Estimating the Net Value of Your
Estate
During the next five decades, as
much as $41 trillion could be passed
down through estates in the United
States.1 For many, the
ultimate goal of estate conservation is
preserving a financial legacy to pass on
to loved ones, charitable organizations,
and so forth. Your estate is basically
the sum total of all the wealth you have
accumulated during your lifetime —
including real estate, stocks, bonds,
business interests, retirement plans,
personal effects, and anything else you
own.
The first step in estate conservation
is determining how much there is to
conserve. Use this worksheet for a rough
estimate of the net value of your
estate.
1) The Wall Street
Journal, December 11, 2006