Estate Considerations

So much time is spent thinking about how to provide for your family. And while it's not a comfortable thought, it's important to consider what their future would be like if something were to happen to you.

Creating an estate plan is often overlooked, but it can be extremely important for both you and your family. A common misperception is that having a will is sufficient, or that estate considerations are only for the wealthy or for older people. But it's really for anyone, at any age, who wants to take care of his or her family. Not only can it help to protect your hard-earned assets - it can give you a voice if you pass away or become ill.

Having proper strategies in place allows you to designate beneficiaries, appoint someone to act on your behalf, address any tax bills and help to ensure that you're maximizing the amount of assets that will be passed on to your heirs.

Steps to Creating an Estate Plan*
For help, contact one of our financial advisors. Together, with a representative from the Edward Jones Trust Company, we can help you:

• Establish a list of your estate objectives.
• Make a complete list of all the assets in your estate.
• Discuss your goals, important considerations and possible solutions with an estate-planning team.
• Create a plan and complete the appropriate documents.
• Appoint a qualified individual or professional to manage your estate.
• Verify that all account registrations and beneficiary designations are updated.
• Organize all records and documents.
• Review your estate every few years, or when your personal situation changes, to make sure it's up to date and meeting your needs.

*Edward Jones, and its employees, are not estate planners and cannot offer tax or legal advice.