Estate Planning

We believe our clients are never too young to begin thinking about their unique legacy and how to craft their estate plan. At Brunette & Associates, we consider an estate plan to be an integral part of any ongoing financial planning process .

Insightful estate planning transcends money—it reflects values. While your wishes and dreams may involve using your financial assets to help secure the financial future of family members, you may choose to support other causes close to your heart. This might reflect the choices you historically made for your favorite charities, community organizations, places of worship, non-profits, or arts organizations.

Elements of a comprehensive estate plan can include:

• A will. This lets you specify your wishes in terms of distribution of property and assets, naming an administrator of your estate, and identifying who will care for any minor children.
• A trust. This holds your assets for the benefit of one or more people – for instance you, your spouse, or your children. You’ll need an attorney’s assistance to create a trust.
• Life insurance. This portion of estate planning assures proceeds are paid to a named beneficiary at the time of your death.
• Gifts. These are transfers of property made during your life to family, friends, or charity.
• Tax exclusions. These can be important estate planning tools; however, always consult your tax professional for details.

After carefully reflecting on your dreams and priorities and taking into account the needs of family members you want to provide for, Brunette & Associates can embark on designing a legacy consistent with the values of your life. It is often a complex and personal process, but well worth the effort for posterity.

Among many factors, we take into consideration:

• Current income and likely future income
• Annual expenses
• Current assets and debts
• Tax implications of federal transfer taxes, state death taxes, and federal income taxes

Further, we think it important to revisit your estate plan on a regular basis – especially when significant life events occur.

Brunette & Associates will assist your attorney to help you develop an Estate Plan designed to provide a lasting legacy in harmony with the things that are important to you.

^{*Estate Planning services are not offered through First Allied Securities, Inc.}