Not Your Parent’s Estate Plan

by | Mar 20, 2012 | Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts

Well, I turned another year older a few weeks ago — 42! I love to read and as I get older, I seem to lean towards non-fiction. Especially history. Right now I’m reading a fantastic book, The Fifties by David Halberstam. (You may remember me talking about the first book of his I read, “October 1964” about the Cardinals v. the Yankees World Series.)

The Fifties talks about all the amazing changes that took place after World War II. After the 50’s, the world was never the same. Here’s a short list of important things that happened during that time.

  • McDonald’s started the fast food industry
  • Familes bought their first TV and wachted Milton Berle and I Love Lucy
  • Holiday Inn was founded, making travel much easier for families
  • The first big subdivisions were built and people moved to them in droves
  • Fear of communism was great (McCarthy, The Cold War, Korea)
  • Development of the hydrogen bomb (1000 times more power than WWII A-bomb)

How fast things change in just a couple generations! When I graduated from law school in 1995, I didn’t have a cell phone or an email address. Debit cards have only become common in the last 15 years. Facebook — only been around for 8 years. The first iPhone was released just 5 years ago. Things are still changing fast. What will the world look like for our kids and grandkids?

Some people rely on a basic plan or no plan at all (“it’ll all work out”) just like their parents or grandparents did. But the world has changed a lot and the plan that worked for your parents may not work for you in today’s world.

Let us help you create a plan that WILL work in today’s complicated world. Our process makes it easy. We will guide you step by step along the way, AND we guarantee you’ll be happy. Check out a free workshop or call us at (217) 726-9200 to set up an Initial Meeting. You can also sign up for our weekly e-newsletter about estate planning HERE.