I came across an article in Forbes today called “Estate Planning is Dead.” It is dangerously misleading about the need for a proper estate plan, but buried under all of that is the true message that Mr. Scott, the author, believes and was trying to deliver. And it is a message I can get behind.
That message is that traditional estate planning isn’t about you, it is about what will happen when you die. It is a plan based around the two great inevitabilities: death and taxes.
Estate planning, with the proper planner, can and should be more. It should be about your legacy. What you have brought into this world, and are still bringing into this world. Proper planning is more than a snapshot of who you are. It is a projection of what you will be and a plan to be even more of who you are.
Meeting with clients, many have to take a deep breath and say something like “Here we go!” when they start to make their plan. It feels more like they are about to jump out of an airplane instead of making a sound financial decision. But it is a sound decision, not just for the estate, but for YOU. As estate planning draws to a close, my clients feel relief, secure in the knowledge that they can live their lives with a significant chunk put finally in its place.
Dare to reorient your thinking about estate planning. Think about YOUR future.