As a savvy consumer of financial services, it’s important to understand how your assets are safeguarded.

Late last week, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in North Carolina Department of Revenue vs. Kimberly Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust (“Kaestner”). The Supreme Court ruled that the Due Process Clause prevents a state from taxing the income of a trust in situations where the sole connection of the trust to the state is via a contingent beneficiary maintaining a presence in the state.

While you may need to quickly adjust your financial “sails” occasionally to respond to unexpected life changes, there are many other events that you can prepare for in advance to make future course corrections much easier. Here’s a review of six major life events that can alter your financial plans – plus some actions you can take now to make sure you’re prepared for the future.