5 Mistakes To Avoid In Estate Planning

10 October 2023

Estate planning is a vital process of wealth management that ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes after your passing. It is a process that involves careful consideration, documentation, and, often, professional guidance.

While everyone’s estate planning needs are unique, there are common mistakes that can derail even the most well-intentioned efforts. To ensure you have a seamless process, our wealth management advisors at Whittier Trust have compiled a list of five common mistakes to avoid in estate planning.

Why Real Estate Planning Is Important?

Gone are the days when real estate planning was just a source of high net worth. Nowadays, everyone from a middle-class family to a luxurious background must come with efficient estate planning. It is true that there are various sources to invest your money. But the importance of property planning is truly unparalleled.

Estate strategizing is all about keeping your loved ones protected, at least from the IRS. Under the Internal Revenue Service, it is integral to transfer your assets to heirs with the aim of creating the least possible tax burden on them. The right estate plan also saves families from falling apart. Just like a will, estate planning helps you choose your assets and finances in the right way possible. Finally, it can be said that estate planning safeguards beneficiaries. If you are the sole breadwinner of the family, there is nothing to worry about, even if something happens to you. But for that, you will first have to curate a properly structured and evenly distributed estate plan.

What 5 Mistakes Must Be Avoided In Estate Planning?

It is good that you have come up with an exclusive strategy. But is that all to make things work? After all, you are risking your entire life’s savings in this endeavor. So, here I am listing down 5 mistakes that one must be devoid of at the time of estate planning:

1. Procrastination:

One of the most common estate planning mistakes is simply procrastinating. It is easy to put off creating a comprehensive estate plan, especially when you are focused on the present. Life can bring unexpected twists, and a thoughtfully crafted estate plan can offer you and your loved ones a comforting sense of security.

It is never too early to start estate planning, so regardless of age, taking action now ensures that your assets are protected, and your intentions are clear. A well-structured estate plan can alleviate the cloud of uncertainty about the future of your assets and the well-being of your loved ones.

2. Neglecting Regular Updates:

Estate planning is not a one-and-done process. Life is constantly changing, and your estate plan should reflect those changes. Failing to update your plan can lead to unintended consequences.

Major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of children, the acquisition of new assets, or changes in financial circumstances all warrant a review and, if necessary, an update to your estate plan. Without consistent evaluation, your assets may not be distributed as you intended. You update things like your phone, car, and closet without hesitation. Why neglect something as valuable to you and your family as your estate?

3. Inadequate Consideration of Taxes:

Failing to incorporate tax sensitivity into all areas of your wealth management strategy will inevitably diminish the impact of your estate and the eventual assets available for your intended beneficiaries.

Consulting with a knowledgeable wealth management advisor can help you navigate the complexities of tax planning and ensure that your estate is as tax-efficient as possible. It’s also important to consider what state you’re establishing trust in. For example, Nevada is one of the most trust-friendly states. It offers strong tax benefits, asset protection, trust longevity, and flexible decanting provisions.

4. Overlooking Beneficiary Designations:

Many assets, such as retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and bank accounts, allow you to designate beneficiaries. These designations supersede instructions in your trust. It is crucial to review and update these beneficiary designations regularly to ensure they align with your current intentions. Failing to do so can lead to unintended consequences, such as assets going to a former spouse or someone you no longer wish to benefit.

Oftentimes, emotions get roped into our decision-making processes, leading to impulse decisions or skewed perceptions. It is also important to think about the long-term effects of your beneficiary designations, considering every possible scenario. Having a third party like a wealth management firm help you with this process can prove to be extremely advantageous.

The third-party can either serve as your trustee or help advise the trustee to make objective decisions and look after the estate and family. In either scenario, a wealth management company helps create a neutral, mutually beneficial relationship in the estate planning process.

5. DIY Estate Planning:

Assembling a personalized wealth management team by handpicking lawyers, investment professionals, and other specialists may appear to offer a tailored approach to estate management. However, the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of this DIY approach are often outweighed by the advantages of partnering with a multifamily office.

While individual experts bring their own strengths, a multifamily office excels in curating a team personalized to your needs and capable of seamless collaboration, ensuring that your financial objectives are pursued with synergy and precision.

Multifamily offices are usually more cost-effective and time-saving as well, even providing family office services to help stay on top of the day-to-day expenses, documentation, and management for an estate. However, a good wealth management firm is also capable of working with outside experts, whether to account for a non-traditional area of need or comfort with a longtime and trusted source of counsel to prioritize your peace of mind.

Conclusion

Estate planning is a critical process that should not be overlooked or delayed. Avoiding common mistakes can help you create a robust estate plan that protects your assets and provides for your loved ones as you intend.

Trust services, like those provided at Whittier Trust, are committed to assisting individuals and families in developing comprehensive estate plans tailored to their specific needs and goals. You are not in this alone. The right wealth management advisors are ready to help you create and maintain an estate plan that is designed just for you.

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Selecting The Perfect Real Estate Agent Is Essential For Home Buyers

Buying your first home is an enormous achievement. And while exciting, the process can also feel overwhelming. You need a good realtor to help you. But wow do you ensure that you are working with the perfect real estate agent? When searching for a real estate agent, it’s important to remember that there are different types of agents with unique experiences and specialties. You should consider both your needs and wants, as well as the expertise of the person you’re working with. Here Are Four Prime Steps To Select The Perfect Real Estate Agent 1. Work With a Real Estate Agent Who Knows the Area When targeting a neighborhood, work with an agent who knows the area for the following essential insights: The time it takes to complete a purchase in the area. The market price for the home. If there is any way to improve your bargaining position. Any repair or maintenance concerns that you may miss. Take, for instance, families that want to move into the prestigious Toronto Cricket Club area. They usually partner with the best Cricket Club real estate agents like Adam Weiner + Associates because they have the knowledge and insights that help their client achieve their purchasing goals in the area. 2. Ask The Right Questions Take time out to interview the agent. Meet them in person if possible. Interview several agents and ask the right questions to zero in on the perfect one for your needs. Here are some questions you can ask: How well do you know the neighborhood? How are the schools in the area? What is this real estate market like? How much experience do you have? What type of customer service do you offer? What kind of real estate services do you provide? 3. Select A Reputable Realtor Trust is the basis of an excellent relationship with a real estate agent. Only a trustworthy real estate agent will represent your best interests and help you make an informed decision. To check a realtor’s reputation, look up their reviews on the Internet, and check their website for client feedback. Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask for referrals — happy clients will not hesitate to recommend a top real estate agent. Working with a reputable realtor will help you avoid fraud, such as title scams where fraudsters may sell someone else’s property. 4. Check Their Qualifications When you’re buying a home, there’s a significant amount of paperwork to complete. From the initial application to the final closing, there are dozens of documents that need to be signed and filed. An important advantage of working with a qualified agent is that they’ll help you with paperwork. A good real estate agent will help you with all the documentation. They’ll ensure that you have access to all of the right forms in advance, and they’ll also help you understand what’s required so that you don’t forget anything important or leave something out. They’ll also identify any potential red flags in the paperwork that may cause problems down the road. Whether you’re new to the home-buying process or have bought a home before, selecting the right real estate agent is critical. With the help of a top professional, you can avoid stressful mistakes and streamline the home purchasing process. Read Also: Mold Growth At Home: What You Should Know And What You Can Do Things First-Time Homebuyers Need To Know About Hiring Realtors 10 Best Ways To Find Cheap Homes To Flip

What To Leave Behind Once You Have Sold Your Home

You have finally put your home for sale on the real estate market and now you are just looking for a potential yet promising buyer to purchase your home. As the seller of the property, you are likely to look forward to agreeing to future inspections and issues that need to be fixed before officially selling the property but if you have hired professional housekeeping services then your property will be spotless by the time the new owner comes around. When people finally reach the closing process, most of them don’t know what to leave behind or not leave behind exactly, but help is on its way through this article that will ensure you all that needs to be left behind and what you need to take with you so that you won’t have to face any stressful situations that you might deal with from either you or the potential buyers. What Should Be Left Behind The Keys To The Property When it comes to closing day, the first thing that should be left behind are obviously the keys, while most new homeowners will probably make a new lock and have a new set of keys, they will also appreciate having obviously as a sign of respect because if you only have one set of keys it is best to suggest to the new homeowner that visiting a locksmith is an option if they want to make sets of keys. If you have your realtor under your services then you can give your realtor the keys on closing day and let them handle this situation for you so you won’t have to deal with the potential buyer himself/herself. As a responsible homeowner who has now sold his home to a new couple or a family, there are many things, which you can do to help them. Firstly, any new homeowner would like to change the old locks of the house. This is where a central coast locksmith can help them change the locks to the entire household. This can give the new family complete peace of mind knowing that they are the only ones that have the keys to different areas of the house. They can store their possessions safely and secure the premises at all times. A Folder That Contains Manuals And Warranties For Your Appliances Keep in mind that once a buyer has purchased the household, they have also purchased all the appliances that are included inside as well. It would be best to leave behind all the user manuals for these home appliances and if you have a warranty or guarantee from a recent appliance that you recently bought, would be definitely useful to have as well. It would be best for the future owner to have all these documents in case they have to operate, repair, or maintain some appliances, they wouldn’t have to go through any hassles. Features Included In The Household Chances are when you bought this property yourself, is that there are things that came affixed with the property itself such as certain kinds of hardware, curtains, shelves, kitchenware, and light fixtures and blinds. Unless you have bought these things and possibly might need them for the new place that you are planning to purchase/rent then it is best to leave these home features behind for the new owners to use and enjoy as well. Things like remote controls should obviously be left behind for the new owners as you don’t want to leave your property with any questions being asked. Try to label each remote control in case it is not obvious which one is for which electronic appliances such as ceiling fans, lights, televisions, and much more. Believe it or not, home automation systems that are used as home’s smart features can actually be one of the things that made your potential buyer be appealed by the property so it is best to keep them where you are but if you paid a hefty price for them, it’s best to put this in the contract and have it be said during negotiations so that you don’t make any losses along the way that are not necessary. It has been researched that Smart Home products actually increase the property value by almost five percent by just owning home automation, so if you are getting it customized and built-in within the property, then it is best to leave it behind and ask for the price that would seem reasonable for you. Pool Supplies Does your property have its own swimming pool? If this is the case then it is best to leave all your accessories and pool supplies for the new owner. It will also be a great idea to leave any kind of directions, manual, or assist with any information regarding how to maintain and keep the pool or spa area clean as possible and who to contact if you have someone doing it for you as well. Landscaping If you have your own backyard or natural garden that you purchased and came with the property, most of these places have the plants, shrubs, and trees already affixed to the property and will remain with the household regardless of how much you would like to miss them. The only option that you have is the case that if you want to take the removable pots that have flowers and plants inside which won’t be a hassle in taking and moving away with you. There are things such as equipment within the garden such as chairs, tables, swings, and even a grill, which can all be seen as personal belongings so it would be better to take it with you unless you don’t find any value in them anymore and consider just leaving them behind for the future owner of the property to either use or throw out themselves. Take Your Emotions Out Of The House Last but not least, the most important thing to do is to take all your personal belongings with you and do everything to depersonalize your property so at least that potential buyers can imagine themselves there when you have emptied out the place. Just think of it this way, if you have all your stuff currently still at your homes such as family photos and stuff that comes with sentimental value, the potential buyer will only see your house and not the house on sale pretty much because they won’t be able to see themselves living there because they can only see you and your belongings among the place. Consider hiring a professional who will be able to stage your home and to maximize profits. Read Also: The Guide to Understanding Your Home Value 8 Smart House Upgrades that are Totally Worth the Money How to sell your house fast? Five must-know tips to move your property!

How To Learn The Value Of Your House

There are many reasons to want to value a house. A new addition to the family may need additional rooms, a work promotion in another location, or even just time for a change may require the home to be sold. Another reason to value a property is to identify a person’s current financial position. This may be necessary for those starting a business or needing additional finance. How do people learn the value of their houses? Here are three ways. Top 4 Ways Of Learning The Value Of Your House 1. Online Valuation Tools One of the easiest ways to get a valuation is to use one of the many online valuation tools available. They use public data to price your home. These tools use the automated valuation model (AVM). The valuations are based on data retrieved from public records like deeds of ownership, property transfers, and tax assessments. A mathematical formula is also applied, taking data from recent sales in the area. The challenge with relying on AVMs is that they’ll value every property, regardless of the available data, possibly giving an inaccurate value. To effectively use an AVM, do it from a real estate site that also includes a ‘confidence score.’ This value means a professional has checked the result from the AVM and given a score based on how close it is to market value. Any AVM plus a confidence score over 90% can be considered. 2. Comps One of the most common ways to get a current value for a house is to check out recent sales in the same area. Take a look around the neighborhood at comparable homes. These are known in the industry as ‘comps.’ When made public, the results of these sales can be an easy predictor of the values in the area. An ‘apple for apples’ approach needs to be applied here. If the house next door is a little more run-down but has an additional bedroom, that value isn’t a good comparison. If one down the road, with an equal number of rooms, was renovated around the same time, that’s a closer valuation. The way to get the best valuation for your home is to find four comps — two at the higher price range and two at the lower. Go for something that’s somewhere in the middle. Remember that values change quickly; any sale over three months ago may not match the current market. 3. Professionally Appraised The most expensive but arguably the most accurate way to value a home is to get it professionally appraised. These people have seen hundreds to thousands of comparable properties and can give you a correct value. A 2018 survey revealed that ¼ of US homeowners valued their properties this way. Lenders will require an appraisal before approving a mortgage; however, they’ll want it done by their own appraisers. Appraisers may even suggest changes that can be made to increase the property value. A professionally presented pre-purchase appraisal by a reputable appraiser makes it easier for the potential buyer to decide. This is one task that they don’t have to do. Appraisers are independent contractors. They get paid per appraisal; they don’t earn commission and therefore offer unbiased opinions. 4. House Valuation Made Easy Using an AVM is the most convenient way for a person to value their home; however, it’s possibly the least accurate. Spending the time to compare recent sales on comparable properties in the area is a closer way to get a more accurate price. Choosing a value mid-range of these is the best way. Unbiased professional appraisers will provide the most accurate value, but at a cost. Whether using an AVM, checking out local comps, or hiring a professional, there is one surefire way to know the value of a house. The value is whatever someone else is willing to pay for it! Additional: 5 Ways A Home Maintenance Plan Can Prevent Disaster How You Can Increase the Value of Your Home with Stone Veneers 6 Easy Ways To Make Your Home More Appealing To Buyers What Qualifications Do I Need to Have to Get a Home Mortgage?

5 Mistakes To Avoid In Estate Planning

Why Real Estate Planning Is Important?