New WealthCounsel study released:
Yet according to WealthCounsel’s inaugural Estate Planning Awareness Survey, only a bit more than half of Americans have a will (i.e., 40%) or trust (17%) in place, meaning that many are not properly protecting themselves and their families.
Only 17% with a trust? That’s nuts! Everyone needs a trust of some type to fully protect their family. For wealthier families or for example families with guns, special needs, or ERISA retirement plans, comprehensive planning may mean multiple trusts and perhaps an LLC or two. For low income families with few assets, a basic foundational estate plan with a revocable trust at the center may be all that is necessary.
Perhaps the scariest fact uncovered by WealthCounsel’s study is that 40% of Americans have a stupid will-based estate plan. I call such plans “stupid” because they needlessly give up important benefits of comprehensive estate planning, available only with trust planning. What’s scary is that these people are lulled into believing they actually have an estate plan protecting their family.
To learn more about what comprehensive estate planning can do for your family, take our free online course, or attend the free seminar at our office, or if ready now schedule a free, no cost, no obligation, two-hour design meeting.
