Do As I Say, Not As I Do - Estate Planning Edition

Estate Planning

Estate planning was always on my to-do list - until a trip to France made me realize just how urgent it was. Here’s why I finally took action (and why you should too).

I have a confession to make. I’ve been a mom since 2021, and I just finished my estate plan.

As a financial expert, I’ve always known how important it is, and it’s something I regularly coach my clients on. But my husband and I weren’t on the same page when it came to the cost versus the value of putting one together. So, despite knowing better, I kept putting it off.

Then, last October, I had a moment of panic. We took a trip to France with our then 3 year old daughter and 8 month old son. My in-laws watched the kids while my husband and I drove six hours south for a friend’s wedding. And that’s when it hit me. We didn’t even have a basic will.

What would happen if we were in a car crash? Our families had no idea what our wishes were or even what assets we had. It would have been a nightmare, figuring out who would get custody of our children, tracking down accounts, and making sense of everything in an already emotional time.

When we got home, I told my husband, we’re doing this. And he knew I meant business.

It took a few months (thanks, holidays!), but we finally completed our estate plan. Now, I feel so much more secure knowing that if something happens to us, our children will be cared for the way we want, and our assets are structured to transfer smoothly while minimizing estate taxes.

If you’ve been putting off estate planning, you’re not alone. Life gets busy, and it’s easy to push it aside. But what matters is getting it done. If you need help figuring out where to start, reach out - I’d love to help.