Attention loving and caring parents: If you have an adult child who does not have a rock solid estate plan like you do, then I have an answer to the question “What can we get the kids for the holidays?”  Give them the most unique and important gift you can - their own estate plan! Now before you dismiss this as being downright crazy, consider this…

You prepared your estate plan because you wanted to:

• Protect the assets you’ve worked a lifetime to acquire – cash, real estate, securities, business interests, life insurance, pension, etc.

• Hand down everything you own to the people you choose – without interference from courts, creditors, relatives or the IRS.

• Beat the estate tax no matter how big your estate is – even if it’s not covered by the estate tax exemption.

• Pass on more than just your money!

• And for many other important reasons as well.

Do you remember the peace of mind you had, after your estate plan was in place? Well, you can give the gift of that same peace of mind to your children as well. Maybe you’ve talked to your kids about the importance of having an estate plan in place but they “just haven’t gotten around to it” yet. (You know how kids are these days.)  Now you have the opportunity to take care of it for them - so you can stop worrying.

Listen: You are leaving your children an inheritance to help them be financially secure while still encouraging them to succeed on their own. And you did the right thing by putting in place an estate plan that was designed for this purpose. But unless your children have their own up to date estate plan, there’s a good chance your efforts could be diminished. Without an updated estate plan in place, your kids’ assets (possibly including what you leave to them) would be trapped in the court process, could even be subject to estate taxes and if you have grandchildren and legal guardians have not been named, you could find yourself in Court against your in-laws, fighting for custody and control.

By giving the gift of an estate plan to your son or daughter, you are contributing to the overall growth and preservation of your family’s wealth. At a time like this, what could be more important?

Here’s how this works… After you give your child the Estate Planning Gift Of Love (I’ll tell you more about that in just a minute), your child or your child and their spouse will come into my office for a Family Wealth Planning Session. During this Planning Session, they will:

• Get Their Financial House in Order and Keep it that Way;

• Ensure Their Kids (& Spouse) Are Prepared for Life Without Them;

• Legally Avoid ALL Estate Taxes & Keep Their Family (Including You!) Out of Court If Anything Happens;

• Learn the Secret to Protecting Their Kids’ Inheritance From Lawsuits and Divorce (By the Way, If Your Plan is Not Set Up to Protect Your Kids’ Inheritance, Contact me!);

• Leave Their Loved Ones a Gift Far Greater Than All the Money in the World;

• And, If You Have Grandchildren, Choose the Right Guardians for Their Kids and Avoid Making any of the Six Common Mistakes Most Parents Make When Choosing Guardians.

(Keep in mind that your children might think they don’t need this, but obviously you know that they do.  They may also think they have it all taken care of, but sadly in most cases people think it’s all taken care of, and it’s not.)

I understand the Estate Planning Gift Of Love is a very unique present to give to an adult child.  It’s also one that will make a lasting impression. And while traditional gifts are fine, the Estate Planning Gift Of Love is the only gift that keeps on giving for generations to come.

Imagine the looks of surprise, respect and maybe even a little bit of envy, on your friend’s faces when they ask you, “So what did you get your kid for the holidays?” And you reply, “I gave them a gift that will protect our family for generations. I bought them their very own estate plan.”

Call our office and give the gift of love. It sure beats fighting the crowds at the mall and this gift truly says, “I love you and care for you now and forever.”

PS: As always, if there is anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.

PPS: Do you have more than one child you’d like to give an Estate Planning Gift Of Love to? If so, please ask us about our special family rate.

Tags: Children, Estate Planning, Estate Tax

This entry was posted on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 7:46 pm and is filed under Estate Planning, Trusts. Follow comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.