Estate Planning - Chladek Wealth Management

Why Beneficiaries Are Important to Your Estate Plan (And Why You Should Probably Update Them)

John Chladek2022-08-01T14:54:36+00:00August 1, 2022|Estate Planning, Family Financial Information|

You know what they say about the best-laid plans....or maybe not? In our book, the best-laid plans are the ones you review again and again, which is especially true for your estate plan. Say something happened to you and your family had to care for your estate. Wouldn’t you want to have all your ducks in a row, so they don’t have to wrangle them? And what happens if, when they have those ducks, they [...]

How To Meaningfully Incorporate An Inheritance Into Your Financial Plan

John Chladek2022-05-21T19:22:51+00:00June 1, 2022|Estate Planning, Financial Planning Psychology, General Financial Planning|

Receiving an inheritance can feel like a double-edged sword. While it’s a beautiful gift, it comes at a high price—losing a loved one. Even though a sudden financial windfall may feel like a blessing, it’s also an immense responsibility. You want to ensure you use the money to its fullest potential and not squander it on things you don’t really need or add value to your life. Turns out that’s quite a tall order. One [...]

The Powerful Estate Planning Checklist No New Parent Should Be Without

John Chladek2021-09-01T16:41:50+00:00August 15, 2021|Blog, Estate Planning, Family Financial Information|

As you're knee-deep in nursery colors, registries, and picking out the perfect name for your new baby, your estate plan is likely at the bottom of your to-do list. Growing families have a unique set of needs and considerations when it comes to their wealth. As strange as it may seem, having a plan for when you’re gone should be near the top of the list. How will your money be distributed if you were [...]

Have You Checked Your Beneficiary Designations Lately?

John Chladek2016-07-27T18:36:17+00:00July 27, 2016|Blog, Estate Planning|

Beneficiary designations are a powerful tool for estate planning. Adding beneficiaries to your accounts gives you the opportunity to directly distribute assets after your death and helps your family avoid the expense and stress of probate. It’s extremely important to keep the names of the person or people you would like to benefit from your insurance policies, pension plans, individual retirement plans, annuities, and other investments up-to-date. We discuss this annually with our clients and [...]

When To Update Your Will

John Chladek2021-06-12T23:15:47+00:00December 1, 2010|Blog, Estate Planning|

The following is a guest blog post submitted by Gary Pratt, CGPP, Associate Director of Planned Giving for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. This is a conversation I had recently at a seminar where I was presenting on estate planning and charitable giving. Me, “When did you last update your will?” Woman, “Just before we had our youngest child, so we probably need to get it updated.” Me, “How long ago was that?” [...]

Planning for P.E.A.C.E

John Chladek2010-07-26T05:14:21+00:00July 26, 2010|Blog, Estate Planning|

In an effort to provide widely informative content to my readers, I've asked Chandra C. Ruyle, an Estate Planning Attorney and Leawood Mom, to write a guest blog post. She is an attorney at Cranmer Law in Leawood, KS.credit rating today Planning for P.E.A.C.E. by Chandra C. Ruyle These days, our minds are preoccupied with so many worries, whether it be finances, the kids’ education, career/job challenges, or family issues, there are certainly enough things to keep [...]