Baker’s Dozen of Common Estate Planning Mistakes

  1. Failing to address health care decisions
  2. No plan to control matters during incapacity
  3. No wealth transfer strategy
  4. Failure to plan for estate taxes
  5. Thinking children – minor and adult – don’t need inheritance protection
  6. Failing to transfer “Values” (ethics, incentive trusts, recorded messages)
  7. Not preserving tax deferral benefits of retirement plans
  8. Failing to organize and consolidate (where is everything)
  9. In second marriages, failing to protect your spouse, and your kids
  10. Failing to plan for tangible personal property
  11. Access to medical records – failing to plan for HIPAA
  12. Believing estate planning is a “One-Time Event”
  13. DIY – Do It Yourself estate planning