Do you want to leave something? How much? To whom?

Some people want to leave as much as they can to their kids. Some say the kids are on their own and they intend to spend every dollar. Plenty want to leave something to a church, a grandchild's education or a cause. There is no wrong answer, but there is a wrong way to get there, and that is by never deciding and letting the tax code decide for you.

Once you know what you want, the tools follow. Life insurance can turn a taxable account into a tax free inheritance. A Roth conversion schedule can do the same over time. Beneficiary designations, titling and the order accounts are drawn down all matter, and they are all things Jim reviews with you every year.

"What if I get sick?"

Jim hears this constantly, and for good reason. A long hospital stay or a move into a care facility is the single event most likely to drain a retirement account in a hurry, and it usually arrives after the market risk has been dealt with and everyone has relaxed. Protection for a long term care need is built into the plan from the beginning, so a health event is a hard year for the family and not a financial catastrophe.

"People buy out of pain, not pleasure. If you're afraid of something, you want to fix it. Our job is to fix it before it happens."

Protecting the plan for a spouse.

Most husbands assume they will go first, and most of the men Jim meets are more worried about their wife's security than their own. The income plan is built to continue for the surviving spouse, the care protection covers both, and the legacy piece is written down so nobody has to guess.

Working with your attorney and CPA.

Jim does not replace your estate attorney or your accountant. He coordinates with them, joins the meeting when beneficiary designations or a trust need to line up with the plan, and sends a written summary afterward so everyone is working from the same page.