Start to live your legacy

April 16, 2019

The best place to start planning for your future is to plan for the end.

After working as an accountant in commerce and public practice for many years, I joined the estate planning division of a large accounting firm. The firm had a strong regional focus and was involved in helping many families with their tax and accounting requirements and their estate planning needs. It was during this time that I discovered that estate planning was the cornerstone for establishing financial goals and objectives for the families.
Frequently, the families lacked goals and direction and were busy living and getting by from year to year. It was not until they reflected on why they were building these assets that they established a direction. Questions such as:
  • What family values were important to them?
  • How would their assets be distributed?
  • What legacy would they like to leave their family?

The families had accumulated a myriad of different assets and structures all established for a good reason at the time, more often than not for tax and asset protection purposes. By exploring what it was all for, the intricate web of structures and assets became clear. A new sense of purpose emerged – essentially their Estate Plan.

The first step in establishing your Estate Plan is to explore your own unique family values. Question your values concerning:

Where do your own un-fulfilled dreams lie?

Once these family values are understood, it is then possible to start to prepare your Estate Plan. Estate planning strategies are tailored to suit your circumstances and financial complexity. Putting your estate plan in writing enables you to share it with your family providing them with clarity about what your intentions are, where they fit in, and the chance to discuss anything that concerns them. An Estate Plan also provides you a basis for updating and modifying as your circumstances change and your children get older.
Taking the time to reflect on what you would like to see happen in the future, allows you to focus on your goals and objectives and how you are going to achieve them. With this greater sense of purpose, you can start to:
  • Preserve and maximise assets;
  • Protect yourself and your spouse;
  • Protect your children and other beneficiaries;
  • Achieve your dreams for you and your family.

To establish direction in your life, make a start on or review your Estate Plan Blueprint, please contact me at Everblue Consulting on 0499976058.

General Advice Warning: Any advice on this site is general advice only and does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person. It does not represent legal, tax, or personal advice and should not be relied on as such. You should obtain financial advice relevant to your circumstances before making any decisions.

General Advice Warning: Any advice on this site is general advice only and does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person. It does not represent legal, tax, or personal advice and should not be relied on as such. You should obtain financial advice relevant to your circumstances before making any decisions.