Estate Planning – Don’t Overlook it!

If you have been following our recent blog postings, you may have noticed we have been focusing heavily on the investment management side of our business. However, comprehensive financial planning involves a wide variety of topics. Our following few blogs will primarily target estate planning topics that the general public is typically unaware of. It is our personal opinion that estate planning is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of financial planning.

To start, we will be discussing the differences between Per Capita and Per Stirpes beneficiary designations. This is the first layer of estate planning that many individuals come across. These beneficiary designations are most commonly found within life insurance policies and retirement savings accounts.

 

Per Capita Designation – What’s it Mean?

In terms of estate planning, this means that every surviving heir will receive their appropriate share. However, if an heir has children and the heir passes away, those children will not receive their parent’s share instead, it will be divided among the surviving heirs.

Suppose Bob has three children and Alice and Charles also each have children of their own. If Alice passes away before Bob, her children will not receive anything. The inheritance will be split among Bob and Charles only. The major downside to Per Capita is that you may unintentionally disinherit your grandchildren should any of your children predecease you.

 

Beneficiary Breakdown Infographic

 

Per Stirpes Designation – How’s it Different?

In terms of estate planning, this means that every heir will receive their appropriate share, regardless of whether or not they are still alive. If an heir has children and the heir passes away, those children will receive their parent’s share instead.

Suppose Bob has three children and Alice and Charles each have children of their own. If Alice passes away before Bob, her children will receive the share she was entitled to under a Per Stirpes designation. David, Kat, and Sadie will all split Alice’s 1/3 inheritance. The major downside to Per Stirpes is that assets may unintentionally be passed to a younger generation if a parent wants to focus on helping their children instead of grandchildren.

Lastly, we always urge individuals and families to ensure their beneficiary designations are up-to-date and labeled appropriately. If possible, contingent beneficiaries should also be listed just in case the primary recipient predeceases or simultaneously decreases the original owner. It is always a great idea to have a backup beneficiary.

 

Have Any Questions?

If you have any questions about taxes, your individual investment portfolio, our 401(k)-recommendation service, or anything else, please call our office at (586) 226-2100.

Please feel free to forward this commentary to a friend, family member, or co-worker. If you have had any changes to your income, job, family, health insurance, risk tolerance, or overall financial situation, please call us so we can discuss it.

We hope you learned something today. If you have any feedback or suggestions, we would love to hear them.

Best Regards,

Zachary A. Bachner, CFP®

with contributions from Robert Wink, Kenneth Wink, and James Wink

After graduating from Central Michigan University in 2017 with specialized degrees in Finance and Personal Financial Planning, Zachary Bachner set himself apart by earning the CFP® designation. Zachary now writes articles aimed at helping everyday people understand complex financial topics. He focuses on explaining financial planning concepts and strategies in clear, simple terms.