Estate planning is essential for anyone who owns a business

FCSSW just made it a whole lot easier for you.

Here's how ...

A will is one of the most important legal documents you’ll ever sign — and one of the easiest documents to create. Yet more than 70 percent of American adults do not have one.

Most of us are too busy to think about a will, and none of us likes to consider our own mortality. That probably explains why so many families are unprepared.

Ken Lassen, a Certified Financial Planner practitioner™ (CFP™) with Farm Credit Services Southwest, explains what happens if you die without a will.

“All is not lost,” Ken says. “Your state will step in for you to decide who is entitled to your personal and business assets and who will be granted custody of your minor children. But if you’d rather make these decisions yourself — which most people would — then start with a will.”

Fast Fact

More than 70% of Americans do not have
a will — usually the starting point for development of your estate plan.

Estate planning at Farm Credit

Farm Credit Services Southwest makes estate planning easy, and we take the process way beyond the creation and filing of a will. We can assist you with the development of a comprehensive estate plan that covers both you and your spouse and helps simplify the process for everyone involved, including your beneficiaries. Plus, our service is so convenient that all it takes is a phone call to Ken Lassen and a little bit of your time.

Through a strategic arrangement with a law firm in Arizona, Ken will customize a complete estate-planning package that fits your personal goals and he’ll deliver the package ready for you to sign. You don’t need to find an attorney, drive into town or sit in a waiting room for hours — and pay a small piece of the estate you are trying to preserve!

Ken says, “I will sit down with you and your spouse to understand your goals. We can work on a complete estate plan together, or you may feel more comfortable starting the process with just a will. I don’t provide legal advice. But I do take your information to a trusted attorney with whom I frequently work, and the attorney drafts documents for you based on your wishes and financial situation — all without you ever leaving your business.

“Once the documents are prepared, I assemble them in a customized estate binder for you. I can even deliver them to your door, if that’s more convenient for you. Because I am a notary public, I can also facilitate the notarization of required signatures.”

At Farm Credit Services Southwest, we know that family-owned agricultural businesses need effective estate planning services to protect the assets that required so much effort to create. And we also know that current estate tax environments are not friendly to families who prefer to pass on substantial business assets to their next generation. (Both of which are more reasons for you to consider estate planning with Farm Credit!)

How Farm Credit helped two Arizona farmers

The stories of two Arizona farmers emphasize the importance of estate planning and demonstrate the benefits of working with Farm Credit.

Ted Thelander, Tempe Farming Company, Roll, Ariz. Ted Thelander manages a diversified operation in Roll, Ariz. where he produces vegetable seed, alfalfa, Bermuda hay and forage in partnership with his wife, Nancy. Ted’s brother, Dan, operates an arm of the business in the Phoenix area.

Ted says, “After selling part of our farming operation, we realized that we needed help with our financial and estate planning. We contacted Ken to help us through the process.

“Ken has a very easy, relaxed manner, which made us feel like we were visiting a friend, while still achieving our goals quickly and painlessly. Ken answered our questions in laymen’s terms and guided us through every step.

“Over a relaxed lunch, we explained our goals and Ken offered helpful suggestions about how we could accomplish them. He had our documents drawn up by a competent lawyer and drove 150 miles to deliver them to us, right in our own hometown. All we had to do was sign.

“The process worked great for us. Since we live a long way from town and access to lawyers, working with Ken sure made our estate planning very easy.”

Jack Carlisle, Carlisle Ranch, Show Low, Snow Flake and Tucson, Ariz. Jack Carlisle, owner of black Angus cattle ranches, plans to pass the operation on to his three sons. He took the first step last year.

Jack related, “My wife, Phyllis, and I sold the Show Low ranch last year because I got tired of dealing with environmental pressures, and I had a few too many birthdays. We are building a new home now and selling the Snow Flake ranch to one of our sons. I am not worried about passing our business to our sons,” Jack says. He then adds, “They are all very capable of taking over the operation.”

But Jack wanted a solid plan, so he turned to Farm Credit’s Ken Lassen. Jack mentioned the time-consuming nature of managing three ranches, yet one of the first things he noticed was Ken Lassen’s willingness to incorporate the estate planning process into Jack’s hectic schedule.

“Ken is very knowledgeable,” Jack says,” and nice to work with. I didn’t want to pick up my gear and load my suitcase and go to Phoenix and meet a lawyer and sit in a waiting room for 30 minutes. I am not very good at waiting.

“Instead, Ken met Phyllis and me in a nearby café a few times to work through our plan, which made the process very easy for us. Later, he delivered the documents right to our house to sign.”

A Typical Estate Planning Package

Estate planning is not a complex process. The following documents may be all you need for a complete estate plan:

• Will
• Power of attorney
• Medical power of attorney
• Living will
• Family trust

Ken adds, “I drove to Jack’s home on a Sunday afternoon, which was the only time that he could meet with me since his schedule was so hectic. In addition, Max McEuen, the manager of the local Farm Credit branch, and his wife, Gail, were kind enough to stop by that afternoon to witness the signing of the wills and the related documents.”

Jack Carlisle agrees. “Over my lifetime, I’ve worked with several different estate planners and hated each experience. But Ken made the process very pleasant, and I appreciate it.”

Get started today!

Ken is a Certified Financial Planner practitioner™ who can help you identify your estate planning goals and put a plan in place for you — painlessly and conveniently.

A FCS Southwest business consultant can help with all your estate planning issues. Contact us at info@fcssw.com for more information today!

• Is Estate Planning Worthwhile?
• Estate planning tips
• We're more than agricultural loans!
• Who needs a consultant?
  
  

Equal Housing Lender - Equal Credit Opportunity Lender - Equal Opportunity Employer.

© 2000-2006 Farm Credit Services Southwest, ACA, PCA, and FLCA. All rights reserved.