Just having an estate plan isn’t enough. It must also be up to date.
An article on Money says it should be reviewed every five years.
Here are three areas to keep in mind:
- Update existing documents, including health care advance directive, durable power of attorney, wills and/or trusts, to see if it is time for an update. If you’ve moved to a different state, bought property in another state or if your assets have increased significantly in value, your estate plan should be updated. Health issues can also be a reason for an update.
- Check your life insurance coverage. Life changes may require an update.
- Review your assets. You may want to split up ownership of your assets with your spouse to lower taxes. If you have a trust, you probably want to put ownership of your assets into that trust.
