Carl Watts and Associates

Through our lives, we spend so much time worrying about making a decent living, always with questions like, "Will we have enough for a new house? Can I afford that new car? Can I take that trip I've always wanted to take?"

But the years pass. You've built up an estate, and achieved success. Your focus starts shifting away from taking care of yourself, to ensuring your loved ones are cared for after you're gone. That's what estate planning is all about.

Estate planning requires you to invest your time and effort today to provide for your loved ones in the future. CWA will help you focus on steps you can take to protect and transfer your assets to your heirs, before and after you die.

Estate planning considers gifts, wills, trusts, taxes and other costs of dying so that your assets can be distributed to your heirs to your desires.

Have you ever asked yourself the following questions:

	Do you have a will? Has it been reviewed to make sure that its provisions comply with the most recent tax act?
	PHow will the administrative cost and taxes be paid when you die?
	Who are your beneficiaries, executors, guardians and trustees? Do you have a coordinated plan that specifies their rights and obligations?

We hope that you are in good health and not expecting to be face-to-face with death for decades to come.

Unfortunately, death can strike each of us at any time. It is also true that typically, the younger you are, the greater the likelihood that a loved one such as a spouse or child is depending on you. This will seem difficult to imagine and other issues may seem more urgent right now. It is common to try to put these issues off until some other time. Do not make this mistake. It is dangerous to put off estate planning until tomorrow, because tomorrow may never come. If you love your family, act now.

Estate planning is making the most of what you have, both now and after your death. With CWA help, estate planning allows you to arrange your affairs according to your wishes. You coordinate the use and distribution of your property. And, you can provide for charitable gifts and bequests.

Remember, estate planning is not just for the wealthy. There are complications to avoid, money to save, and people to protect when each of us die. Estate planning is a critical part of your overall personal financial plan.