Probate

What is a Secondary Will?

A Secondary Will can be a financial planning tool, some homeowners and business owners, mostly in Ontario and British Columbia, use to help reduce the amount of Estate Administration Tax (EAT) that needs to be paid after ones passing to ensure more of their assets end up with their survived family and friends.

What is a Secondary Will and When Would I Need One?

A Secondary Will can be a financial planning tool, some homeowners and business owners, mostly in Ontario and British Columbia, use to help reduce the amount of Estate Administration Tax (EAT) that needs to be paid after ones passing to ensure more of their assets end up with their survived family and friends.

The Navigator - Joint ownership accounts

As part of the estate planning process, individuals will often consider establishing a joint account with one or more of their adult children or other family members. Sometimes, this is done as a tool for expediency so that a joint account holder can help to manage the account, or to make the assets immediately available to the surviving accountholder(s) upon the death of the first joint accountholder. In other cases, a joint account is a planning technique used as part of a strategy recommended by an individual’s legal and tax advisors to seek to minimize probate tax. Whatever the motivation behind the account, before you open a joint account, it is important to be aware of the different joint account types available.