Pamela Owen
Major Gifts Officer
Arkansas PBS Foundation
It’s not a topic many people find easy to discuss, but one of the best gifts you can give your family or closest friends is completing your personal estate plans. If you’ve put off deciding how you would like your estate managed, you are not alone. According to one estimate, fewer than one-third of Americans have an estate plan in place to avoid probate.
Giving proper attention and consideration to the estate planning process takes time and thoughtful consideration. Arkansas PBS Foundation has a free booklet to guide you through the process. We don’t provide the answers, but the Personal Estate Planning Guide will help you with the questions.
The Personal Estate Planning Guide provides space for you to record personal information, details about your spouse, children and grandchildren.
Other questions in the guide ask:
- Do you have long-term care insurance?
- Have you planned your funeral service and burial?
- Does anyone in your family have special needs, or are you responsible for a disabled family member?
These are just a few of the many decisions you can make now so your loved ones will not have to when they are grieving your loss.
You may say, “I’ve made my plans.” Congratulations! That’s wonderful, but... when was the last time you reviewed those plans? Your intentions may be the same, but life changes and our priorities change with it. Estate planning is a continuous process.
The Personal Estate Planning Guide is intended as a workbook for you to prepare for meeting with your attorney or other advisor. In many cases, your pre-meeting information gathering could save you time and money.
In no way is the Personal Estate Planning Guide intended to answer every question you’ll need to consider as you meet with your attorney or advisor. Please use the guide as a reference as you think through this very important process.
If you have questions about your estate plans, please consult your attorney or other advisors. Your advisors should feel free to contact us with any questions on how you can leave a legacy for future generations through your support of Arkansas PBS.
For more information and to receive your copy of the Personal Estate Planning Guide, email powen@myarkansaspbs.org or call me (501) 730-9310. I look forward to hearing from you