Estate Planning for Indiana Families
Will your wealth bless the next generation - or burden it?
Most families think the documents are enough. They aren't. We coordinate the ongoing planning, review, and strategy that makes an estate plan work when it needs to.
"A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children..."
Proverbs 13:22
THE PROBLEM ────
The estate plan in the drawer.
A will written ten years ago. Beneficiary designations that haven't been updated. A power of attorney that names someone you've since fallen out with. The documents are technically in place - they just don't do what you'd want them to do anymore.
The cost of that gap shows up at the worst possible moment - after a death or sudden decline in health, when the family is grieving and the paperwork is supposed to take care of itself.
HOW WE HELP ────
An estate plan that goes beyond the will.
A real estate plan is a coordinated set of decisions and documents. Here's what a complete estate plan actually covers - and where we step in to help.
Will & Trust Planning
The will is foundational - but in many ways the least important if everything else is structured correctly. A surprising amount of wealth never touches the will because it passes by beneficiary designation or trust ownership instead. We help you understand what you likely need and coordinate with qualified estate attorneys for drafting and updates.
Best For: Families, Blended Households, Business Owners
Beneficiary Designations
Beneficiary designations are the silent destroyer of estate plans. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and transfer-on-death accounts pass to whoever is named on the form - regardless of what your will says. We've seen multi-million dollar accounts pass to an ex-spouse because nobody updated the form after the divorce. We audit these systematically.
Best For: Anyone Who's Married or Divorced
Asset Titling
How your assets are owned - joint tenancy, tenancy by the entirety, transfer-on-death registrations - can do more or less than the will depending on how they're structured. We review how your real estate, accounts, business interests, and personal property are held to make sure the titling aligns with your broader estate strategy.
Best For: Property owners, multi-account households
Powers of Attorney
Financial and healthcare powers of attorney matter most while you're alive but unable to make decisions. The wrong person in this role - or no person at all - creates problems that affect daily life, not just the estate after death. We review who you've named, whether those designations are current, and whether your documents are accessible to those who need them.
Best For: Every adult - no exceptions
Healthcare Directives
Living wills, HIPAA authorizations, and healthcare proxies can spare your family the hardest decisions they'll ever face. We recommend providing your documents to your primary hospital system and physician in advance - not waiting until they're needed. For some Indiana Residents, a POST form may also be appropriate.
Best For: Anyone with strong care preferences
Digital Asset Planning
Email, cloud storage, password managers, online accounts, and crypto wallets don't transfer automatically. Executors may lack legal authority to access them without proper authorization in your estate documents. Indiana law provides a framework - but practical planning still matters, including a password manager with emergency access your executor can locate.
Best For: Crypto holders, online-heavy households
Document organization & professional coordination
The best estate plan is useless if you're spouse or executor can't find it. We help families get everything organized in one secure, known location - wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, insurance policies, beneficiary summaries, and key contacts. We also coordinate directly with your estate attorney and CPA so all three professionals are working from the same information.
Best For: Everyone
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE ──
When the plan is right, you can feel it.
There's a tangible sense of relief that comes when the estate plan is genuinely in order - not just technically compliant, but actually aligned with your intentions, your relationships, and your values. Here's what you can expect:
- Documents are current and reflect your actual wishes - not the circumstances of a decade ago.
- Beneficiary designations have been audited and match your intent across every account.
- Asset titling is aligned with your estate structure so assets go where you intend.
- The right people know what to do if something happens - and have the authority to act.
- Your attorney, financial advisor, and CPA are coordinated and working from the same information.
- Your spouse won't be left scrambling. Your children won't be left fighting. Your charitable wishes won't get lost.
- The wealth you spent a lifetime building actually does what you built it to do.
COMMON QUESTIONS ──
Estate planning questions, answered plainly.
Do I need an estate plan if I'm not wealthy?
Yes. Estate planning isn’t about the size of your estate - it’s about what happens when you’re incapacitated or gone. A power of attorney, healthcare directive, and basic beneficiary coordination matter at any asset level. Without them, your family may face court proceedings and difficult decisions that could have been avoided entirely.
What's the difference between a will and a trust?
A will directs who receives your assets after death, but it must go through probate - a public court process that can take months and cost money. A revocable living trust can hold your assets during your lifetime and transfer them to heirs without probate, while also providing incapacity planning if you become unable to manage your affairs. Many Indiana families benefit from having both.
My will is already done. Do I still need to do anything?
Almost certainly. A will is just one piece. If your beneficiary designations haven’t been reviewed recently, your asset titling hasn’t been checked against your plan, your powers of attorney are outdated, or your financial situation has changed significantly since the will was drafted, the plan may not work as intended. We recommend a comprehensive review at least every three to five years, or after any major life event.
What happens to my retirement accounts when I die?
Retirement accounts - 401(k)s, IRAs, and similar plans - pass by beneficiary designation, not by will. Whoever is named on the beneficiary form receives the account, regardless of what your will says. Outdated beneficiary designations are one of the most common and costly estate planning mistakes. We audit these as part of every estate plan review.
What is probate, and how can it be avoided in Indiana?
Probate is the court-supervised process of validating a will and distributing assets. In Indiana, it can take several months to over a year and involves court costs, attorney fees, and public disclosure of your assets. Common strategies to avoid or minimize probate include revocable living trusts, transfer-on-death account registrations, properly structured beneficiary designations, and joint ownership with right of survivorship.
Does Indiana have a state tax?
Indiana does not have a state estate tax. However, federal estate tax applies to estates above the federal exemption threshold. Even without estate tax concerns, income tax planning for inherited retirement accounts, stepped-up basis on inherited assets, and Roth conversion strategy can significantly affect what heirs actually receive.
What does a financial advisor do in estate planning if they're not an attorney?
Attorneys draft the legal documents. We do the surrounding work: reviewing and coordinating the financial plan with the estate documents, auditing beneficiary designations, identifying gaps, providing the attorney with the financial context they need to do good work, and revisiting the plan over time as your life changes. Because we know your full picture, we’re often the first to identify when something needs attention.
What should I do if I don't have any estate documents yet?
Start by scheduling a free assessment with us. We’ll walk you through what you likely need based on your specific situation - age, family structure, asset types, healthcare concerns, and charitable goals - and connect you with estate attorneys we trust. We’ll make sure the attorney has the financial context they need to serve you well, and we’ll coordinate the financial side of the plan from the start so your documents and your financial plan actually agree with each other.
Do you work with families outside of Indiana?
Yes. The Other 90 Financial serves clients in Indiana, Illinois, and across the country. We operate as a fully virtual firm, and most estate planning strategies - beneficiary coordination, asset titling, powers of attorney, charitable estate structures— apply regardless of your state of residence, though state-specific legal documents will need to be drafted by a local estate attorney.
