the wealth for your beneficiaries, either starting during your lifetime or after your death.

Charitable Giving

Your estate plan can include charitable giving. Charitable contributions can minimize your personal and estate taxes. Transferring some of your assets to a charity can also be a nice way to leave a legacy. You can also use estate planning to set up your own charitable efforts and direct your estate to provide a regular income to your favorite causes.

FAQs about Estate Planning

Who Can Benefit from Setting Up an Estate Plan?

If you own significant assets or need to provide for a loved one, it’s a good idea to set up an estate plan. Your estate plan provides for a smooth transfer of wealth, reduces the tax burden on the estate, and ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes. If you’re not sure about an estate plan, call us for advice about your unique situation.

Why Do I Need an Estate Plan?

If you want to ensure a smooth transfer of wealth, you may need an estate plan. Without an estate plan, it could take a while for your estate to go through probate. Your heirs may even contest the proceedings and fight amongst each other. As a part of legacy planning, we recommend meeting with one of our financial planners to create a customized estate plan for your needs.

How Can a Financial Planner Help Me with My Estate Plan?

Our financial planners understand the ins and outs of estate planning. We can explain when to use a trust versus a will. We can help you understand the tax consequences of your decisions. Finally, we’ll create an estate plan according to your wishes, allowing you to leave the legacy you want.

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Let’s Create Your Estate Plan

Don’t delay creating your estate plan. Preparing for a smooth transfer of wealth is a final gift you can give to your beneficiaries. It will save money on taxes and make a difficult time easier for everyone. Your estate plan is also another chance to leave a lasting legacy just the way you intended. Call us today to schedule an appointment and create your estate plan.