Take a look at your investment strategies to help determine how to preserve hard-earned wealth with the goal of creating a family legacy

I ran across an article last week written primarily for physicians (PhysiciansNews online), and while the advice was sound, the message really is appropriate for anyone who wants to preserve their hard-earned wealth and create a family legacy. Here are the high points:

• It’s never too soon to start planning your estate.  At a minimum, your estate plan should include a will, a power of attorney, a health-care proxy, and where appropriate, a trust.
• Review and update in light of changing tax landscape. No one knows for sure what Congress will do about the currently-lapsed federal estate tax. But instead of keeping your hand in the sand, take time now to review and update your plan to take advantage of any (potentially expiring) opportunities to move your legacy forward.

Physicians, professionals and business owners also should consider the issue of Asset Protection, which involves making prudent decisions today to protect yourself, your business, and your hard-earned assets from loss due to lawsuits, creditors or bankruptcies. This type of planning is especially prudent for professionals and business owners whose personal assets could be at risk due to the nature of their employment.