No one likes to plan for his or her death, but it’ll happen to all of us, says The Reading Eagle Business Weekly in the article “Make a will, plan for distribution of assets.”

You can pass your wealth to anyone you want, but state and/or federal taxes may be due on these transfers. The rules are also complex, and if you die without a will, the state laws of intestacy may say who gets your wealth.

Most folks make the mistake of signing their wills and life insurance policies, then putting them in files and forgetting about them. These documents and your intentions will become out-of-date. It’s not uncommon for a decedent to have been divorced for five years when they die, but the ex-spouse still inherits all of his or her assets. Why? Because the ex’s name is still in the will or is listed as the beneficiary of the life insurance policy. This happens more frequently than you might think.

Probate?

Probate versus non-probate assets is one of the most misunderstood concepts in estate planning. Probate is the process that deals with proving a will's validity by filing it in court. The will names an executor who is responsible for fulfilling its terms. The estate assets are identified and valued, then given to the individuals named in the will.

There are also non-probate assets that are transferred by operation of law. They specifically include accounts with beneficiary designations like IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions, retirement accounts, life insurance, annuities and transfer-on-death accounts. These non-probate assets supersede what’s written in the will. The beneficiary designations control them.

Do you have a will? When was the last time you reviewed it?

You should hire an experienced estate planning attorney to help structure an estate plan for both your will and beneficiary designations to allow for the efficient transfer of your assets.

Reference: Reading (PA) Eagle Business Weekly (January 17, 2017) “Make a will, plan for distribution of assets.”