Summer: Estate Planning & Assistance to Loved Ones
Why This Season Matters
Summer is the perfect time to focus on what you want to leave behind and how you want to help the people you love. Estate planning isn't about preparing for the end. It's about making sure the people you care about are protected, organized, and never left with confusion. This season, we build a complete estate plan and explore meaningful ways to support your loved ones — today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
What You'll Walk Away With
A clear understanding of the four ways assets transfer at death — and how yours are structured right now.
Confidence that your core documents — will, trust, power of attorney, and health care directive — are in place and current.
A thoughtful plan for supporting the people and causes you care about — and ideas for leaving a meaningful legacy that goes beyond money.
Our Meeting Agenda
When we sit down together, here's what we'll work through:
Estate Planning Topics
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Review the four ways assets transfer: will, trust, beneficiary, and joint ownership
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Build or review your core documents: will, trust, power of attorney, and directive
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Explore options for who to work with — attorney, online service, or employer benefit
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Understand when your estate plan should be updated — and what triggers a review
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Discuss the different types of trusts and which ones may be right for you
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Review beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, insurance, and annuities
Assistance to Loved Ones
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Strategies for helping aging parents with care, documents, and difficult conversations
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Gifting strategies for children and grandchildren — annual exclusions and beyond
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Spousal planning: survivor income, Social Security decisions, and long-term protection
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Education planning with 529 plans and other college savings vehicles for loved ones
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Charitable giving: Donor-Advised Funds, QCDs, and gifts of appreciated stock
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Ways to leave a meaningful legacy beyond money — through stories, values, and traditions
The Four Ways Assets Transfer at Death
Every dollar in your estate moves through one of these four channels. Knowing which channel each of your assets uses is the foundation of any good estate plan.
Will
Directs assets through probate court after death. The default if you have no other plan in place — but probate is public and can be slow.
Common assets: personal property, individual bank accounts, items not titled elsewhere
Beneficiary Designation
Overrides your will entirely. Used on retirement accounts, life insurance, and annuities — which is why these designations must stay current.
Common assets: 401(k), IRA, life insurance, annuities
Trust
Bypasses probate and stays private. Lets you control how and when assets are distributed — even years after you're gone.
Common assets: real estate, investment accounts, business interests
Joint Ownership
Transfers automatically to the surviving owner. Common for homes and bank accounts — but doesn't replace the need for a complete plan.
Common assets: primary home, joint bank accounts, jointly-titled vehicles
When to Update Your Estate Plan
A good estate plan is a living document. Review it whenever any of these life events happen — and at minimum, every 3–5 years.
Birth or Adoption
of a Child
Marriage or Divorce
Death of a Spouse, Beneficiary, or Executor
Move to a New State
Major Change in Assets
Tax Law Changes
Significant Change in Family Relationships
If You Only Do 3 Things This Summer
Even before our meeting, these three steps move the needle. Most clients can knock them out in an afternoon.
Locate Your Documents
Find your existing will, trust, power of attorney, and health care directive. Note the date on each — anything older than 5 years deserves a fresh look.
Have the Conversation
Spend 10 minutes with your spouse or family on the basics: where the documents are, who would call whom, and what your wishes are.
Verify Your Beneficiaries
Pull up your retirement, life insurance, and annuity beneficiary designations. These override your will — make sure they still reflect your wishes.
Here are the tools we use to power your financial plan.
The Big Idea This Season
" The richest inheritance isn't always measured in dollars. The most enduring estate plans are built not just to transfer money — but to transfer keepsakes, values, and love.
A well-built plan spares your family from confusion and conflict at the hardest possible moment. And a well-lived legacy — one filled with traditions, stories, and mentorship — can shape generations long after the money is spent. This season, we work on both."
" When Americans were asked what they will leave behind that matters most, 41% chose 'memories and relationships' — outranking financial assets (22%) and property (22%). "
-Trust & Will 2026 Estate Planning Report
Questions to Think About Before We Meet
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If something happened to you tomorrow, would your family know exactly where your documents are, who to call, and what your wishes are?
Who in your life — children, parents, spouse, or causes — do you most want to support, and do you have a plan to do it well?
When was the last time you reviewed the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, and life insurance — and do they still reflect your wishes?
Beyond money, what stories, values, keepsakes, or traditions do you want to pass on to the next generation?
How to Prepare
Existing Estate Documents
Think through your four core documents — will, trust, power of attorney, and health care directive — and note which you have, which need updating, and which you don't have yet. Bring whatever's on hand.
Beneficiary Information
Ensure all primary and contingent beneficiaries are up to date on your retirement accounts, life insurance, and annuities.
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Your Legacy Goals
A short list of the people and causes most important to you — and any ideas you've had about how you want to be remembered.
Watch Before Our Meeting (optional)
Tools & Technology Powering This Season
Here are the tools we use to power your financial plan.
Regularly review and update your beneficiary designations as these designations often supersede the instructions in your will or trust.
Your Local Estate Planning Attorney
Creates the legal documents that protect your assetsand guides your family through probate when the timecomes.
A donor-advised fund to donate assets, receive immediate tax benefits, and recommend grants to charities over time.
Trust & Will provides an easy, attorney-built online platform for creating wills, trusts, and other essential estate planning documents.
The WealthPlan does not provide legal advice. Clients should consult with a qualified attorney regarding their specific legal needs.
