An effective estate plan considers two areas - the financial component and the administrative component. The financial component deals with the assets that you have and whether they will be sufficient to provide for your beneficiaries once they are distributed. The administrative component addresses how your assets are distributed. It is the part of the estate planning process that deals with wills, powers of attorney, trusts and other means to distribute and manage assets.

There are very few professionals who can provide you with all the products and services that you need to complete an estate plan. Accountants, lawyers and your ScotiaMcLeod Investment advisor all play a role. To give you general information on estate planning and some of the issues you need to consider, ScotiaMcLeod offers our Practical Perspectives on Estate Planning Handbook. The handbook covers topics such as the estate planning process, powers of attorney, taxes at death, probate fees and a getting started worksheet.

Most people want to pass on as much as they can to their beneficiaries. A proper estate plan ensures that your assets are distributed in the way that you want.

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