Don’t Leave Your Plan Just Sitting on a Shelf
You’ve done something most people never get around to doing. You actually set up your estate plan. You thought it through, signed the documents, and made sure your family would be taken care of.
That’s a big step.
But the truth is, an estate plan that never gets updated slowly drifts out of sync with your life.
Life Changes. Your Plan Should, Too.
Families grow and change. Laws evolve. New assets get added, old ones get sold. What made perfect sense five years ago could create problems today if something happened to you.
I’ve seen trusts written years ago that no longer reflect the family’s situation, or worse, assets that were supposed to be in the trust but never got transferred. The result? The estate plan doesn’t work as intended, and the family ends up in court anyway.
That’s not what anyone wants.
Trust Funding: The Most Overlooked Step
If you have a revocable living trust, you’ve heard me say it before: your trust only controls what’s actually titled in it. Opening new accounts, buying property, or moving investments without updating ownership or beneficiary designations can unravel the plan you worked so hard to build.
Keeping your trust properly funded isn’t a one-time project—it’s ongoing maintenance. And like most maintenance, it’s far cheaper and easier to keep up with it regularly than to fix things later.
The Value of an Annual Check-In
Each year, I meet with clients who are convinced nothing has changed—until we start talking. Maybe a child got married, a parent passed away, or a retirement account was rolled over. Suddenly, the “same old plan” doesn’t fit quite right anymore.
That’s why our office created a simple way to make these check-ins part of the process instead of an afterthought.
For $197 a year—the cost of a single meeting—you get a full Annual Review (normally $125 by itself), plus ongoing updates and access to several of our Plain English Attorney online courses. It’s not about adding more legal steps; it’s about keeping your plan effective and your family protected without breaking the bank.
Staying Informed Without Getting Overwhelmed
No one wants to spend their free time reading through court rulings or tax law changes. That’s why our office keeps clients informed through planning alerts and video updates—explaining in plain English what matters, what doesn’t, and what steps to take next.
You don’t have to do it alone. You just have to stay engaged.
Peace of Mind Comes From Preparation
When your documents are current, your trust is funded, and your family knows what to expect, you can move forward confidently. That’s real peace of mind—not just a binder on a shelf.
If it’s been more than a year since you reviewed your plan or checked your trust funding, it’s time for a tune-up. You’ve already done the hard part by putting your plan in place. Now it’s about keeping it working.
Next Step:
Our Peace of Mind Plan helps clients stay current year after year for just $197 annually. To learn more or schedule your review, visit www.PeaceOfMindProgram.com.