Choosing an Executor? Avoid These 2 Mistakes

Two key qualities to avoid when choosing an executor that don’t get nearly enough attention.

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Watch this short video to the end. Honestly, there are two key insights you will not hear elsewhere. Okay, you’re choosing an executor or executors for your will. Or you’re wondering, did I make the right choice?

I like corporate executors, as many of you know, for complicated estates. But let’s say that you are going with a family member or friend, the conventional route. You go online and you type in, “What qualities should I look for in my executor?” Well, the most common answers are pretty much what you would guess, and frankly, I agree with all of them.

The executor needs to be trustworthy. That goes without saying. The executor needs to be someone who exercises good judgment. The executor should probably be younger than you for obvious reasons and of good health. The executor should have a reasonably good financial mind/background though they can get help of course, from professionals. The executors should have a willingness to accept the role

(people often forget to check that out ahead of time!) The executor should be alive. That’s for my dad, who until recently had a will with two dead executors. “I need to change that at some point,” he wisely reasoned. An executor should probably live in the same general area as the deceased. Not crucial but helpful.

An executor should be impartial and, in a perfect world, have good relationships with the beneficiaries. The executor should have a strong attention to detail. All the experts highlight this, but for some reason, I find many people ignore this advice when choosing executors. Don’t. An executor should have strong communication skills. And again, so important, but too often ignored.

But what doesn’t get enough attention are the qualities you DON’T want in an executor: Here are the big two. Trust me on this, this is important. 1) The executor should not have a defensive personality. Should not be thin skinned or easily offended. Formula for disaster. Promise me you’ll think about this.

And 2) Nor should the executor have an arrogance streak. Confidence, good. Arrogance, bad. And if your executor can on occasion act in a condescending manner, as arrogant people sometimes can… ugh, that may be the single most likely thing to lead to family friction. Hey, the personality of the executor matters big time, but you don’t see that mentioned much. By the way, I refuse to be an executor.

You’re now wondering: “Is it because you’re condescending?” You would think that.