When it comes to estate planning, do you have your ducks in a row? Even if you have all the proper documentation in place, you may be missing an important piece of the puzzle if you don’t have a wealth transfer plan.

Estate Plans

Estate planning documents are the best way to ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes when you die. When you pass away without a will or trust in place, state law will determine who receives your assets. Unfortunately, this may not be in accordance with what you would have preferred. When you record your wishes in a legal document, however, you get to choose exactly who benefits from your estate.

Another reason to have an estate plan is that, without one, your family will be left with some or all of the following:

Did you know that you can still collect Social Security benefits if you are living abroad? It’s true, outside of a few specific countries: Cuba, Ukraine, North Korea, or Vietnam or if the country has differing Social Security policies in place (like Lithuania and Monaco). To check if the country would pay you your Social Security visit:

https://www.ssa.gov/international/payments_outsideUS.html

Each age comes with different life obstacles and expenses that can often derail a good savings plan. So, in this article, we will walk you through how best to save at different points in your life. It may feel like your nest egg is growing too slowly, but time and perseverance can get you where you want to be.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” As I navigate life, this quote from the movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, consistently comes to mind. At a crucial point in the movie, it shows one of the main characters encouraging one of their companions to not be discouraged amidst feelings that they had made poor decisions in the past. Rather, be encouraged that they can still be intentional with the meaningful time they have left. Now in my late 20’s, fully transitioned into my full-time working years, I can’t help but ask myself what healthy financial habits can I develop now that will carry into my 30’s and for the rest of my life. When I look back 30 years from now, are there steps now that I will wish I had taken in this season? In being proactive with the time I do have what will cause me to be thankful when I look back? When I think about the different areas that my financial decision-making encompasses, the topics that come to mind are cash-flow management, employee benefit maximization, and household risk mitigation.

If you’re one of the lucky ones, though – a retiree with substantial equity in your home – you’ve already got the next best thing to that money tree. The only question is, when and how should you cash in on it?

Retirement planning, in general, involves a very personal decision-making process. This is certainly true when you’re considering anything to do with your home. It is likely the biggest purchase you’ve ever made, it may represent an important goal you’ve accomplished, and it allows you to feel a sense of security in an ever-changing world. For all these reasons, it’s a complicated decision to transform all or part of this asset into retirement capital.