This Valentine’s Day, consider that actions often speak louder than words. Another way to think about estate planning is like a legal love letter to the people you care about most. It says:
I care about you … so I have made it simple
for you to manage legal issues if anything happens to me.
Estate planning is about creating clarity and protecting the people you love so that they can focus on each other, not legal headaches, when (and not if) life throws a curveball. With proper estate planning, if your children, spouse, or loved ones know exactly what to do, your love can be felt even in your absence.
A Valentine’s Day Estate Planning Guide
A well-designed Will or Trust safeguards relationships, values, and sometimes even a family’s future. In addition to making specific bequests to your loved ones or planning for charitable giving, estate planning often includes the following:
- Asset protection: Ensuring your financial accounts, property, and other resources go to the people you intend
- Guardianship planning: Choosing the right people to care for your children or dependents
- Healthcare decisions: Making your medical wishes clear so loved ones are not left guessing in difficult situations
Talk Love and Money
Valentine’s Day is also a perfect time to encourage financial communication between partners. Discussing money can strengthen your relationship, especially when it is tied to shared goals like saving for a home, planning for children’s education, or investing for retirement.
These conversations do not have to be formal or stressful. They can be practical and even fun!
One way to start is by searching for unclaimed property. Unclaimed property refers to financial assets that have gone inactive because there has been no activity or contact between the owner and the institution holding the funds for a certain period. Often, when a bank cannot reach the owner of funds it is holding, it must turn the asset over to the state through a process called escheatment.
Why You Could Have Unclaimed Property
The reasons people lose track of assets are everyday occurrences, not carelessness. Changing jobs can mean old retirement accounts are forgotten. Name changes can disconnect you from accounts registered under a previous name. Moving without updating your address or not tracking small investments can also result in forgotten money. And when a loved one passes, family members often do not know about every account, insurance policy, or investment the decedent held.
The good news? Most unclaimed property is easily recoverable. Every state maintains a free, searchable database, and the process of claiming assets is straightforward once you locate them. There are no fees for reclaiming property; states simply require proof of identity, and in some cases, documentation like death certificates or previous addresses.
North Carolina Unclaimed Property
South Carolina Unclaimed Property
Searching for unclaimed property together can be surprisingly rewarding. It is a way to talk about money, uncover hidden assets, and decide together how best to use or invest them. It also creates shared accountability. This type of conversation often naturally extends into broader topics around future goals such as retirement and estate planning.
A Small Discovery, a Big Opportunity
Even a small unclaimed account can be a meaningful starting point. Maybe it is a few hundred dollars from an old job, a dividend check, or a forgotten savings account from college. That small sum can be reinvested, saved for an emergency, or used toward a shared goal, like a trip, a home deposit, or starting a retirement fund.
By consciously reclaiming and managing assets, you are investing in a secure, intentional future together. And in a city like Charlotte, where life moves fast and financial opportunities can easily be overlooked, taking a few minutes to check unclaimed property can feel like discovering a small, hidden bonus you didn’t know existed.
Valentine’s Day Guide
Valentine’s Day is usually about celebrating love in the present moment, but it can also be a reminder to show love in ways that matter long-term. Actions like reviewing your finances together, creating a list of accounts, or even starting an estate plan may not feel romantic in the traditional sense — but they communicate:
I am thinking ahead … I want you to be protected ... I want our life to be secure.
By incorporating unclaimed property searches into this conversation, you open the door to financial discussions that are practical, immediate, and meaningful. It is a tangible way to see hidden opportunities, while also creating a legacy together:
- Locate unclaimed property
- Discuss finances
- Create a comprehensive estate plan
Are your assets, healthcare decisions, and family guardianship choices documented and accessible to the people who need them?
A Last Will & Testament or Living Trust:
- Reduces the risk of conflict or confusion if something happens to you
- Ensures that your assets go where you intend
- Creates a strategic approach to update accounts, beneficiaries, and investments
An estate plan also helps couples create shared financial goals and build habits that protect and grow their resources over time. By investing a little time now, you avoid unnecessary stress later, ensuring that your love and your assets work for the people you care about most.
Bottom Line
This Valentine’s Day, consider a gift that lasts: your attention, your communication, and your financial planning. Consider searching for unclaimed property together, talking about your shared goals and scheduling an estate planning consultation to create a plan that protects your family and ensures your legacy. By taking these steps, you are investing in each other. This Valentine’s Day, consider making this year about security, clarity, and love that lasts with estate planning.
The most meaningful gifts are the ones that keep giving.
If you are in need of assistance, the attorneys at Collins Family & Elder Law Group can help.
