When most people think about estate planning, they envision trusts, trustees, executors, lawyers and all the other complications associated with providing for loved-ones. All this, of course, is necessary and often takes a team of experts to put together. There is something, however that you can do on your own, modify whenever you wish and that will outlast the largest estate, an Ethical Will.

An Ethical Will is a piece of you—a legacy of your life—a kind of farewell love letter to your family and community. You can make it as short or as long as you wish. It is a way for you to tell your family and future generations how you feel about life, your experiences, decisions you have made, and the moral standards you hope they will inherit from you.

There is no right or wrong way to start. You can begin with something that happened today or go back to your childhood. Just let it come from the heart and the words will flow. You could include stories about your ancestors, people or events that shaped your life, previously untold tales or things that you did which you now regret. It does not need to be in writing. You can record it on a simple tape player or in front of a video camera.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

· Over time, write down ideas --a few words or a sentence or two about things like:

o Love

o Life's lessons

o Important personal values and beliefs

o Important spiritual values and beliefs

o Hopes and blessings for future generations

o Forgiving others and asking for forgiveness

o Something you learned from grandparents / parents / siblings / spouse / children

o Something you learned from experience

o Something you are grateful for

· Write about important events in your life

· Imagine that you only have a limited time left to live. What would you regret not having done?

· Save items that articulate your feelings like quotes, cartoons, etc

· Review what you've collected after a few weeks or months

· Clump related items together -- patterns will emerge

· Revise and expand the related categories into paragraphs

· Arrange the paragraphs in an order that makes sense to you

· Add an introduction and conclusion

· Put this aside for a few weeks and then review and revise

Besides offering guidance to your heirs, an Ethical Will may help you come to terms with your own mortality. It is a way of creating something of meaning that you wish to pass on and will survive after you are gone. After you compose your Ethical Will, make sure someone knows about it ... a close friend, your attorney, and/or a trusted family member. Be sure to stipulate who you would like to receive it, and when.

Passing down what is in your heart may be one of the most cherished and meaningful gifts you can leave to your family and community.

Kim Huber is a Registered Representative with and securities offered through Linsco/Private Ledger, member NASD/SIPC.

Kim can be reached at (530) 891-0717 or Kim.Huber@lpl.com