Taxation & Estate Planning

When people think about their estate plan or their will, they commonly think about dividing up their things among the people who will survive them. How many people stop to consider what else they want to leave behind - memories, lessons, values and other priceless intangibles. 

Some people will write a legacy letter to their family members to be kept with the will, and read at their death.  Many clients find it helpful to write these letters at different stages of life - a birth, a marriage, a divorce, a health change - and find that writing these letters helps with the transitions. 

Legacy letters, also called ethical wills, can be kept with your attorney or other trusted adviser, and will be cherished by your family long after any inheritance is spent. 

For help in writing an ethical will, there are several books such as The Wealth of Your Life; A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Your Ethical Will

See also, article in Investment News, Passing on More Than Just Money.