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Estate & Gift Planning Awareness Month: A Time for Important Conversations
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By: HeirSearch
October is here, and for us at HeirSearch, it’s more than the cozy embrace of Fall; it’s a month where we highlight a critical and often overlooked aspect of financial planning: October is Estate & Gift Planning Awareness Month!
Joining forces with The Financial Awareness Foundation, we’re underscoring the necessity of proactive planning, advocating for financial literacy and awareness to navigate the often complex pathways of estate and gift planning.
Through this partnership, we strive to simplify, educate, and provide valuable resources to legal and financial service professionals and individuals alike, ensuring financial futures are secure and legacies are preserved.
This article will highlight some key themes and challenges associated with estate & gift planning awareness. Let’s dive in!
Addressing a Pressing Social Challenge
Firstly, we must acknowledge that many individuals, both in the U.S. and internationally, are not sufficiently prepared for their financial future. With numerous people facing the fear of outliving their savings and families being encumbered with extensive debts, such as student loans, a significant need to uplift financial literacy has become more critical than ever before.
In the United States alone, we see over 10,000 individuals reaching 65 years of age daily, many of whom face the risk of depleting their funds prematurely. Beyond that, a stark reality looms where more than half of adults lack an updated financial or estate plan, placing undue stress on families, employers, and even governmental structures. The issue extends beyond borders, presenting a global challenge requiring immediate attention.
The Significance of Planning Ahead
Our longstanding partnership with the Financial Awareness Foundation reinforces the shared commitment to enhancing financial awareness and literacy. We’ve observed an unsettling trend since 2019: an uptick in short-term savings at the expense of long-term planning due to economic fluctuations and uncertainties like COVID-19 and The War in Ukraine, broken supply chains, and inflation.
While focusing on immediate financial stability is important, prioritizing comprehensive estate and gift planning ensures the safeguarding of future financial health, even when assets seem minimal or undervalued. A 2023 lens reveals that despite increasing awareness among young Americans post-pandemic, there’s still ample room for enhanced understanding and personal finance education.
Encouraging A Unified Movement
The objective now extends to encourage unified participation from governments, central banks, financial organizations, and more in equipping the general population with the education and tools they need to plan for the future. Aimed at elevating financial awareness and financial literacy, this “Movement” prompts legal and financial service professionals, along with financial product providers across sectors to support their peers and the public. Click here to learn fun and easy ways to join and participate in The Movement.
At HeirSearch, our allegiance to this cause is unwavering. By identifying and locating missing beneficiaries and heirs during probate and offering vital assistance to executors, administrators, and legal professionals, we help legal professionals navigate the complexities of estate planning.
How HeirSearch Helps in Estate & Gift Planning
An integral part of financial health revolves around robust estate and gift planning, which encompasses diverse aspects like inventorying tangible and intangible belongings, frequent beneficiary reviews, and navigating probate laws per state legislation. We at HeirSearch remain steadfast in underscoring the pivotal nature of estate planning in safeguarding against financial risks that could impact your loved ones.
Remember: sound financial planning is a gift to your future self and your loved ones.
Let’s make it count, especially this October by celebrating Estate & Gift Planning Awareness Month.
Do You Need Help Establishing Heirship for Probate or Trust Termination Purposes?
If you’re a legal professional facing the challenge of locating a missing heir or beneficiary in an estate or trust matter, HeirSearch can help.
Our professional researchers identify and locate missing or unknown beneficiaries and heirs for probate and trust termination. We work with executors, administrators, trustees, fiduciaries, bank and trust officers, and their counsel to establish kinship and identify shareholders for legal purposes.
Since 1967, we’ve completed tens of thousands of worldwide searches. And we proudly offer no-cost, no-obligation consultations, court-ready reports, and reasonable, non-percentage-based fees.
Feel free to reach out with any questions — we look forward to connecting!
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