Each time you check the amount in your savings account and review your investment portfolio, you confirm you’re on the right track financially. You’re making all the smart money moves to achieve your goals, whether it’s becoming a homeowner, preparing for early retirement, or having confidence that you could withstand almost any financial emergency. However, you might wonder if you’re on the right track to creating wealth that can stand the test of time. Learn More: 6 Daily Habits of Financially Secure People Check Out: 4 Things You Should Do if You Want To Retire Early Building generational wealth is vital to protecting your loved ones and establishing a legacy. Yet, it’s not just a matter of earning a lot of money and passing it on. There are certain benchmarks that clearly indicate you’re doing the right things to build lasting wealth. GOBankingRates checked in with the experts to uncover these benchmarks. You Have a Well-Defined Plan According to John Jones, investment advisor representative at Heritage Financial, people can often get too bogged down in the individual financial products they use to build wealth, like stocks, funds, or business interests. To ensure that you’re accumulating the kind of wealth that could form a foundation for your financial legacy, you need a comprehensive plan that outlines how all these elements will work together in your best interest. “To me, looking into products before a plan is like putting the cart before the horse,” Jones said. “Once a plan is in place, then we have direction to reach the client goal, whether that be retirement planning, tax efficiency or leaving a lasting legacy.” Having a financial plan that isn’t just focused on achieving short-term financial goals — as important as they are — but also considers the long-term impact that can help your loved ones years after you’re gone, is a sign that you’re on the right path. For You: 3 Proven Strategies To Turn Middle-Class Earnings Into Lasting Family Wealth You Invest for Long-Term Growth While you’re developing the investment strategy to layer into your financial plan, you’ll be factoring in all the standard wisdom about savvy investing, like diversifying your portfolio. As you work on that strategy, Adam Hamilton, CEO of REI Hub, encourages you to focus on assets that will appreciate reliably over time. He emphasized that real estate is considered one of the best types of investment for building generational wealth. If your portfolio isn’t fixated on the hot stock of the moment, but prioritizes assets that will serve you consistently, you’re making great progress toward amassing generational wealth.