Estate Planning

We assist our clients in creating plans that provide for their lifetime care, for easy access to their assets and for worry-free distribution of their assets to their heirs and benefactors. We also help maximize the value of assets transferred to heirs and minimize the impact of taxes on the estate.

When it comes to estate planning, we take a long-term view, not only working within current law but also anticipating possible events in the decades to come through multi-generational planning. 

We assist clients in creating estate plans through our association with a network of legal advisory teams and local attorneys. We are not attorneys and as such do not provide legal advice or estate-planning document preparation; however, we as financial advisors help our clients by addressing needs that might not otherwise be considered. For example, we can recommend strategies for transferring wealth to beneficiaries who may not have the experience or the maturity level to manage it yet.

Examples of real-life services we’ve provided previous clients

Tax-efficient estate plan – A wealthy couple we work with was concerned about the impact that estate taxes would have on the legacy they wanted to leave their children. Along with a local attorney, we were able to create a gifting program designed to, over the course of the couple’s lifetime, fund a life insurance policy, which in turn would generate a death benefit large enough to pay the anticipated tax bill upon the death of the second spouse. 

How we work with estate-planning clients

Analysis: We will use our expertise in tax, insurance, investments and estate planning to analyze your existing estate plan or to assist you in designing one to meet your objectives and minimize the tax impact. Since no two clients’ situations are alike, our fees are generally assessed on an hourly basis. We are able to work as part of a team of professionals, or we can refer you to an attorney who will ensure that all aspects of your plan are fully reviewed and documented.