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A fundamental part of wealth planning is making sure your loved ones are cared for in the unlikely event of a serious illness or death. As a multi‐generational family company, led by the fifth generation of Johnson family entrepreneurs, we take your legacy as seriously as we do our own. Together with your outside advisors we will also work with you to tailor comprehensive fiduciary solutions to settle your affairs or manage finances when you no longer can. You can enjoy peace of mind by assigning the responsibility of maintaining your legacy to our knowledgeable advisors.
Estate Planning & Trustee Services Estate Administration Family Financial Survivorship Guidance
While everyone knows they should plan for the time when they will no longer be around, it is a difficult topic to think about, much less discuss and act on.
If you are one of those, you are not alone. A 2015 survey by CNBC, showed that 38% of individuals with investable assets of $1 million or more have not consulted with a financial professional to establish an estate plan. Among individuals with $5 million or more, 68% were more likely to have a plan, compared to 61% of those with $1 million to $5 million in assets.
Thoughtful, early attention to developing an estate plan can help ensure your finances will be in order for your family and future generations. Having an estate plan in place will:
Johnson Financial Group has professional advisors to assist in helping you develop a plan that fits your needs.
Depending on your family and financial circumstances, you and your spouse might want to work with more than one professional on your estate plan.
Estate planning team – It is not uncommon for estate planning teams to include an estate planning attorney, a tax professional and a financial advisor. If you don't have an estate planning attorney, your Johnson Financial Group relationship manager can assist in recommending an attorney.
Establishing a trust can be an integral part of an estate plan by greatly reducing your tax exposure, providing protection from creditors, and helping to plan for future generations. Despite popular belief, trusts don't have to be rigid or limit your beneficiary's spending. An estate planning attorney will assist you in creating your trust. Our team can recommend a number of attorneys who specialize in Estate Planning. Check out our article on the “Top 5 Issues To Consider When Hiring An Attorney.”
Key benefits of establishing a trust include:
| Provide financial protection for yourself in case of incapacity |
| Provide lifetime financial protection for your loved ones |
| Help structure the transfer of wealth to future generations |
| Balance the financial interests of a spouse or domestic partner and children when you pass |
Depending on the size of their estate, some people rely on friends and family to settle their affairs or manage finances when they no longer can do so. Yet, more and more, delegating those often demanding and complex tasks isn't necessarily a kindness to those you love. Assigning the responsibility to our experienced advisors can eliminate undue stress and help keep more wealth in your family.
As your trustee, we are your fiduciary and are legally responsible for carrying out the terms of your trust exactly as you planned—no biases, just years of experience managing all types of trusts. Depending on your preferences, we can act as sole trustee, co‐trustee or successor trustee.
At Johnson Financial Group, our advisors provide advice for all stages of estate administration to help take the burden off of your loved ones and ensure timely, specific execution of your estate plan. And, because legal requirements and tax issues play a part in that, we'll work with any outside advisors, including attorneys and accountants, to coordinate your total strategy.
Settling an estate is an immense responsibility. The executor you name will need to pay and collect any debts, pay taxes and estate expenses, distribute assets to your loved ones or trusts, and communicate regularly with all of your beneficiaries.
It's not a role you should assign lightly. Naming the appropriate executor is the key to successful estate planning and administration; most often true success means working with an experienced professional.
In addition to our trust services, we offer spousal and family assistance during the difficult post‐death transition as well as the entire estate process. Services include:
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