Traditional Financial and Estate Plans Won't Work Without Third Crucial Element

PORTLAND, Ore., April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Heritage Institute, the world's foremost authority on multi-generational planning, has deemed May 2012 as "Heritage Planning Month" in an effort to educate families, professional advisors and non-profits on why

90% of families fail to keep their unity and their assets together for more than three generations, and what the 'successful' 10% do differently. Professional advisors, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and foundations associated with The Heritage Institute nationwide will present a series of approximately two dozen heritage planning educational events, open to all audiences.

The purpose of these informative events is to educate, inform and raise the awareness of heritage planning.  In addition, the workshops will explain how heritage planning fits with traditional financial and estate planning, and demonstrate why heritage planning is the foundational planning element for anyone who is concerned about the health and unity of their family today, and for generations to come.

"The ongoing failure of traditional planning, without the element of heritage planning, has enormous consequences for families, individuals and non-profit organizations. Based on research from Williams & Preisser, 85% of families who have failed to maintain their wealth did so due to lack of communication and trust, or due to unprepared heirs.  Therefore, we feel it is crucial that the public, professional advisors and non-profits throughout the nation become aware and educated on how to successfully implement heritage planning into their lives and their client's lives," said Rodney Zeeb, CEO of The Heritage Institute. 

Events will occur via live webinars, in professional offices, non-profit organization meeting rooms, college and university conference centers and civic center meeting facilities nationwide.  Three different workshops are available that will be tailored for the general public, professional advisors and non-profit institutions.

Rodney Zeeb, CEO of The Heritage Institute, will present two live webinars nationally from the campus of Abilene Christian University:

• A webinar for professional advisors will be held on May 16 from 10:30am – noon CDT
• The webinar for the general public will be held on May 16 from 3:30pm – 5:00pm CDT 
• Both webinars can be accessed at http://www.acu.edu/advancement/heritage 

For a listing of all the events that will be held nationally during May 2012, please visit http://www.heritageplanning.org/Heritage/HPM_Events.html

About The Heritage Institute
The Heritage Institute (THI) is a community of like-minded men and women dedicated to making a difference in the world.  Members include professionals from a variety of financial, legal, insurance, non-profit and other advisory and client-service professions.  THI created The Heritage Process™ to be a bridge between the 'products' of traditional planning (things like wills and trusts) and the hopes and dreams that parents and grandparents have for their family to be unified, productive and healthy for many generations. To achieve that goal, the family must learn to identify what matters most to them, how to work together, and how to equip succeeding generations to deal with the responsibilities and opportunities of both the financial and the emotional inheritances they will receive.  Advisors trained to provide the Heritage Process™ are located in the USA, Western Europe and Brazil.  For more information, visit www.theheritageinstitute.com.   

SOURCE The Heritage Institute