Setting up an estate plan is a good investment for the future. But you can also be a careful steward of your financial assets now, with careful and organized planning as you go through the estate planning process.

Furthermore, the third week in October was National Estate Planning Awareness Week and now is the perfect time to put your estate planning house in order.

Estate planning is an important component of your overall financial plan, regardless of your age, income or size of your estate. If you own property and have heirs, you need to think about estate planning. To do the job well, you’ll need the help of a team of professional accredited estate planners such as a certified public accountant, a lawyer, insurance professionals and financial planners, and trust officers.

Professional fees can add up if you don’t manage time well, so it’s important to prepare for every meeting with your estate planning team members. It’s a great time to think about how you can maximize the value of the time you spend with your estate planning team.

The NAEPC offers this advice on how to have productive working relationships with your planners:

Before meeting with a professional, gather all your personal and financial information, make lists of your current financial advisers, assets and liabilities, collect financial documents such as retirement plans, life insurance policies, property deeds, partnership and business agreements and your income tax returns for the past two years.

Write out your own personal goals, concerns and ideas. Identify people whom you would like to have inherit your property when you die, and specify what you would like to leave each. Identify people you would like to name as guardian for minor children, as well as an executor for your will.