• Allows you to keep control of your assets • Protects your family from outside predators • Eliminates unwanted relatives from inheriting • Avoids Probate Court entirely • Keeps your estate private • Avoids conservatorship proceedings • Allows you to be a good steward of property and assets • Eliminates Joint Tenancy problems • Provides peace of mind for you and your family • Appoints guardians for minor children • Minimizes capital gains taxes • Reduces state and federal estate taxes • Ensures your plan is updated when life changes (births, divorces, bankruptcies, marriages) • Eliminates government interference and red tape • Removes the need for costly appraisers Note: AARP estimates the next generation will lose more than $2 billion every year to the Probate process. On average, 8% to 10% of every estate is consumed by Probate unless proper steps are taken. Do you have your ducks in a row to avoid becoming part of that statistic? A Personal Story When my father died, our family had to experience Probate firsthand. Even though one of our family members was an attorney (which reduced costs tremendously), the process still cost a bunch of money, needlessly, but he wouldn’t listen to my advice. It was stressful for the executor (my brother), and time-consuming for everyone involved. The estate could have been settled much sooner — and for less than $2,000 if my father simply had taken the time to set up a well-designed estate plan. All he wanted was for everything to be
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