Investing/ investments estate planning

DESIGNED and MANAGED a fee-based financial planning system incorporating investment, fringe benefits, business continuation, and estate planning. 

Invested Assets. These are certificates of deposit of more than one year, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, business interests, partnership interests, mortgages, real estate, annuities, and retirement plans. 

Do you consult other professionals Seldom is one person an expert in everything. Expect an advisor to consult with a CPA, insurance specialist, investment advisor, estate attorney, and a tax attorney in developing a comprehensive plan. 

Death. Life insurance is an important part of an overall financial plan, but see it for what it is. Don t get led into buying life insurance as an investment. Sales commissions and administrative costs run high. In retirement, minimize coverage since you will have other assets to cover living costs for survivors. Look into converting existing whole life policies to paid-up insurance. If you have a policy that pays dividends, consider having the dividend applied to the premium. One insurance feature that is attractive to retired couples is the second-to-die policy. This policy provides cash to help with estate taxes and thus eliminates the need to sell other assets when the estate passes to children. 

What America lacked in banking critical mass it more than made up for in the pension fund area. The US pension system is funded. That is, there are assets to meet the needs of retirees and to pay the future benefits of those still working. This is not to say that the funding is always adequate. Pension plan shortfalls frequently arise, especially during periods of market decline. But there are still huge amounts of cash to be invested in the equity and bond markets, as well as in alternative areas such as real estate. 

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