When it comes to estate planning, be wary of scams and smooth talkers. The decision to establish an estate plan is an important one-do it right the first time.
There has been a recent explosion of estate planning seminars as well as online ‘do it yourself estate planning’ kits. Be cautious, the integrity and longevity of such plans may not hold up in a court of law.
Here are some tips to avoid estate planning scams:
- As the saying goes: sleep on it. Never be pressured into a sale
- Do not trust door to door salesmen that try to attain important information about your financial situation
- Research potential complaints filed against the organization or seller
- Ask for credentials and qualifications
- Get it in writing
- Read the small type
- If you are at a seminar, think about why the person/organization is holding the seminar. In other words, what is in it for them?
- If it is too good to be true, then it probably is
- Are estate plan documents pre-printed with blanks to fill in? This is definitely a sign of a weak set of documents
