Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning

ARE YOUR WILLS, TRUST, AND ESTATE PLANNING HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR FINANCIAL LEGACY?

EP Wealth Advisors Helps Build Your Estate Plan by Focusing on the Wishes You Want Fulfilled

Your EP Wealth Advisor is with you every step of the way to develop an estate plan that is integrated with your wealth management goals. As your financial quarterback, we coordinate and plan for all your estate plan needs, from trust considerations and legal documents such as wills and powers of attorney, to planning for specific goals like charitable giving, caring for special needs family members and coordinating our insights and advice with your outside estate attorney, or professionally managing the distribution of your estate with EP Wealth Private Trust.

WHAT IS ESTATE PLANNING?

How a Financial Advisor Can Help Plan Your Estate

Estate planning is all about leaving the financial legacy you want to those that are most important to you. Regardless of how much money you have, a solid estate plan helps you define your legacy goals, whether it’s providing for your family’s future, supporting a cause you’re passionate about, or another personal dream. We work with you to determine the best way to preserve, manage, and distribute your assets during your life and after death, including providing gifts and bequests to your heirs, while minimizing your estate taxes.

We can also help you plan financially for the unexpected should you be unable to make financial and medical decisions for yourself. For example, your estate plan should include advanced healthcare directives and a healthcare proxy so that, if you become incapacitated, someone you trust can make medical decisions as per your wishes. Should you die before your children reach age 18, you can name a guardian in your estate plan if their other parent cannot care for them.

FULFILL YOUR LEGACY WITH AN ESTATE PLAN

An Estate Planning Process That Captures Your Unique Legacy Needs

A well-designed estate plan gives you peace of mind by addressing your concerns and providing important benefits:

Ensure accurate and timely distribution of assets: Without a will and an estate plan, your assets may be subject to the court's decisions and may involve a potentially lengthy process known as probate.
Maintain privacy: Avoiding probate means that your assets and distribution do not become public record.
Protect your assets: If you are no longer there or unable to speak for yourself, your wishes will have been legally recorded.
Reduce potential taxes: Utilizing appropriate insurance, gifting, and asset transfer strategies can help reduce the impact of taxes on your estate.

DISCOVER

CREATE

IMPLEMENT

MONITOR

Your estate attorney will prepare your estate plan documents (should you need one, referrals are available upon request)^*
We follow up with you and your attorney to check on the progress of your plan and assist as needed.
Once your plan has been executed, digital copies of your estate planning documents can be stored in your EP Wealth Personal Financial website vault for ease of future access.

We follow up with you and your attorney to check on the progress of your plan and assist as needed.
Your estate attorney will prepare your estate plan documents (should you need one, referrals are available upon request)^*
Once your plan has been executed, digital copies of your estate planning documents can be stored in your EP Wealth Personal Financial website vault for ease of future access.

Once your plan has been executed, digital copies of your estate planning documents can be stored in your EP Wealth Personal Financial website vault for ease of future access.
Your estate attorney will prepare your estate plan documents (should you need one, referrals are available upon request)^*
We follow up with you and your attorney to check on the progress of your plan and assist as needed.

Your estate attorney will prepare your estate plan documents (should you need one, referrals are available upon request)^*
We follow up with you and your attorney to check on the progress of your plan and assist as needed.
Once your plan has been executed, digital copies of your estate planning documents can be stored in your EP Wealth Personal Financial website vault for ease of future access.

*EP Wealth Advisors is not in the business of providing legal analysis or advice. Please consult an attorney regarding all legal matters. Referred attorneys do not engage in estate-related litigation and are not employees, partners, or agents of EP Wealth Advisors.

CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE ESTATE PLAN

Why a Financial Planner is a Key Player in the Estate Planning Process

Along with your attorney, accountant, and other professionals such as a life insurance specialist, a financial advisor can prove to be a key team member when it comes to creating your estate plan.

As a first step, EP Wealth advisors will provide a one-on-one financial health assessment to determine the overall state of your finances. Our comprehensive estate planning services include a review of a wide range of topics, including:

Revocable Living Trusts
Pour Over Wills
Durable Powers of Attorney

Advanced Health Care Directive or Living Will (depending on the state)
Certificates of Trust
Real Estate Transfers

Life Insurance Trusts
Minor's Trusts
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Special Needs Trusts
EP Wealth Private Trust

ESTATE PLANNING IS PART
OF FINANCIAL PLANNING

EP Wealth Can Help You Integrate Your Estate Plan into Your Long-Term Financial Strategy

Estate planning should protect your assets. It can reduce the tax impact on your assets once you have departed. By creating a living trust as part of your estate plan, you can keep your estate from going through the probate process. This maintains your privacy and that of your heirs. Asset protection planning can help keep your property out of the hands of creditors.

At EP Wealth Advisors, we offer tax planning services that are key to estate planning, including potentially minimizing any tax burden for your heirs. Click here for more financial education resources and to learn about other life transition planning services.

WHO WILL CARRY OUT YOUR WISHES

EP Wealth Private Trust Is a Fiduciary Who Will Manage The Distribution of Assets in Your Trust

Many people choose a trusted friend, family member, or associate to act as the trustee of their estate – this is known as being an individual trustee. While this arrangement may work for some, there are times to consider choosing a corporate trustee to manage the distribution of assets. During this potentially stressful time, a corporate trustee, like EP Wealth Private Trust, can relieve a family’s burden, help maintain family unity, or steward the assets over a long period of time as stipulated in the trust. A corporate trustee is a fiduciary whose only obligation is to execute the trust as it is designed.

IS YOUR ESTATE PLAN IN ORDER?

Learn What Boxes to Tick to Get Your Legacy Affairs Taken Care of

Many people have a will, which is vitally important, but they may not have made decisions about how their wealth will be managed after they're gone. Your estate plan is in order if you have made a last will and testament and named a trusted executor, as well as:

Made an inventory of all assets held solely in your name.
Collected documents showing asset ownership.
Considered whether a living trust suits your needs.
Made arrangements for your digital assets.
Prepared for any estate tax obligations.

EP Wealth Advisors can answer general estate inquiries, and conduct estate plan reviews. EP Wealth Advisors does not provide legal advice or analysis. We coordinate our insights and advice with your outside estate attorney. For any legal matters, you must consult an attorney. We can refer you to estate planning attorneys upon request. Referred attorneys do not engage in estate-related litigation and are not employees, agents, or partners of EP Wealth Advisors.

HOW MUCH DOES ESTATE PLANNING COST?

Your EP Wealth Advisor Can Talk You Through the Full Range of Our Services

EP Wealth Advisors may cover some or all of the costs of preparation of foundational estate planning documents for select clients when using one of the independent attorneys we have contracted with for estate plans. Estate planning services are offered exclusively to those receiving fee-based wealth management. These estate planning services are not available to hourly-only clients. Available estate planning services are driven by the amount of assets under management, as well as the attorney hours required, which may vary with the complexity of the assets and objectives involved. Your EP Wealth Advisor can provide details.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I UPDATE MY
ESTATE PLAN?

Your Financial Advisor Is Here to Help You Adjust to Life Changes

Estate plans are not set in stone. When life changes occur, your estate plan will require updating. We recommend reviewing your estate plan at least every five years, or whenever a major life shift unfolds, such as:

Death of a spouse or beneficiary
Marriage

Divorce
A new child
Tax law changes

Significant asset changes
Relocation

Contact EP Wealth Advisors today to connect with a trust and will advisor and schedule a financial portfolio review.

Disclosures:

EP Wealth Advisors, LLC is a Trust Representative Office of National Advisors Trust Company (NATC) and National Advisors Trust of South Dakota Inc. (NATSD) doing business as EP Wealth Private Trust.

All services described herein will be exclusively furnished by NAT doing business as EP Wealth Private Trust. Clients of EPWA who may benefit from the services described herein will be referred to NAT doing business as EP Wealth Private Trust.

EPWA is not a Trust Company and is not in the business of delivering trust services to any of its clients. Clients of EPWA that elect to hire EP Wealth Private Trust will do so using their individual discretion and assuming all risks of that decision. EPWA makes no representations or warranties as to the suitability, performance, or satisfaction of the services offered by or satisfaction of the services offered by NAT doing business as EP Wealth Private Trust.

Private Trustee services are delivered exclusively by National Trust Company doing business as EP Wealth Private Trust ("NAT"). Each EP Wealth Advisors client that elects to engage NAT for these services must enter into a separate servicing agreement with NAT that specifies services that will be delivered and the fees that will be charged by NAT. EP Wealth Advisors is not a Trust Company, is not in the business of serving as a trustee or providing trustee services.

National Advisor Trust (“NAT”), and any of its subsidiary businesses including any of its DBAs, is an independent entity and in no way under common ownership, control or otherwise affiliated with EP Wealth Advisors, LLC (“EPWA”). All services described herein will be exclusively furnished by NAT Doing Business As (“DBA”) EP Wealth Private Trust. Clients of EPWA will be referred to NAT DBA EP Wealth Private Trust if it is believed that the Trust Services offered by this entity can be of value to clients of EPWA. These clients will meet with NAT DBA EP Wealth Private Trust and would be presented with their service agreement. Clients of EPWA would independently review NAT’s Service Agreement and determine if they would like to engage them for their Trustee Services. EPWA is not a Trust Company and is not in the business of delivering Trustee Services to any of its clients. Clients of EPWA that elect to hire NAT will do so using their individual discretion and assuming all risks of that decision. EPWA makes no representations, guarantees or warranties to the suitability, performance, or satisfaction with the services offered by NAT.

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