According to studies, baby boomers know money isn’t the only important aspect of estate planning. Researchers found baby boomers identified family values as some of the most important things to pass down to heirs.
Do you have family values you wish to pass on to your children, your grandchildren, and even their children? Of course you do. And yet you likely haven’t taken action to ensure the legacy you are leaving is the one you really want to leave behind. Passing down family values, morals and meaningful possessions are all part of a carefully crafted estate plan. Check out this clip on WFMY News 2 about The Remembering Project for a good story about why this matter!
Not only will your legacy be passed down generation to generation, your kids and their kids will all be able to experience the values and worldviews you were raised to know and love! Even when you are no longer around, the family traditions and values will be known, loved, and cherished by your loved ones!
Including family values in your estate plan can be easy, when it’s built into the process, though that is not the norm with most estate planning lawyers or with the DIY legal document services. Consider including written memoirs, video or audio recordings of family stories in your estate plan. These are the valuables most likely to be lost after your death. While your finances will be managed according to estate law, intangible values and lessons have no protection and are most often lost when you die.
Could you imagine how valuable it would be to hear your family history directly in the words of your grandparents, great-grandparents or even earlier generations right now? Or imagine your child or grandchild going through a tough experience without anywhere to turn? They would be able to hear your voice and feel comforted by your knowledge, love, and values which you held to be true.
If you want to pass down a truly holistic legacy, one that manages and preserves both your finances and your family values, start by coming in to meet with us for a Family Wealth Planning Session. Before the session, we’ll send you a Family Wealth Inventory and Assessment to complete that will get you thinking about what you own, what matters most to you and what you want to leave behind. And if you’d like, we can even assist with the legacy interview.
