Patinelli & Chang, LLP

Retirement Planning: Where to Start?

“Contemplation of retirement can be both exciting and intimidating. Obviously, planning for the beginning of retirement should start early.”

While you may be thinking about retirement for a long time, with visions of tropical beaches or grand trips overseas, when the date starts to get closer, it’s time for some real analysis and planning, says limaohio.com’s recent article “What to consider when starting retirement.”

Start with a realistic assessment of your healthcare needs. At age 65, most people are eligible for Medicare. There are many different parts of Medicare, identified by letters, that are optional add-ons to expand coverage to serve more like the health insurance you have while working. Medicare is not directly charged to individuals, but the parts in which Medicare participants opt into, do require out of pocket payments.

Next, prepare a budget and cash-flow plan that reflects your current cash-flow situation and compare that to your expected cash-flow situation upon retirement. During retirement, income comes from several sources: part-time work, Social Security, distributions from retirement plans and earnings from investments or returns from investments.

As you get closer to retirement age, you can secure an estimate of your benefits from the Social Security Administration. This can be done by going to the government agency’s website and creating a “my Social Security” account, by calling the local office or sending a letter via mail. Note that the estimates are only estimates. Don’t depend on those being the final numbers.

Social Security benefits are based on the number of years you have worked and the amount of money that was contributed to Social Security over a lifetime. Many people mistakenly think that Social Security is a government managed retirement system, where there is a relationship between what gets paid and what is distributed. However, Social Security’s process of determining benefits is based on a formula.

Based on your birthdate, Social Security calculates the age at which you can receive the program’s maximum benefit. If you take benefits before that date, then the monthly amount will be smaller over your lifetime. The longer you can delay taking benefits after your Full Retirement Age (FRA), the larger the monthly payment will be.

Retirement accounts, like 401(k)s and IRAs, allow for withdrawals without penalty after age 59 ½. Unless the account is a Roth IRA, any amounts withdrawn will be subject to taxes. At age 70 ½, account owners are required to withdraw a certain amount from IRAs and 401(k)s, known as Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).

All this information needs to be considered to plan for retirement, especially with the prospect of needing long-term care, including nursing home or in-home care. This usually involves planning to someday become eligible for Medicaid, if needed.

When you are preparing for retirement, it’s also a good time to make sure that your estate plan is in place. An estate plan that has not been reviewed in three or four years may only need a few tweaks, or it may need a complete overhaul. Speak with your estate planning attorney to make sure you’ve covered all of your retirement bases.

Reference: limaohio.com (Aug. 31, 2019) “What to consider when starting retirement.”

How Does an Executor Obtain a Credit Report for Decedent?

“While it’s not something many people think about until faced with the issue, obtaining a credit report for a deceased person is important. You may need to make sure the credit report is accurate and take stock of any creditors you need to notify of the death or see if there’s any unresolved debt that you’re not aware of.”

Obtaining the credit report for a decedent is important to protect their assets before any criminals target them for identity theft and credit card fraud, advises credit.com in the article “Dealing with a Credit Report for the Deceased.” Speed is of the essence for this estate task.

In most cases, the only person who is the subject of the credit report should have access to it. However, there are times when you need to pull someone else’s report, such as when a loved one dies. Other instances are when an employer is checking on a potential employee’s credit, or when a landlord wants to know more about a tenant.

To obtain a living person’s credit report, you must have permission. Permission can be granted on a rental or job application. You’ll also need their Social Security number, name and date of birth.

For someone who has passed, it is recommended that you notify the three credit bureaus as soon as possible after a death to make sure the account is marked as “deceased,” so no one can open a credit card account in the person’s name.

If you are the executor and you need to obtain a credit report of a person who has passed, here’s what you will need to do to protect their legacy and obtain their credit report. First, you’ll need certain documents:

• Proof that you have been named executor of the estate
• Testamentary letters from the probate court
• An official copy of the death certificate

You should get several copies of each of these documents, since you will also need them for other aspects of the estate.

Before you can obtain the credit report, the will needs to be filed with the probate court. Your estate planning attorney can do this for you, as part of settling the estate. Once all the documents are in order, you’ll need to report the death and contact the three bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. You’ll also want a cover letter explaining that the person has passed and that you need the reports to settle the estate.

The letter should include the decedent’s name, their last known address and their Social Security number. There may be a fee, depending on the company’s policies.

Review the report thoroughly and check for any inaccuracies. Make note of any open accounts that need to be paid with the estate or notified of the death. Debts are not all cleared when a person dies, so you’ll want to know what needs to be taken care of. Look for anything suspicious. It could be a sign of theft or fraud.

The last step is to notify the credit bureaus, outstanding creditors and the Social Security Administration of the person’s death. Once proper notification has taken place, the bureaus will mark the credit record as being deceased. No further credit will be extended in the person’s name and no additional accounts can be opened.

Reference: credit.com (Aug. 27, 2019) “Dealing with a Credit Report for the Deceased.”

How to Live a Full Life throughout Retirement

“During retirement or before, you probably did all the financial planning along with the legal paperwork. Have you also thought about personal choices as you age and the options ahead?”

If you don’t have a personal plan for yourself, you may wish you had given it some thought, if you come to an age and stage where other people want to make decisions on your behalf. There are many choices to be made before, during and after retirement, but without a clear picture of what you want, it’s easy to get sidetracked. This message from The Press-Enterprise is very clear in the article “Aging seniors: Make decisions before someone makes them for you.”

Here are some of the choices you’ll face:

Where to live. Waiting to move to a location you want to live in early on, could make it difficult or impossible for you to move there. Do you want to stay in an area where you have friends and belong to social and civic circles?

Do you want to relocate to live closer to family members? What will you do if you move and then learn that your family’s life is busy, and you don’t see them very often? Be prepared for that scenario.

What do you like to do? If you visited Arizona or Texas and loved those places, do you want to move there for recreational activities or climate? If you have more time for hobbies and interests, you may be able to fulfill those dreams.

Moving also needs to take into account taxes, sales taxes, inheritance taxes and property taxes.

What kind of living space do you want? If you prefer to live in your own home, that raises questions. Will the house be safe as you age? Does the home have stairs? Are the hallways wide enough for a wheelchair? Do you have enough assets to support the house’s upkeep, make repairs and any major fixes? Will you take care of the house, or have to hire someone to maintain it? Finally, if you live with a spouse or a partner and that person dies, will you be able to manage the house on your own?

If a personal plan isn’t made now, you might regret it when other people are making choices for you.

Do you have a transportation plan? At some point, you will likely have to give up the keys to the car. How will you get around? If you live in a place with adequate buses, subways or taxis, you’ll be able to remain independent.

Taking care of yourself. The idea of not being able to take care of ourselves, is not a happy one. At some point in life we have to accept the fact that we’ll need care. As we age, it takes an effort to enjoy socialization and meals and planned activities become very important. Does that include adult day care, a Continuing Care Retirement Community or assisted living?

Don’t be afraid to look into the future. By thinking about what you want and planning in advance, you are more likely to enjoy your retirement life.

Reference: The Press Enterprise (Aug. 31, 2019) “Aging seniors: Make decisions before someone makes them for you.”

Living Together Isn’t as Simple as You Think

“For couples over 50, living together has a lot of appeal and is on the rise. In fact, the number of unmarried couples who are 50+ shot up 75% between 2007 and 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.”

One reason for the popularity of living together without marriage, is that many in this generation have experienced one or more difficult divorces, so they’re not always willing to remarry, says Next Avenue in the article “The Legal Dangers of Living Together.” However, like many aspects of estate planning, what seems like a simple solution can become quite complex. Unmarried couples can face a variety of problematic and emotionally challenging issues, because estate planning laws are written to favor married couples.

Consider what happens when an unmarried couple does not plan for the possibility of one partner losing the ability to manage his or her health care because of a serious health issue.

If a spouse is rushed to the hospital unconscious and there is no health care power of attorney giving the other spouse the right to make medical decisions on his or her behalf, a husband or wife will likely be permitted to make them anyway.

However, an unmarried couple will not have any right to make medical decisions on behalf of their partner. The hospital is not likely to bend the rules, because if a blood relative of the person challenged the medical facility’s decision, they are wide open to liability issues.

Money is also a problem in the absence of marriage. If one partner becomes incapacitated and estate planning has not been done, without both partners having power of attorney, an illness could upend their life together. If one partner became incapacitated, bank accounts will be frozen, and the well partner will have no right to access any assets. A court action might be required, but what if a family member objects?

Without appropriate advance planning, courts are generally forced to rely on blood kin to take both financial and medical decision-making roles. An unmarried partner would have no rights. If the home was owned by the ill partner, the unmarried partner may find themselves having to find new housing. If the well partner depended upon the ill partner for their support, then they will have also lost their financial security.

Unmarried couples need to execute key estate planning documents, while both are healthy and competent. These documents include a durable power of attorney, a medical power of attorney and a living will, which applies to end of life decisions. A living trust could be used to avoid the problem of finances for the well partner.

Another document needed for unmarried couples: a HIPAA release. HIPAA is a federal health privacy law that prevents medical facilities and health care professionals from sharing a patient’s medical information with anyone not designated on the person’s HIPAA release form. Unmarried couples should ask an estate planning attorney for these forms to be sure they are the most current.

If one of the partners dies, and if there is no will, the estate is known as intestate. Assets are distributed according to the laws of the state, and there is no legal recognition of an unmarried partner. They won’t be legally entitled to inherit any of the assets.

If a married partner dies without a will in a community property state, the surviving spouse is automatically entitled to inherit as much as half the value of the deceased assets.

Beneficiary designations usually control the distribution of assets including life insurance policies, retirement accounts and employer-sponsored group life insurance policies. If the partners have not named each other as beneficiary designations, then the surviving partner will be left with nothing.

The lesson for couples hoping to avoid any legal complications by not getting married, is that they may be creating far more problems than are solved as they age together. An experienced estate planning attorney will be able to make sure that all the correct planning is in place to protect both partners, even without the benefit of marriage.

Reference: Next Avenue (Aug. 28, 2019) “The Legal Dangers of Living Together.”

More Reasons to Review Your Estate Plan

“Talking about illness, death and taxes is not most people’s idea of a good time (except for us estate planners). That being said, there are times in life when it’s time to move updating your estate plan off the ‘to do’ list and on to the ‘done’ list. Here are those times:”

Every estate planning attorney will tell you that they meet with people every day, who sheepishly admit that they’ve been meaning to review their estate plan, but just haven’t gotten to it. Let the guilt go.

Attorneys know that no one wants to talk about death, taxes or illness, says Wicked Local in the article “Five Reasons to Review Your Estate Plan.” However, there are five times when even an appearance before the Queen of England has to come second to reviewing your estate plan.

You have minor children. An estate plan for a couple with young children must do two very important things: address the care and custody of minor children should both parents die and address the management and distribution of the assets that the children will inherit. The will is the estate planning document used to name a guardian for minor children. The guardian is the person who will determine where your children will live and go to school, what kind of health care they receive and make all daily decisions about their care and upbringing.

If you don’t have a will, the court will name a guardian. You may not like the court’s decision. Your children might not like it at all. Having a will takes care of this important decision.

Your estate is worth more than $1 million. While the federal estate plan exemptions currently are at levels that remove federal tax from most people’s estate planning concerns, there are still state estate taxes. Some states have inheritance taxes. Whether you are married or single, if your assets are significant, you need an estate plan that maps out how assets will be left to your heirs and to plan for taxes.

Your last estate plan was created before 2012. There have been numerous changes in state estate tax laws regarding wills, probate and trusts in Massachusetts. This is not the only state that has seen major changes. There have been big changes in federal estate taxes. Strategies that were perfect in the past, may no longer be necessary or as productive because of these changes. While you’re making these changes, don’t forget to deal with digital assets. That includes email accounts, social media, online banking, etc. This will protect your fiduciaries from breaking federal hacking laws that are meant to protect online accounts, even when the person has your username and password.

You have robust retirement plans. Your will and trust do not control all the assets you own at the time of death. The first and foremost controlling element in your asset distribution is the beneficiary designation. Life insurance policies, annuities, and retirement accounts will be paid to the beneficiary named on the account, regardless of what your will says. Part of a comprehensive will review is to review beneficiary designations on each account.

You are worried about long-term care costs. Estate planning does not take place in a vacuum. Your estate plan needs to address issues like your plan, if you or your spouse need care. Do you intend to stay in your home? Are you going to move to live closer to your children, or to a Continuing Care Retirement Community? Do you have long-term insurance in place? Do you want to plan for Medicaid eligibility?

All of these issues need to be considered when reviewing and updating your estate plan. If you’ve never had an estate plan created, this is the time. Put your mind at ease, by getting this off your “to do” list and contact an experienced estate planning attorney.

Reference: Wicked Local (Aug. 29, 2019) “Five Reasons to Review Your Estate Plan”

Why Wills Need to be Updated

“Your will may be the most important document you’ll ever write. The problem is, after many of us draft one, we put it somewhere for safekeeping and don’t look at it again. That can be a big mistake.”

Lives change, and laws change. People come and go in our lives, through birth, death, marriage and divorce. Change is a constant factor in everyone’s lives. If your estate plan doesn’t keep up to date, says Next Avenue in the article “8 Reasons You May Need to Update Your Will,” you could create real problems for those you love. Here are eight reasons why people need to review their wills to ensure that your estate plan reflects your current life.

Moving to a new home. If you’ve moved to a new state since the last time your will was written, your will needs a review. Remember, wills are administered under the laws of the state where you live, so the new state’s laws apply. An out-of-state will could present issues. If the number of witnesses required to make a will valid in your old state of residence was one, but the new state requires two witnesses, your will could be deemed invalid.

Selling one home and buying another. If your will does not reflect your current address, it’s going to be very difficult for your executor to properly transfer ownership or manage the sale of the house. Most wills incorporate specific language about homes that includes the address.

You’ve done a good job of downsizing. Kudos to you for cleaning out and getting rid of unwanted items. If you no longer own things that are itemized in a will, they’ll be skipped over. However, do you want to give heirs something else? Without specific instructions, they won’t know who gets what.

Did you already give away possessions? Avoid family conflicts by being clear about who gets what. If you already gave your oldest daughter an antique dining room set but your will says it goes to the youngest son, things could become awkward. Similarly, if you gave one child something with a higher market or sentimental value than what you gave to another, it could create tension in the family. Updating your will is an opportunity to adjust these gifts.

Charity relationships change. The same organization that mattered greatly to you ten years ago may not have as much meaning—or may have changed its focus. Update your will to reflect the charitable contributions that matter to you now.

Finances change. If a will spells out exact amounts and the money is gone, or if your accounts have increased, those numbers may no longer be accurate or reflect your wishes. The dollar amounts may create a challenge for your executor. What if you designated a gift of stock to someone that wasn’t worth much at the time, but is worth a small fortune now? Amending a will can ensure that your gifts are of the value that you want them to be.

One child is now your primary caregiver. If one child has dedicated the last five years to taking care of you, you may want to update the document to show your gratitude and compensate them for lost earnings or expenses. If you do, explain your reasons for this kind of change to other children, so that there’s no misunderstanding when the will is read.

A beneficiary has passed away. If you are a surviving spouse, that alone may not be reason to update your will, if—and this is a big if—your will included alternate recipients as a plan for this situation. If there were no alternate recipients, then you will need to revise your will after the death of a spouse. If you listed leaving items to a beneficiary who has died, instructions on how to distribute these items or assets to someone else can be done with an amended will.

Your estate planning attorney will be able to review your will and your estate plan with you to determine what items need to be updated. Your documents may need only a tune-up, and not a complete overhaul, but it is advisable to review estate plans every three or four years.

Reference: Next Avenue (August 22, 2019) “8 Reasons You May Need to Update Your Will”

Will a No-Contest Clause Protect Your Estate from Squabbling Kids?

“A No Contest clause is a paragraph that can be included in a Last Will and Testament or a Trust, which makes it clear that anyone who challenges the validity of the document or the way it distributes or manages the assets of the estate will receive less than what the document would have otherwise allowed.”

We may enjoy watching courtroom drama in movies, TV and on stage, but when it comes to our own lives, most people will do just about anything to avoid an estate battle. A “No Contest” provision is an attempt to preclude this and to give anyone who might be thinking about an estate battle a clear message, according to the article “Why courts enforce a ‘No Contest’ clause” from The Daily Sentinel.

The simple answer to the question of “why would a court enforce a No Contest clause” is pretty straightforward. If that’s what you put in the will, that’s what the court wants to have happen.

An estate planning attorney will know the correct wording for your state, but the fundamental message in a No Contest clause is that anyone who attempts to contest or oppose the document will give up their share, lose any right or interest to the estate and will be treated as if they have died before the person who is signing the will.

You can have a will created without a No Contest clause, but if you want to make it very clear how you feel about anyone challenging your will, this is a good way to do it.

As you might imagine, it’s not always so cut and dried. There are limitations that courts need to consider, when they are being asked to enforce this type of clause. The red flag is whether there is “probable cause” to challenge provisions of the will or trust. Simply put, if there is language that either is against the law or against public policy, meaning it encourages behavior that is not legal or desired by our general society, then the court may accept a challenge to the will.

For instance, a provision of a will or trust that would result in discrimination or encourage deceitfulness could be challenged. If the language in the No Contest clause differs markedly from the language in the rest of the document, it could be open to challenge.

For the most part, courts are required to let people decide how they want their assets distributed. For someone who is considering making a statement with their will that may be a bit unconventional or that may not be received well by family members, a No Contest clause will enforce their wishes. It is highly recommended that if this is what someone has in mind, they consult with an estate planning attorney to be sure that their wish will be deemed valid by the court.

As with every part of your estate plan, it’s far better to have an estate plan in place with all your wishes carefully outlined, than to hope that your personal executive has the ability to handle your requests. If your will creates a mutiny, then the executor will bear the brunt of the plan. They’ll need to be fully supported by the law, if controversial wishes are going to stand firm.

Reference: The Daily Sentinel (August 24, 2019) “Why courts enforce a ‘No Contest’ clause”

How Does a Probate Proceeding Work?

“Although most people would not want a court proceeding on death, many people mistakenly think that a will avoids one.”

A Will, also known as Last Will and Testament, is a legal document that is used in probate court, if a person dies with assets that are in their name alone without a surviving joint owner or beneficiary designated, says the Record Online in the article “Anatomy of a probate proceeding.” The probate process proves the will is valid.

Probate is a judicial or court proceeding, where the probate court has jurisdiction over the assets of the person who has died. The court oversees the payment of debts, taxes and probate fees, in addition to supervising distribution of assets to the person’s beneficiaries. The executor of the will is to manage the probate assets and then report to the judge.

Without a will, things get messy. A similar court proceeding takes place, but it is known as an administrative proceeding, and the manager of the estate is called an administrator, and not the executor.

To start the probate proceeding, the executor completes and submits a probate petition with the probate court. Some executors do this on their own, but most hire an estate planning attorney to help. The attorney knows the process, which keeps things moving along.

The probate petition lists the beneficiaries named in the will, plus certain relatives who must, by law, receive legal notice in the mail. Let’s say that someone disinherits a child in their will. That child receives notice and learns they have been disinherited. Beneficiaries and relatives alike must return paperwork to the court stating that they either consent or object to the provisions of the will.

A disinherited child has the right to file objections with the court, and then begin a battle for inheritance that is known as a will contest. This can become protracted and expensive, drawing out the probate process for years. A will contest places all of the assets in the will in limbo. They cannot be distributed unless the court says they can, which may not occur until the will contest is completed.

The will contest can be resolved in two ways: with a settlement between the parties involved, or with a jury trial. It is always possible that the disinherited person could prevail and be awarded any amount of the inheritance, regardless of what the decedent said in their will.

In addition to the expense and time that probate takes, while the process is going on, assets are frozen. Only when the court gives the all clear does the judge issue what are called “Letters Testamentary,” which allows the executor to start the process of distributing funds. They must open an estate account, apply for a taxpayer ID for the account, collect the assets and ultimately, distribute them, as directed in the will to the beneficiaries.

Can a will contest, or probate be avoided? Avoiding probate, or having selected assets taken out of the estate, is one reason that people use trusts as part of their estate plan. Assets can also be placed in joint ownership, and beneficiaries can be added to accounts, so that the asset goes directly to the beneficiary.

By working closely with an estate planning attorney, you’ll have the opportunity to prepare an estate plan that addresses how you want assets to be distributed, which assets may be placed outside of your estate for an easier transfer to beneficiaries and what you can do to avoid a will contest, if there is a disinheritance situation looming.

Reference: Record Online (August 24, 2019) “Anatomy of a probate proceeding”

Three Different Kinds of Power of Attorney

“The durable power of attorney is one of the most effective and important planning tools for medical care and estate planning, since it enables a person (the principal) to delegate certain powers to another (the agent) by means of a written legal document.”

Without a durable power of attorney, helping a family member or loved one who cannot act on their own becomes far more difficult and stressful. Powers of attorney, also known as POA, typically give the agent specific powers to conduct the person’s financial business, explains the Aiken Standard in the article “The durable power of attorney.”

There’s also a healthcare power of attorney, which gives the named person the authority to make medical decisions, usually when the person is not able to do so because of illness or injury.

There are three different powers of attorney: non-durable, springing and durable. A non-durable power of attorney becomes effective immediately upon execution by the person. It remains active until it is either terminated or revoked by the person themselves, the person becomes mentally incapacitated or if the person dies.

The durable power of attorney is in effect from the moment it is executed. It is not revoked if the person becomes incapacitated (hence the term “durable”), nor by the passage of time. The person can alter or terminate a durable power of attorney at any time before there is physical or mental incapacity, however, and it does end when the person dies.

Springing powers of attorney become effective at a future date. They “spring” into power, according to the terms of the document. That may be the occurrence of a particular event, like the person becoming incapacitated or disabled. They can be problematic, as there will be a need to prove that the person has become incapacitated and/or disabled.

The advantage of the durable power of attorney is that it remains in effect even after the person has become impaired. The agent has the ability to act right away. If time is of the essence (i.e., there is an emergency that requires quick action), there is no need to go to court to have the approval to act.

For many people, having a durable power of attorney for financial matters and another, separate document, for medical decisions, is the best way to go. Some states require that these two powers be embodied in two different documents. A local estate planning attorney will know what your state requirements are.

Power of attorney documents should be created and executed, along with a complete estate plan, long before an individual begins having problems in aspects of their lives. When they are signed, it is necessary for the person to have full mental capacity. They have to be able to be “of sound mind.” If they have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, it is necessary that all these documents be prepared as soon as possible. If they lack mental capacity, the will and all related documents are likely to be challenged.

Without a durable power of attorney, family and friends won’t be able to make important financial decisions, pay bills, make healthcare decisions and engage in any kind of Medicaid planning. Anyone who wanted to take on any of these responsibilities would have to go to court and be appointed the person’s guardian. It’s much easier to tackle these tasks in advance, so that the family can act on their loved one’s behalf in a timely and effective manner.

Reference: Aiken Standard (August 24, 2019) “The durable power of attorney”

Nothing is Certain but Death and Taxes

“Most of us have heard the quote from Benjamin Franklin, ‘In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.’”

No one actually enjoys paying taxes, and few of us really want to think about our own death, but both require advance planning and careful consideration, advises Ohio’s Country Journal in the article “Death and Taxes.”

Think about how quickly the year has gone. Doesn’t it feel like only yesterday you were making New Year’s resolutions? Then it was tax season, which for more people is worse than going to the dentist. While we all know we should see our dentist on a regular basis, we also like to forget that we need to tackle our estate plan.

Preparing for taxes and death: neither one is associated with warm, fuzzy feelings, but we still need to plan for it. This is to avoid burdening our families and loved ones. It’s hard enough to grapple with loss and grieving, but to be completely unprepared, makes matters worse for those who are left behind. Here are some suggestions to prepare for these certainties of life.

Have a last will and testament prepared. Work with an estate attorney who is licensed to practice in your state. It doesn’t matter if you have a simple life or a complicated one. You need a will.

Designate a power of attorney. Choose someone you trust to be able to sign important documents and take care of business, if you are unable. It does not have to be a family member. Sometimes a trusted advisor is the best candidate for a POA.

Have a living will prepared and designate a medical power of attorney. Again, choose someone you trust who will make the decisions you want. Talk with them about what you want and put your wishes in the document.

Create a master file and tell someone where important papers can be found. The documents include insurance policies, mortgages, wills, trusts, POA, healthcare POA, information about bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement plans. Don’t leave out contact information for your estate planning attorney, CPA, financial advisor or healthcare providers.

Plan your funeral service. Describe what you would like to happen, in as much detail as you can manage. This will help your family immeasurably, so they won’t be left wondering what you’d want or wouldn’t want. If you plan on being buried, purchase a plot. If you want to be buried with your spouse, purchase two adjoining plots.

Don’t forget digital assets. Make a list of all your digital accounts, usernames and passwords. If possible, name a person to handle your online accounts. Some digital platforms allow you to designate a person to manage your accounts, access your data and close your accounts. Others do not. If you have valuable data online, from business records to family photos, make sure you’ve planned for these assets.

All these items can be updated, as needed. In fact, every three or four years, you should update your estate plan, so that it is current with changing laws and doesn’t miss any opportunities. The same goes for large events in life, including births, deaths, marriage and divorce. Speak with an experienced estate planning attorney to make sure you are ready for the sure thing.

Reference: Ohio’s Country Journal (August 26, 2019) “Death and Taxes”