New report highlights potential pitfalls couples face when transferring assets to the next generation

RBC Wealth Management offers tips to make estate planning process a smooth one

TORONTO, June 10, 2014 /CNW/ - An estimated $1 trillion, or more, is positioned to change hands in Canada over the coming years as baby boomers age and assets begin to transfer to younger generations. The country's high-net-worth population alone held close to $900 billion¹ in investable assets in 2013, according to RBC Wealth Management, and with improving economic conditions that figure is likely to grow. This impending transfer of wealth is putting the onus on baby boomers to ensure that their estate plans are crystal clear about how a lifetime of hard-earned assets are to be managed upon their passing.

"No one likes to think about death, let alone build an actual plan around that fateful day," says Tony Maiorino, vice-president and head, RBC Wealth Management Services at RBC Wealth Management. "But one of the most important financial decisions you can make during your lifetime is to take the time to develop a well-thought-out estate plan to ensure assets are seamlessly transferred according to your wishes."

A new report by RBC Wealth Management - Until Death Do Us Part … Then Everything Can Change - explores a key aspect of estate planning for married couples, in particular, and that's the critical role a surviving spouse plays in managing and maintaining family wealth for future generations.

"We find that when we talk to couples about estate planning, most of them naturally focus on their kids," Maiorino says. "Children are an important part of the decision-making process, no doubt, but a comprehensive estate plan needs to consider an important step before the kids, and that's the surviving spouse."

Until Death Do Us Part … Then Everything Can Change provides a comprehensive, plain-language look at estate planning essentials for married couples in Canada, including the various ways to leave assets to a spouse, while allowing the estate to seamlessly flow through to the next generation.

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1} According to the World Wealth Report 2013 from Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management

The report also offers practical tips for estate planning first-timers, including:

Take a Family Inventory - A good first step in developing an estate plan. Compile a list of information pertaining to your family's banking and investment accounts, advisors, assets, pension information and insurance policies. Don't forget about your digital legacy - e-mail accounts and passwords, social media profiles, domain names, etc. Share and discuss this information with your spouse.

Introduce Your Spouse to Your Advisors - If your wealth, legal, tax and other advisors only have a relationship with you, consider an informal meet-and-greet with your spouse, and possibly other family members. This will allow your surviving spouse and other family members to continue working with advisors who know your history.

Create/Update Your Financial Plan - A current financial plan is critical and helps ensure that life goals will be met. Involving the family in the financial planning process can mean that they are more likely to understand each other's needs, goals and concerns. A financial plan is not a one-time exercise, however - as circumstances change, it is important to review and adjust your financial plan as necessary.

Choose the Right Executor - An executor is the individual or institution appointed to administer the estate. A common practice is for each spouse to consider the other as their respective executor. Alternatives include family members, including children, professionals such as a family lawyer, or a trust company.

Build a Business Succession Plan - Business owners have additional planning requirements and should consider having a succession plan in place that addresses the needs of the business and the surviving spouse if they are involved in the business.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate - If your spouse will be the first heir of your estate, and potentially your executor, it is important that you have open and regular discussions about your intentions, goals and plans.

"It's important that your spouse is familiar and comfortable with the tasks they will face," Maiorino says. "And, just as important, ensure you communicate your plans to your children."

Maiorino adds that many couples also revert to the common estate planning approach of simply leaving everything to the surviving spouse, without taking other family members into consideration, which isn't always the best course of action either.

"The suggestion isn't that the surviving spouse won't do their best in honouring your legacy," Maiorino explains. "Rather, the surviving spouse may simply not be experienced enough in managing finances, they may become ill, they may develop solvency or creditor issues, or they may re-marry, while other family members might contest the estate in court believing they were entitled to certain assets."

Maiorino says clients today are looking for an increased level of support around how to achieve their life goals, including how and where they will retire, how will they manage their business, how they can ensure their children are taken care of, having the right amount of insurance, and how they can contribute to philanthropic causes.

"Having these discussions during your lifetime may help alleviate any misunderstanding and problems that arise in settling your estate," says Maiorino, whose team of more than 200 RBC Wealth Management Services specialists has conducted close to 8,000 wealth planning discussions with clients of RBC Wealth Management Canada's investment professionals over the past year. "Most importantly, it will provide peace of mind that your goals and objectives will be met."

To read Until Death Do Us Part … Then Everything Can Change, click here.

As always, you should obtain professional advice from a lawyer or accountant, as applicable, to ensure your own circumstances have been properly considered.

About RBC Wealth Management
RBC Wealth Management is one of the world's top 10 largest wealth managers*. RBC Wealth Management directly serves affluent, high-net-worth and ultra-high net worth clients in Canada, the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia with a full suite of banking, investment, trust and other wealth management solutions. The business also provides asset management products and services directly and through RBC and third party distributors to institutional and individual clients, through its RBC Global Asset Management business (which includes BlueBay Asset Management). RBC Wealth Management has more than C$690 billion of assets under administration, more than C$426 billion of assets under management and approximately 4,400 financial consultants, advisors, private bankers, and trust officers. For more information, please visit www.rbcwealthmanagement.com

*Scorpio Partnership Global Private Banking KPI Benchmark 2013. In the United States, securities are offered through RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada. Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We employ approximately 79,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 42 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2013, we contributed more than $104 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $69 million and $35 million in sponsorships. Learn more at www.rbc.com/community-sustainability.

SOURCE: RBC

For further information:

Tony Maraschiello, RBC Corporate Communications, 416-974-9334, [e-mail]