Estate Planning Services

Going Beyond the Legal Documents

While your trust handles the legal transfer of your assets, Malibu Wealth Planning goes further. We offer a Wealth & Health Guidebook, designed to organize everything else your family needs when the time comes.

This guidebook helps your survivors quickly locate and understand:

• Where your money is kept, including banks and advisors

• Any funeral plans you’ve arranged

• Insurance policies you hold

• Friends or extended family to notify upon your passing

• Personal keepsakes and who should receive them

• Key documents such as deeds, trusts, pink slips, and ID papers

By preparing this information in advance, you save your loved ones from confusion and stress.

Estate planning is a crucial part of financial planning. It ensures your assets go where you intend and protects your loved ones from unnecessary stress. If you have dependents, have been divorced and remarried, or want specific assets to go to certain people, you need an estate plan. Without a plan—especially without a living trust—the state decides who receives your estate through probate, which often leads to delays, legal costs, and family tension.

Understanding Probate and How to Avoid It

Probate happens when no living trust exists. The court steps in to distribute your assets, which may not reflect your wishes. You can avoid this by creating a living trust and placing your assets in its name. Doing so saves time, money, and heartache for your loved ones.

What to Include in Your Trust

Assign ownership of homes, vehicles, and bank accounts to your trust. For IRAs, 401(k)s, life insurance policies, and annuities, name beneficiaries directly, as these accounts operate outside of a trust. If your estate is large, use trust strategies to reduce inheritance tax. Life insurance can also help cover those expenses. And don’t forget to name financial guardians for children under 18.