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January 28 is International LEGO day. Since the 1940s, people have been creating their own worlds, brick by brick, with LEGOs. With an estate plan, you can help your loved ones build a great future. Make your estate plan as specific as you want by providing step-by-step instructions for how you want them to honor your legacy. Or give them the resources to bring their vision to life, no strings attached. An estate plan—like LEGOs—makes a great gift that can be enjoyed by generations to come. 

A testamentary trust provides an alternative to a direct bequest under a Will. You may choose to direct in your Will that all accounts and property owned by you in your sole name without beneficiary designations be transferred to a trust upon your death. Unlike a revocable living trust, the testamentary trust is created at your death, and ownership of your accounts and property are transferred to the trust through the probate process.

An estate plan is a living set of documents that should be regularly reviewed and updated. Even if you are vigilant about changing your estate plan over time, there may be aspects that you have missed, such as beneficiary designations for retirement accounts or life insurance policies.

Estate plans need to be regularly updated to reflect changes in your life and the law so they can do what you want them to do. Outdated estate plans, like outdated resumes, simply do not work.

it is important for your estate plan to get a regular check up to address changes in your life circumstances or in the law to ensure that optimal plans are in place to provide for you and your family's future needs before any problems arise. Like an undetected medical condition, an out-of-date estate plan can have devastating, unintended consequences.

When you decide to create a comprehensive estate plan, consider whether to tell your loved ones about your plan. Estate planning can be a complex and sensitive matter, so your choice may depend on your unique relationships with loved ones and your family dynamics. Sharing your estate plan with your loved ones can compromise the privacy of your financial and personal information. Some people prefer to keep these matters private, especially when it comes to distributions of significant amounts of money or property. There are advantages and disadvantages to revealing private information about your estate plan. You can choose to communicate details relevant to specific individuals or offer a broader explanation to everyone involved.

About two out of three Americans will die without a will. This is known as dying intestate. While the reasons for not having a will vary, the end result is the same for everyone: they do not get to choose who receives their property when they die. Instead, their money and property are distribute...

You can create your estate plan at any time, but many people choose to begin the process sooner rather than later. Why? Because you never know when life-changing medical or financial emergencies can strike that will require someone else to manage your affairs during your lifetime.