What Do You Really Need in an Estate Plan?

Estate planning can help you maintain more control over important financial and personal decisions, both during your lifetime and after your death. Host Mark Riepe speaks with Austin Jarvis, director of estate, trust, and high-net-worth tax planning research at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, about what goes into an effective estate plan and the key considerations for getting started. They discuss how wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and other elements can work together to reflect your wishes and protect the people you care about. They also explain why estate planning isn't a one-time task and how changes in your life may signal that it's time to revisit your plan. After you listen:·      Check out the article "Estate Planning: Don’t Let the State Decide" for guidance on putting a plan in place.·      Dig deeper into the essentials with "What Is Estate Planning?" and learn more about the pieces that make up an estate plan.Financial Decoder is an original podcast from Charles Schwab.If you enjoy the show, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts.Reach out to Mark on X @MarkRiepe with your thoughts on the show.Follow Financial Decoder on Spotify to comment on episodes.Important DisclosureThis material is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. The investment strategies mentioned are not suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decisions.For illustrative purposes only. Individual situations will vary and are no guarantee of future performance or success. Not intended to be reflective of results you can expect to achieve and are not intended to be, nor should they be construed as, a recommendation to buy, sell, or continue to hold any investment.All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market, economic or political conditions.Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.The Schwab Center for Financial Research is a division of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.1126-W4TE Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.