Estate planning checklist

We'll walk you through how to create and formalize your estate plan with our 4-step estate planning checklist.

Take inventory

• List the value of your home and other real estate along with cars, jewelry, artwork, and other physical assets.
• Gather recent statements from your bank, brokerage, and retirement accounts.
• Include the location and contents of any safety deposit boxes or safes.
• Make a list of all insurance policies, noting their cash values and death benefits.
• List all liabilities, including mortgages, lines of credit, and other debt.

What you can do now:

Use our Asset Inventory worksheet for a consolidated view of all the important details about your estate.

• Who should inherit your assets, and in what proportions?
• Who should care for your minor children?
• How much is needed for your children's care and education?
• Who should manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated?
• Who should be responsible for distributing your assets?

What you can do now:

• If you set up a trust, fund it promptly. If you don't, the agreement won't take effect, and your assets may not pass to your beneficiaries as you intended.
• Review and update the beneficiaries on all of your investment accounts, if needed.
• Make sure that all assets that you want included in the trust are retitled to reflect this ownership change, and that you keep copies of the relevant documents.
• Once your attorney has created your plan, clients can call our Trust and Estate Specialists at 800-742-6262 for answers about asset titling and beneficiary designations on your Schwab Bank, brokerage, and retirement accounts.

• Keep your beneficiary designations up to date so that your assets will be distributed according to your wishes.

The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax, legal, or investment planning advice. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, Schwab recommends that you consult with a qualified tax advisor, CPA, financial planner, or investment manager.

Restrictions apply and certain expenses may be excluded—consult your tax advisor for details.

Investment and Insurance Products Are: Not FDIC Insured • Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency • Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or any of its Affiliates • Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of Principal Amount Invested

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