A common question is "what do I need to bring with me to our first appointment?" My video, which you can access on YouTube, will provide an overview of the issues we will discuss when we meet.
In addition, funding Revocable Trusts for probate avoidance and to balance the assets for estate tax purposes often is an important part of the planning. Although a list of assets is not necessary for our first meeting, ultimately it will be important to review the assets’ value and ownership. Therefore, assuming you are married, you may prepare a financial statement listing across the top of the page these three types of ownership:
Mr. Mrs. Joint
Listed down the page will be the assets by general categories. Almost all clients will have real estate (one or more homes); retirement assets (IRA, 401(k), etc); other liquid assets (stocks, mutual funds, bank accounts) and life insurance. In addition, there may be closely held business interests or investment properties.
