The term "estate planning" encompasses a wide variety of issues. While the term is used to describe sophisticated advice provided by attorneys, accountants, financial planners and life underwriters, in fact it includes much more. Every time a person makes a beneficiary designation on a retirement plan, opens a joint bank account, purchases real estate as tenants by the entirety with a spouse, or signs an organ donor action on the back of a driver's license, they are doing estate planning.

Hereafter, via the links below, follows descriptions of the various considerations which should come into play in estate planning, the choices which are available for retirement plan distributions and a data sheet that can be used for an initial client consultation.