Learning from Prince’s $250 Million Mistake

Learning from Prince’s 0 Million Mistake

Finally, almost a year and a month to the date of his death, a judge confirmed Prince’s six siblings to be his rightful heirs – after more than 45 people came forward claiming to be his wife, children, siblings or other relatives.

Last year, the legendary musician passed away, leaving behind not only a legacy of unparalleled music, but also a $250 million fortune – with no will or estate plan to be found. With the long-anticipated announcement that his siblings will inherit his fortune, we’re reminded again of the importance of planning ahead and hiring trusted experts to carry out your wishes.

Whether you have people clamoring after your money or not, it’s important to consider hiring an expert to sort through the, at times, very complicated process of estate planning. There are DIY websites and software packages that may seem attractive (and cheap!), but more often than not, you get what you pay for. More complicated life situations, such as children from a prior marriage, children with special needs, or capital gains from property appreciation, require the hands-on insight of an expert.

If you are a CPA or a lawyer, you might consider yourself the expert – but just as authors have other writers proofread their work, it’s important to have an unbiased third party look over your documents. Even U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, who died in 1995, should have relied on estate planning experts to prepare his estate plan – but instead he took it upon himself, and his family paid over $450,000 in taxes because of his errors.

To be better prepared than Prince and Chief Justice Burger, seek out the assistance of an attorney or a CPA to draft a will and do estate planning, respectively. An attorney will help you navigate a will, and a CPA is best positioned to help with more complicated estate planning.

For more information on estate planning basics, 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy offers the following articles and Q&A:

Steps to estate planning success

The problem with DIY estate planning

How often do I need to review my estate plan?

Isn’t estate planning only for the rich?

Still not convinced you should hire an expert to do your estate planning? Check out these other famous people who failed to properly plan.

Samantha Delgado, Manager – Communications, PR & Corporate Responsibility, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

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