Basic estate planning should, at a minimum, include the following key elements:
Will
A will is a legal document that outlines your wishes regarding the distribution of your assets after your death. It allows you to specify who should receive your property and assets, appoint guardians for minor children, and name an executor to carry out your wishes.
Power of Attorney
A power of attorney is a document that grants someone the authority to act on your behalf in legal and financial matters if you become incapacitated or unable to make decisions for yourself. There are different types of power of attorney, such as a general power of attorney or a durable power of attorney for healthcare.
Healthcare Directive or Living Will
This document outlines your preferences for medical treatment and end-of-life care if you are unable to communicate your wishes. It may include decisions about life-sustaining treatments, organ donation, and other healthcare-related matters.
Beneficiary Designations
Review and update beneficiary designations on your life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other assets that allow you to name beneficiaries. This ensures that the designated individuals receive those assets directly, bypassing probate.
Trusts
While not essential for everyone, a trust can be a valuable estate planning tool for various reasons, such as avoiding probate, providing for minor children or individuals with special needs, managing assets, or minimizing estate taxes. Consult with an attorney to determine if a trust is appropriate for your situation.
Guardianship Designations
If you have minor children, it is crucial to designate guardians who will care for them in the event of your death. Discuss this decision with the potential guardians beforehand and make your wishes known legally.
Organizing Documents and Information
Compile and organize important documents, including financial records, insurance policies, property deeds, wills, and trusts. Inform your loved ones or the executor of your estate about the location of these documents to ensure a smooth administration of your estate.
After helping thousands of clients navigate the estate planning process
We knew there had to be a simpler, smarter way to help people prepare for the future. Our goal was to reimagine an age-old process by bringing it into the 21st century.
So we assembled the best team we could find -- visionaries, techies, programmers, digital media marketers, attorneys, and financial planners -- to create an innovative estate planning platform: Estate Guru.
Our compliant, industry-minded software allows financial advisors to connect with an attorney
To create and manage estate plans that fit every client's needs without breaking the bank. Estate Guru is built on over four decades of experience in the estate planning and financial planning industries, paving the way for our team to bring estate planning to the next level: no cheap boilerplate documents, no DIY document engines, no inefficient meetings with attorneys, and no monthly membership fees.
Welcome to industry-minded estate planning by financial advisors for financial advisors.
We prove there's a different, smarter way to build your business and help your clients secure their own and their loved ones' future.
Our Mission
To empower our customers to grow their business by cultivating stable and generational relationships with clients using best-in-market tools that are reliable, compliant and easy-to-use.
Our Vision
To provide access to quality legal and financial services in order to create generational financial stability for the average American family.
We Partner with Estate Guru to offer preparation of estate planning documents (i.e. wills, trusts, advanced planning directives) in 49 states
Supervision from the Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm ensures compliance with the relevant laws and regulations, creating a legitimate channel for solicitors and Investment Advisor Representatives to receive compensation for the planning associated with the estate planning documents. Importantly, it would not be possible to legally receive any compensation for planning associated with the creation of estate planning documents without the supervision of an RIA that had completed adequate vetting and appropriately documented the division of labor.
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It’s common sense that anyone providing guidance on the subject of wills and trusts should have a solid understanding of the topic.
At the very minimum, any person giving guidance should have at least a solicitor’s agreement and be compliant within the state in which he/she is giving guidance.
All marketing campaigns should be reviewed by a compliance attorney before a sales presentation is made.
Funding a trust often proves difficult or impossible if approached the wrong way. RPW brings years of experience to the funding process, including tax review letters by Scott Fedyshyn, The Tax Reduction CPA®, CPA, CFP®, CTC, CTP, CMA, CFM, MSA.
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