Wills

"Estate Folders"

An estate folder is a folder that you can (and should) create to help your loved ones after your death. It's essentially a folder outlining your assets, debts, and bills, enabling your survivors to handle your estate much more quickly and easily. Specifically, this is to help them terminate all accounts in your name, pay any outstanding debts you have, and collect all of your assets so that your estate can be handled properly. Additionally, it's a useful tool to take stock of your circumstances in terms of budgeting and planning for the future. 

Do I need an estate plan?

In short - yes. Some people think an estate plan means an intricate series of intricate trusts and closely held corporations used for tax avoidance. While that can be part of an estate plan, that's not what most people need - if you and your spouse's total assets are worth less than $10.9 (2016) million, you won't need anything like that to avoid paying estate taxes. 

For most people, an estate plan consists of 3 documents - a will, a financial power of attorney, and an advance directive.