Here is a list of things that might be important to you. Rate each on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the most important. Take this with you to see your advisors and attorneys. They can help you achieve more of what you want when they know clearly what you want.

Family

• I want my family to get what they need when they need it AND when it is best for me to give. Rate by importance:
  • What they need
  • When they need it
  • When best for me to give
• I want my wealth transfer to occur strategically over time.
• I want to help someone out with college, staying home with their children, retirement savings, starting their own business.
• I want to protect my wealth for future generations.
• It is more important to me that the wealth gets transferred in its entirety than that it gets dispersed quickly, can you tell me about dynasty trusts and other options?
• There are some issues in my family that I want to work around, please give me options for protecting my wealth and my family.

Taxes

• I want to save on taxes—income taxes and estate taxes. Please help me reduce my tax bracket and reduce/eliminate my possible estate taxes.

Giving

• I want to find as much as I can to give to my causes.
• I want to set up a donor advised fund, can you help me do this, where can I do it, and what are the procedures for each?

Planning

• I want to know what I have and what I may need so I can plan accordingly.
• I want to eliminate waste in my finances. (Waste--money lost to taxes, interest, fees, or lost opportunities
• I want to sell my business in the future, AND I want to plan it ahead of time to make the most of that opportunity.
• I want my transfer to be as structurally smart as it is strategic, so I want to make sure that the right asset goes to the right place at the right time.
• I want flexibility in my planning, just in case.
• I want my investing to be aligned with my values, please give me options for socially responsible investing.

Insurance

• I want to eliminate my fears about … such as going into a retirement home…so I want to know what insurance options are available.
• I want to eliminate my concerns about the inheritance I leave behind, so what are my options for a Wealth Replacement Trust?

What else is important to you that you want your advisors to know when planning for you?