CIF

Pearls of Knowledge:
Key Points of Estate Planning

Estate planning involves determining how an individual’s assets will be preserved, managed, and distributed after death or in the event they become incapacitated.
Estate planning tasks include making a will, setting up trusts and/or making charitable donations to limit estate taxes, naming an executor and beneficiaries, and setting up funeral arrangements.
A will is a legal document that provides instructions on how an individual’s property and custody of minor children (if any) should be handled after death.
Various strategies can be used to limit taxes on an estate, from creating trusts to making charitable donations.
Estate planning can and should be used by anyone—not just the ultra-wealthy.

Life Events that May Affect Your Pension:

There are certain life events that may affect the pension benefits you are entitled to receive under your pension plan. To learn about these situations, refer to the following points:

Events that May Affect Your Pension:
Leaving Your Job
Taking a Leave of Absence
Having Your Employer Become Bankrupt or Insolvent
Getting Divorced or Separated from Your Spouse

Planning for Retirement :
Before you choose any particular retirement option, consider the following questions:
1. Does your pension plan provide indexation or cost-of-living adjustments on your pension benefits to deal with inflation?
2. Can you take advantage of an early retirement option? If so, will your pension be partially or fully reduced?
3. Does your pension plan have a maximum limit on the amount of pension that can be earned, or a maximum limit on the number of years of employment (or plan membership) that can be used to calculate your pension benefits?
4. If you have a spouse when you retire, do you both want your spouse to waive the right to receive a survivor pension when you die?