This portion of your financial plan contains a sample analysis of an estate settlement arrangement. The intention is to illustrate the anticipated settlement expenses and disclose any potential problems in a plan.

This section will provide facts upon which to base decisions concerning alterations in an estate plan. In order for an estate plan to be effective, it should meet the following objectives:

1.  Determine the most advantageous means of owning family properties.
2.  Minimize estate and income taxes, administrative expenses, executor’s commissions and attorney fees.
3.  Provide adequate and available money to meet known and anticipated settlement expenses due to death.
4.  Preserve the assets you have worked hard to accumulate.
5.  Provide funds for educational expenses and for debt repayment, if desired.
6.  Provide an adequate income for your survivors.

Estate Settlement Cost Analysis

The Estate Settlement Cost Analysis summarizes the costs of various estate distribution arrangements. The precise determination of how we arrived at those costs are in the following report, Estate Settlement Analysis.

The estate arrangement, the inflation assumptions and year of death assumptions as well as specific personal and charitable bequests can be varied order to test the effectiveness of any proposed estate plan arrangement.

The Need for Will Preparation

Will your family know what to do when you die? Will all the members affected know how to respond if you become disabled? Are you personally prepared to deal with a disability-related early retirement? If not, it will not be your plans that fail. The problem will be the failure to plan!