Asset Protection Basics Checklist

Protect your hard-earned wealth from unnecessary risk.

Building wealth is only half the journey.

The other half is making sure that what you’ve worked so hard to create is protected.

An asset protection plan helps safeguard your income, savings, property, and investments from unexpected challenges — legal, financial, or otherwise. This high-level checklist gives you a structured overview of what to consider before hiring a professional or creating your own plan.

If you’re ready to think proactively about protecting your wealth, start here.

Why Asset Protection Matters

Most professionals focus on earning, saving, and investing, but forget that one unexpected event can undo years of progress.

Asset protection is not about fear. It’s about responsibility.

A personal asset protection plan helps you:

Shield your assets from potential risks
Build resilience as your wealth grows
Stay ahead of problems instead of reacting to them
Make smarter decisions when assessing risk

Whether you’re just beginning to build wealth or you’re well-established, having even a basic understanding of protection puts you miles ahead.

What This Checklist Covers

This high-level checklist walks you through the core categories of a personal asset protection plan — without legal detail, complexity, or technical jargon.

Insurance Foundations

The first layer of protection is often the simplest: insurance. This may include liability coverage, homeowner/renter policies, auto insurance, disability income, and umbrella policies.

Legal Structures

Basic awareness of entities such as LLCs, trusts, or corporate structures can help you separate personal assets from business or investment-related activities.

Titling & Ownership

Treat personal goals like business meetings.
Schedule them, protect them, and show up,
even when no one’s watching.

Documentation & Organization

A protection plan is only as strong as its paperwork. Organized records, up-to-date beneficiary designations, and clear documentation help ensure assets are both trackable and shielded appropriately

Risk Awareness

Before you can protect your assets, you must understand your vulnerabilities. This section helps you think through common areas of exposure — financial, professional, and personal.

Continuity & Estate Basics

Beneficiary designations, wills, and basic continuity plans help ensure your assets are handled the way you intend.

This checklist is your starting point, not a substitute for professional guidance.

A Critical Note on Access vs. Value

Many people feel secure because their “net worth number” looks good on paper — but that number doesn’t always tell the whole story.

As Dr. Matt explains in Step 2, some assets are:

Highly illiquid (e.g., home equity)
Restricted (e.g., retirement accounts with penalties)
Tax-sensitive (withdrawals that cost more than expected)

Asset protection means understanding not just your value, but your access.

Essential Principles of Asset Protection

Start with the basics: Insurance, titling, and documentation are the simplest ways to reduce risk.
Use layers, not single solutions: Strong protection is built through multiple overlapping safeguards.
Separate personal and professional: Don’t mix business and personal assets whenever you can avoid it.
Be proactive, not reactive: Protection is most effective when in place before an issue arises.
Educate yourself: Before working with an attorney or CPA, read a general tax/legal playbook so you can be an informed client.

Who This Checklist Is For

This resource is ideal for:

Anyone unsure how protected their assets really are
Individuals starting to build wealth and wanting to avoid common gaps
People preparing to meet with a lawyer or advisor
Those who want a simple, structured overview without legal complexity

If you want to protect what you’re building — before you need to — this checklist is your starting point.

Start Protecting What You’re Building

A strong financial foundation isn’t just about what you earn; it’s about what you keep.

Download the Asset Protection Basics checklist and begin identifying where you may need additional clarity or support.

Important Disclaimer

This checklist is for educational purposes only. It does not provide legal, tax, financial, or accounting advice. Laws and requirements vary widely by state, profession, and personal circumstance.

Before making any decisions or implementing any strategies, consult a licensed attorney, CPA, or qualified professional who can assess your specific situation.

This resource is designed to help you think more clearly, not to guide specific actions.