Estate planning provides some ability to minimize the obstacles that loved ones might encounter in the event of an unexpected death such as:
- Fear of losing your money by erosion of capital that might come about with poor investments.
- Delays during the settling an estate can be a lengthy process.
- Legal and accountancy costs, probate fees, and taxes.
- Potential liabilities for Executors and Trustees in Ontario re the new administration of probate/EAT in 2013.
- Lost privacy due to your will becoming public during the probate process.
- Ability of your beneficiaries to handle money as some children are less capable than others of handling large amounts of money
How can the use of Segregated Funds and Term Funds help?
- Ability to invest in diversified funds that have professional money management to help your clients preserve their capital.
- Segregated funds and Term funds with named beneficiaries can avoid probate, making payout quicker.
- By avoiding probate, your wishes are kept private.
- There are excellent estate planning concepts such as the Gradual Inheritance concept that can help you better plan the allocation of money to your children (eg., buying an annuity or deferring payout until the child turns a certain age)