December 01, 2010
A Quick Checklist to Help Find Peace-of-Mind
With this year’s challenges and accomplishments still fresh in your mind, now is a good time to review and update your estate plans. To help you in this process, we have constructed a checklist of estate planning actions to take this year.
- Review your current will and trusts. These may need to be updated because of major changes in your life, such as births or deaths, a move to another state, etc.
- Take inventory and make a written record of the contents of any safe-deposit box. Give a copy to a trusted family member and note any items that you are holding for someone else that don’t belong to you.
- Review the beneficiary designations for your life insurance and retirement plans to make sure your beneficiary isn’t someone who is now deceased or a former spouse.
- Make sure your durable power of attorney for health care and living will are current.
| Request our free guide on locating important documents. |
- Be sure you are comfortable with the guardian named in your will for those under your care, such as minor children or a loved one who is disabled.
- Finish charitable contributions by Dec. 31. As you think about special holiday gifts for family and friends, remember that making charitable gifts to organizations such as Lewis & Clark in their honor can be a heartwarming experience that also offers you tax benefits.
When giving at year-end, depending on the gift arrangements you choose, you can:
- Reduce your income taxes.
- Increase your spendable income.
- Eliminate capital gains tax.
- Attain no-cost, worry-free asset management.
Questions
If you’re still in the early stages of planning a gift, Sharon Bosserman-Benson can assist you in determining the best way to remember Lewis & Clark this year or in your estate. Just call (503) 768-7911 or e-mail sharon@lclark.edu.
Copyright © The Stelter Company, All rights reserved.
The information in this website is not intended as legal advice. For legal advice, please consult an attorney. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. References to income tax apply to federal taxes only. Federal estate tax, state income/estate taxes or state law may impact your results.
