One of the most difficult parts about successful estate planning is that countless myths persist about how to plan for your future. One of these misconceptions is that young people do not need estate plans. Another common misconception is that once you create an estate plan, there is no need to revise. In reality, the best approach is to create an estate plan early on in life and then to revise or add to that estate plan as time passes. This is because, like or not, emergencies do happen and everyone can benefit from the existence of an estate plan. As a result, this article reviews what a good estate plan should include for some various ages as well as the risks presented to estate plans during each phase of a person’s life.
# 1 – College Age
While you still need one, during this phase of life your estate plan can remain relatively simple and include only critical documents like durable powers of attorney and a will. Each year, countless young people end up in tragic accidents that force their parents or loved ones to make caregiving decisions. Having a power of attorney in place helps to avoid uncertainties about how healthcare or financial decisions for you will be made. Regardless of value, if you have any assets, you should also address how these belongings will be transferred in a will.