What to Do Before Something Happens: Organizing Your Life and Estate

Mortality is a natural part of the cycle of life. While it is not something you probably want to think about, you can make things a lot easier on yourself --- and your family --- if you get everything in order now while you can. Doing so will help ensure that things in your life are organized so others can see what you want to happen after you’re gone, what you own, and how to handle a variety of situations.

One of the biggest questions you should ask yourself is, “What should I do before something happens to me?” Obviously, the inevitable will eventually happen. We just don’t always know when and how. So, it is critical to review your specific needs, especially if you are concerned about the following subjects:

• If you feel you are somewhat lost managing your finances
• Are uncertain whether your estate is in good order
• Need to know what tax returns need to be filed and at what critical times
• Want to reduce income and estate taxes
• Whether you have the necessary documents to designate what happens if you are ill or incapacitated
• How to ensure the beneficiaries of your retirement accounts can stretch out your IRA for 10 years or even longer
• And much more

Presented in collaboration with the Lafayette Library & Learning Center.

About the presenter:

John Lau is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) professional. John is a Principal and Managing Director at Robertson Stephens’ San Ramon and Burlingame offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. John and his team specialize in retirement distribution planning and serving clients in or near retirement. John’s team uses a total-solution approach to planning, including income tax reduction, estate conservation, portfolio management, and retirement distribution planning.

Disclosure:

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