Estate planning is more than simply ‘who gets what’. It gives you a chance to think about who you are, what matters to you, and most importantly who matters to you. That means taking care of yourself, both now and in the future, and taking care of the people closest to you: now, in future and when you are no longer around.

Year-end is a time when we start thinking about winding down. However, in the field of tax planning, that annual deadline is when we need to take stock, and potentially take action.

If you’ve been thinking about estate planning and leaving an inheritance to your family and perhaps other heirs, kudos for being proactive. After all, for most people their legacy options when gifting money to loved ones starts with an estate plan.

Estate planning is a legal process for the distribution of a deceased person’s assets. It allows you to create a formal strategy that helps safeguard your assets and transfer them in an orderly, tax-efficient manner to beneficiaries.

Given the average age for marriage in Canada is 30.7 years, it is reasonable to infer that most newlyweds have been working, establishing themselves, and perhaps living together in a common-law relationship before their wedding day. Whether you’ve been together for years or just starting out, it’s never too late to merge your finances.