Tag: Advisor Enablement

Navigating Capacity and Conflict: The Estate Planner’s Role in Combating Elder Financial Abuse

Testamentary capacity and contractual capacity are critical, yet often subtle, threats to the validity of a client’s estate plan and whether their final wishes will be respected. If you work with a client who is older and where capacity to make a will or a trust may be questioned by any of their potential beneficiaries, you should consider the implications of, and how to protect against, a claim that your client lacked testamentary capacity.

Testamentary capacity is the legal term for a person’s mental ability to create or alter a valid will. It is generally considered to be a lower standard than contractual capacity, which is required for making any kind of contract, which includes a trust. Both are tested by courts at the time when the will or trust is created or updated.

For financial advisors and their firms, the responsibility extends beyond simple compliance. It requires a proactive, defensive posture within the estate planning process. When an older client’s decisions regarding their estate appear coerced or their final wishes seem to suddenly and illogically shift, the core issue quickly pivots to legal capacity and the presence of undue influence. A breakdown in capacity awareness and a failure to address influence concerns can lead directly to contested documents and subsequent, costly litigation against the client’s estate and the firm itself.

In passing, it’s important to recognize that the same vulnerabilities that expose a client to undue influence in their estate planning are also strong indicators that they may be vulnerable in managing their day-to-day financial affairs. However, the primary focus for firms must be on the legal standard of undue influence as it relates to the validity and contestability of essential estate planning documents.

The Critical Challenge of Client Capacity

It is common for an elderly client to communicate through a close family member, personal assistant, or caretaker. This dynamic, while practical for daily interaction, raises a significant concern for the advisor: ensuring the estate plan truly reflects the client’s autonomous will and not the demands of an interested party. This is required under the legal standard for ensuring there is not undue influence in the estate planning process. The presence of an overbearing or overly-involved third party is a crucial red flag that requires immediate, objective documentation by the attorney, and a financial advisor may be called upon to assist.

Case Study: The Brooke Astor Scandal

The worst-case scenario for any professional serving an elderly client is having their professional judgment—particularly regarding the client’s mental capacity—challenged under oath in a public courtroom. No situation illustrates this professional and reputational hazard more vividly than the high-profile litigation surrounding the estate of Brooke Astor.

The case centered on allegations that Mrs. Astor’s son, Anthony Marshall, and her attorney, Francis X. Morrissey Jr., exerted undue influence to change her will in 2003 and 2004, when she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The resulting criminal trial and civil litigation placed many of the people closest to Mrs. Astor—including her long-time, trusted attorneys, financial advisors, and even personal staff—on the witness stand.

The core of the defense and prosecution arguments required these professionals to testify in granular detail about their interactions with Mrs. Astor, including:

  • When they last saw her.
  • What she said and how she acted.
  • Whether, in their professional opinion, she possessed the legal capacity to understand and execute the documents in question.

This litigation demonstrated how the judgment of trusted advisors regarding client capacity and freedom from influence can become the central, devastating question after a client’s death, turning private financial planning into a public, protracted legal spectacle.

Proactive Capacity Determination

If you are a financial advisor and you suspect that your client’s mental capacity or influence from trusted intermediaries could become an issue upon death, you can proceed with helping them with estate planning, but documentation and a litigation-avoidance mindset become important. 

Your client must hire an attorney, and you should help the attorney document the client’s mental state and intentions, moving beyond simple observation to establish an auditable record.

After your client has passed away, a person seeking to challenge their updated or newly created estate planning documents will have the burden of proof, by clear and convincing evidence, that your client suffered from diminished capacity and was subjected to undue influence. The burden of proof will feel even higher if you helped your client to document their intent and capacity before the claim when the estate plan is executed. Importantly, greater weight is usually given if the evidence is close-in-time to the date when a legal document was signed.

To do this:

  1. Have an Honest Conversation: The initial engagement must include an open discussion with the client, acknowledging the dynamics in the family and any risk of post-death litigation. It should be the attorney’s role to address this issue, but if you are the more trusted advisor, this topic may fall to you. 
    1. Address that awkwardness head on. Frame the contemporaneous capacity review as a protective measure in the best interests of the client’s intended beneficiaries. “Now, I know that no one wants to talk about this topic, but you have told me in the past that you are concerned about your daughter being angry that you’re changing your mind about her share. The most obvious way to attach your estate plan is to claim that you didn’t know what you were doing when you signed your will.” “The point here is not to embarrass you. It is to make sure that how you define your legacy is respected.”
    2. Mention that solutions exist to defend against a claim and make it almost impossible to attach the plan. Leave the details to the attorney. “Your wishes as a client should be respected by the court and those who remain after you. If you think this may be an issue, as I do, would you like us to think about how to achieve that?”
  2. Document Capacity: The attorney should have a standard bag of tricks for creating the documentation to defend the validity of their estate planning documents. These tactics may have a wide range of costs and reliability, but are all aimed to create a record that would present significant hurdles to a litigant. 
    1. First, the attorney may  use a standardized, reputable assessment tool to determine capacity before accepting to update or create an estate plan. The most commonly used one is published by the American Psychological Association (APA). Of course, an attorney is not specifically trained to assess mental capacity, but this may be better proof than the litigant can submit that your client had capacity at the time the estate planning documents were executed.
    2. Second, your client may seek a psychological assessment from their primary physician, and their findings could be entered into their medical records.
    3. Lastly, your client may choose to be examined by a neurologist for the express purpose of establishing the minimum mental capacity and free will to be able to execute estate planning documents. A geriatric neurologist or forensic neuropsychologist specializing in assessment of testamentary and contractual capacity may be preferred. 
  3. Clearly Delineate the Intermediary’s Role: Your client should write or orally dictate how the client wants the attorney and other advisors to interact with the relaying party (i.e., a child or caretaker). Importantly, the client should establish the boundaries of the intermediary’s authority. This step prevents the intermediary from inadvertently or deliberately controlling the process and helps ensure a clear line of communication directly to the client regarding sensitive decisions. 
  4. Avoid Digital Estate Planning Platforms: Where your client’s mental capacity may become an issue, it is important to consider whether your client can meaningfully make their own legally effective selections in a browser-based tool. Moreover, an attorney is ideally positioned to advise your client on strategies to mitigate litigation risk based on a claim of undue influence or lack of mental capacity. Those are not issues that a digital estate planning platform should be handling because they require legal advice.

The Higher Bar: Testamentary vs. Contractual Capacity

The requisite capacity changes based on the type of document being executed. The legal standard for capacity to execute a will is lower than the standard required to execute a trust, which is at its core, a contract:

  • Testamentary Capacity (Wills): Most states use a standard requiring the client to understand three core elements: the nature of the act (making a will), the general nature and extent of their property (bounty), and the natural objects of their bounty (beneficiaries). This threshold is deliberately designed to be low to uphold the personal autonomy of the testator. The test for a will focuses on basic comprehension at the time of execution.
  • Contractual Capacity (Trusts): Because a trust is fundamentally a contract that involves ongoing fiduciary responsibilities and property management, the client must meet the higher standard of contractual capacity. This typically requires a greater comprehension of the document’s long-term effects, including the potential financial consequences and the ongoing obligations being created for the trustee and beneficiaries. This higher bar reflects the complexity and longer time of effect of a trust agreement.

In situations where the likelihood of litigation based on mental capacity is significant, the most stringent defense is to recommend the client undergo a neurological assessment on the day of or the day before document signing. The resulting report must be comprehensive, specifically addressing both the lower testamentary capacity standard and the higher contractual capacity standard, and in the absence of any persons other than the client and the person conducting the assessment. In particular, none of the attorney, the advisor, nor any intermediaries should be present. A positive report removes issues of fact that the litigant might otherwise bring before the court. 

Conclusion

For wealth management firms and their advisors, proactively addressing the risks of undue influence and diminished capacity is not merely a matter of compliance, but a fundamental pillar of fiduciary responsibility and reputational defense. The case of Brooke Astor serves as a stark warning that failure to establish a robust, objective, and auditable record of a client’s autonomous will can result in costly, public litigation where professional judgment is placed on trial. By adopting a litigation-avoidance mindset, collaborating with legal counsel to implement contemporaneous capacity documentation—including objective medical assessments—and clearly defining the role of intermediaries, advisors can create significant hurdles for potential challengers, ultimately ensuring the client’s final wishes and legacy are honored.

The Top 5 Tax Changes Financial Advisors Need to Know in 2026

The 2026 landscape for financial advisors offers both complexity as well as opportunity as clients brace for sizable changes from years past. These changes create planning windows that require immediate attention, but they can also introduce tax traps for high-net-worth clients that advisors must navigate carefully.

From the sunsetting of many pieces of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to adjustments brought on by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (such as avoiding the dreaded estate tax “cliff”), tax planning opportunities are everywhere.

If your firm is managing clients across the wealth spectrum, the challenge is straightforward. Proactive tax planning is the only way to help clients avoid potentially higher than expected payments down the line.

Now, let’s look at the five most impactful changes for 2026 for estate and tax planning.

Top 5 Tax Changes in 2026 Advisors Need to Know

1. The $15 Million Estate Exemption Floor

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act replaced the feared estate tax “sunset cliff” with a permanent exemption floor of $15 million per individual, or $30 million for married couples, indexed for inflation. This resolves years of planning around a potential 50% drop to roughly $7 million exemption floor and materially changes how you can frame estate strategy discussions.

Instead of urgency-driven gifting, the planning objective shifts to growth management and asset freezing. High-net-worth clients no longer need to rush transfers simply to preserve exemption. They can focus on where future appreciation should live.

For many clients, this increases the relevance of structures such as Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs) and Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs). These strategies allow you to lock in today’s exemption while removing future growth from the taxable estate, without forcing irreversible liquidity decisions.

Advisory Impact: Shift client conversations from “crisis gifting” to growth-focused planning. For clients with estates approaching $15 to $30 million, consider the use of SLATs and IDGTs to freeze asset values at this high baseline while preserving flexibility.

2. Managing the “SALT Torpedo” ($500k–$600k MAGI)

The OBBBA increased the State and Local Tax deduction cap to $40,000 for the 2025 tax year (as adjusted for inflation, this is a cap of $40,400 for 2026 and will be adjusted 1% each year thereafter). On its face, that looks like relief. However, the provision includes a phaseout between $500,000 and $600,000 of Modified Adjusted Gross Income that creates a tax trap for impacted clients.

Within this $100,000 band, each additional dollar of income reduces the SALT deduction by 30 cents. When layered on top of federal and state marginal rates, this can push effective marginal tax rates north of 45 percent.

You should assume that clients hovering near this threshold will experience meaningful tax friction if their income timing is not coordinated. Capital gains realization, trust distributions, Roth conversions, and bonus income all matter more inside this narrow window than outside it. It is also worth nothing that the increased SALT cap will sunset, absent further congressional action, beginning in 2030, when it set to revert back to $10,000.

Advisory Impact: Use scenario modeling to time capital gains, trust distributions, and other income events outside the $500,000 to $600,000 MAGI band. For clients who cannot avoid this range, consider strategies to reduce MAGI such as increased 401(k) contributions or funding a Health Savings Account.

3. Permanence of the 20% QBI Deduction (Section 199A)

The OBBBA made the 20 percent Qualified Business Income deduction permanent, expanded the phase-in ranges to $150,000 for joint filers, and introduced a $400 minimum deduction for active business owners.

If you’re working with founders and closely held businesses, this change removes a major planning uncertainty. The effective top federal rate on qualifying pass-through income now stabilizes at just above 29 percent, which impacts business decisions like entity selection, compensation strategy, and exit planning.

More importantly, the permanence of this change creates a chance to do more long-term modeling. You can now evaluate S-corporation salary splits, aggregation strategies, and succession scenarios without assuming a rate shock a few years down the line.

Advisory Impact: Review entity structure and compensation strategies for pass-through clients. The permanent effective rate changes the calculus for business succession planning and Roth conversion timing. For closely held businesses planning exits, model QBI impact across multiple tax years.

4. Mandatory Roth Catch-Ups for High Earners

Beginning January 1, 2026, the SECURE 2.0 Act requires workers age 50 and older who earned more than $150,000 to make catch-up contributions on a Roth basis

This is not an optional decision; it is a plan design requirement. In 2026, the limit for catch-up contributions increases to $8,000.

If you recall, SECURE 2.0 was enacted back in 2022 but this part of the Act has been delayed until now.

Advisory Impact: This is a mandatory plan design change. It’s also important to note that if a client’s employer plan does not offer a Roth feature by 2026, high earners won’t have the ability to take advantage of these catch-up contributions. You should audit client 401(k) plans now to verify if this strategy is available to them.

5. The “Senior Deduction” Planning Window (2026–2028)

For tax years 2026 through 2028, taxpayers age 65 and older receive a new $6,000 deduction, or $12,000 for married couples, layered on top of existing standard or itemized deductions.

Unlike some of the other permanent changes we’ve covered, this provision is temporary.

For retirees with moderate income, the deduction creates a short-term opportunity to absorb additional taxable income without increasing marginal rates. In practice, this makes tax bracket management with Roth conversions more efficient during this three-year window.

The opportunity is most relevant for retirees who can keep Modified Adjusted Gross Income below $75,000 (single) or $150,000 (joint) while converting portions of traditional IRAs.

Advisory Impact: Identify clients age 65 and older with traditional IRA balances and MAGI below the thresholds. Model multi-year Roth conversion planning for 2026 through 2028 to maximize the benefit of the temporary senior deduction before it expires.

 

What These Tax Changes Mean for Your Advisory Firm

These 2026 tax changes reward proactive planning. Each of these five provisions covered here creates a window where strategic timing can deliver measurable client value, for both long-term and short-term tax strategies.

For you and your firm, this translates to an increased need for scenario modeling, income timing coordination, and multi-year tax projections. The firms that deliver this level of planning will have an incredible opportunity to strengthen client relationships and differentiate their practice.

To see how your firm can model these 2026 tax changes and turn them into measurable planning value, learn more about Wealth.com Tax Planning at wealth.com/tax.

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Wealth.com does not provide legal, tax, or investment advice. The choice of trust jurisdiction depends on your client’s specific family dynamics, asset mix, and goals.

The Modern Inheritance Trap: How DNA Tests Make Specificity the New Standard in Estate Planning

At-home genetic testing has transformed how families uncover their histories, but it has also introduced new complexity into estate planning. According to The Wall Street Journal article, “They Found Relatives on 23andMe and Asked for a Cut of the Inheritance,” unexpected discoveries are now leading to inheritance claims from previously unknown relatives, intensifying disputes that have existed for generations.

This is the ultimate modern cautionary tale: The person you thought was your sole child might have an unknown half-sibling who now has a legal claim to your estate.

The issue isn’t simply using general terms like “to my descendants” or “to my children.” The real vulnerability lies in using these terms without precisely defining who is included and, crucially, who is excluded.

Fortunately, a well-drafted estate plan is the definitive defense against unknown heirs and unintended consequences.

The Three Pillars of Protection Against Unknown Heirs

To shield your intended beneficiaries from costly challenges, your estate plan must be exceptionally clear. These three essential steps help ensure your legacy goes exactly where you intend:

  1. Establish a Formal Estate Plan: The foundation of protection is a legally sound Will and/or Trust. Dying intestate (without a plan) subjects your estate to state intestacy laws, which rely on biological relationships—a perfect scenario for an unknown heir to stake a claim based on genetic proof.
  2. Define a Closed Set of “Children”: Clarity begins at the first generation. Your documents should specifically list your intended children (by name) and explicitly state that any child not listed is disavowed as an heir. This closes the door to newly discovered half-siblings or biological children unknown to you.
  3. Coordinate the Definition of “Descendants”: For inheritance purposes beyond your children’s generation (grandchildren, great-grandchildren), the plan should incorporate a similarly limited definition of “descendant” that seamlessly coordinates with the specific list of children defined in Step 2. You may also want to consider limiting further descendants to exclude potential unknown descendants of your children and further generations as well.

The Power of Per Stirpes

While you must specifically name your primary children, it is impractical (and unnecessary) to list every future grandchild and remote descendant. This is where a powerful legal concept comes into play: per stirpes.

Per stirpes (Latin for “by the branch”) is a legal term defined for estate planning that allows a deceased person’s share of an inheritance to pass down to their descendants. It’s a mechanism of representation. For example, if you have two children (A and B), and A dies before you, A’s share would pass per stirpes to A’s children (your grandchildren).

By defining your children narrowly (Step 2) and then using the legal concept of per stirpes (Step 3) for all subsequent generations, you ensure that only the family lines you explicitly approve can benefit. However, as noted above, further consideration should be given to the possibility that your children or further descendants may have unknown descendants of their own. This is where a carefully crafted definition of “descendants” comes into play within your estate planning documents to ensure that further generations can inherit property by representation (per stirpes), but that those generations are again limited to those actually included in your own personal definition of family. This is particularly vital if your estate plan creates further trusts for future generations, such as dynasty trust structures (where children’s shares are held in further trust for their lifetime and then passed down to their own descendants).

As the legal landscape continues to grapple with the complexities introduced by genetic testing, the lesson for anyone writing or updating their estate plan is simple: specificity is paramount. According to legal experts, “If you leave property to ‘all your nieces and nephews’ as a class gift, and someone can prove through DNA to be a niece or nephew, he will be included in the class gift.” (Stouffer Legal, 2021). The best practice is to use precise, intentional language to name or exclude, giving your wishes the legal weight they deserve. Additionally, if the intent is that assets are held in further trust structures for multiple generations, you should consider all possible scenarios for future potential unknown heirs/descendants that you may want to exclude.

Usually, this is accomplished by taking a dual approach to the problem in your legal documents. First, name the individuals whom you consider to be your children. Legally, you will be closing the set of individuals who can make a claim as a member of the next generation. Second, your legal document should clearly define the word “descendant” by covering the situations under which you would or would not consider someone to be a descendant. This definition would apply to the descendants of your children (or any other family member who is named as your beneficiary and whose descendants might inherit your assets). For example, the definition might address adoption, assistive reproductive technology, the child who is conceived before death but born after death, and the child who is born out of wedlock.  

A comprehensive estate planning platform like Wealth.com is perfectly positioned to operationalize these three pillars of protection. First, users create estate planning documents that are legally binding, override default laws, and provide guidance in areas where laws are silent. Second, the guided forms require users to explicitly name a closed set of children, if the user has at least one child, and automatically provide a comprehensive definition of “descendant” to cover unusual circumstances and of “per stirpes” to describe who qualifies as a member of the user’s subsequent generations. This integrated approach ensures that the digital convenience of the platform results in a legally robust document, giving users confidence that their estate plan is fortified against the modern challenges posed by DNA discovery and unexpected claims.

Sources and Further Reading

EstateCon 2026: The Top 10 Product Announcements Shaping the Future of Planning

In front of a sold-out in-person audience, with more than 2,000 joining virtually, Wealth.com opened its annual product keynote with insights from Chief Product Officer Danny Lohrfink, SVP of Product Nicole McMullin, and CEO Rafael Loureiro.

As he noted in his opening remarks, we are in the middle of the largest wealth transfer in history, with $124 trillion changing hands. Yet the industry still relies on tools not designed for this moment. Fragmentation creates friction and missed outcomes, preventing planning from compounding and scaling.

To solve this, we unveiled new advisor updates, integrations, and Wealth.com Tax Planning. Here are the top 10 announcements from the EstateCon 2026 Product Keynote.

  1. Introducing Wealth.com Tax Planning

The headline of the event was the official launch of Wealth.com Tax Planning. Historically, tax and estate planning have lived in separate silos, but we know these decisions are inseparable. This new module unifies them, allowing advisors to model how tax strategies—like exercising options or relocating—directly shape the legacy a client leaves behind.

  1. A Landmark Integration with Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions

Opening a trust account has traditionally been a tedious process defined by manual data entry. By integrating Wealth.com with Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions (GSCS), advisors can now move from document review to account funding in a single, unified workflow.

Leveraging Ester®, the first AI assistant specifically trained in estate planning, the system automatically extracts key trust details—such as grantors, trustees, and beneficiaries—directly from legal documents to pre-fill account applications. Advisors can open trust accounts, link bank accounts, and initiate ACAT transfers without ever leaving the Wealth.com dashboard.

  1. In-App Deed Preparation

One of the most persistent challenges in estate planning is the funding gap, the period after a trust is created but before assets, especially real estate, are formally transferred into it. Historically, deed transfers required outside attorneys, manual title research, and months of coordination.

To eliminate that friction, we launched In-App Deed Preparation. Clients can now initiate deed transfers directly within their Wealth.com portal and complete the process in days, not months, and with coverage across every county in all fifty U.S. states.

The entire experience is client-led. Clients select their properties, choose their timeline including a 48-hour rush option, schedule a mobile notary at their convenience, submit payment by credit card, and notarize their entire Wealth.com estate plan in one coordinated step.

  1. Meeting Intelligence: Jump, Zocks, and Zoom AI

Planning shouldn’t start with data entry; it should start with listening. We announced new integrations with Jump, Zocks, and Zoom AI that turn meeting transcripts into actionable data. If a client mentions a liquidity event or a move during a call, that context flows directly into their Wealth.com profile without you having to type a word.

  1. Ester Becomes Consequence-Aware

Our AI assistant, Ester, has evolved beyond simply extracting information from documents. She now understands consequences, and soon, policy. During the keynote, we showed Ester analyzing a 50-page trust in seconds, flagging real risks such as ambiguous distribution language and potential trustee conflicts. But coming in April, Ester goes a step further.

Advisors will be able to simply ask:
“What if the leading Democratic candidates in New York City were to enact their proposed policies? How would my clients be impacted?”

In seconds, Ester will do what an analyst would normally spend an entire day on. First, she reviews the latest polling data to identify the leading candidates. Next, she researches their proposed legislative agendas, with a focus on personal finance issues such as income and estate taxes. Finally, she analyzes those proposals against the client’s actual circumstances, their real balance sheet and their actual estate plan.

The output is a clear, side-by-side view of how potential policy changes could impact a client’s financial outcomes, translating abstract policy into real dollars and real decisions.

  1. The New Report Builder & Visual Flowcharts

We have completely rebuilt how estate plans are visualized . The new Report Builder moves away from static PDFs to create living flowcharts. These visuals show exactly how assets move and when trusts activate, ensuring clients truly understand their plan.

  1. Integrating Alternatives with Arch

Building on our robust suite of integrations with eMoney, Addepar, and BlackDiamond, we announced an upcoming integration with Arch. This will allow advisors to seamlessly capture hundreds of alternative investments owned by HNW clients and incorporate them directly into the planning process.

  1. Major milestones in estate planning at scale

Wealth.com announced:

    • Over 100,000 estate plans completed

    • Coverage across all 50 states

    • Average completion time under 30 minutes

    • 94 percent start-to-completion rate

  1. Side-by-Side Scenario Comparisons

Clients often ask, “What if I moved?” Now, you don’t have to guess. Our new comparison tool lets you run scenarios—like a move from New York to Florida—side-by-side. The system instantly calculates the differences in income tax, estate tax, and family outcomes.

  1. Compounding Estate Impact Metrics

Finally, we introduced a metric that changes how clients view tax strategy. When you model a decision—like a Roth conversion—Wealth.com now explicitly shows how that choice impacts the estate size decades in the future. It’s the power of compounding, made visible.

 

The Future is Already Here

As Rafael said in his closing, this isn’t an academic exercise. It’s about giving families certainty and ensuring that fragmentation never gets in the way of compounding. Ready to see these features in action?

Watch the EstateCon Keynote Replay

 

Wealth.com Launches Proprietary Tax Planning Platform, Fully Integrated within Industry Leading Estate Planning Ecosystem

PHOENIX, AZ – JANUARY 27, 2026— Wealth.com, the modern planning platform for wealth management firms, today announced the launch of Wealth.com Tax Planning, a next-generation solution that unifies tax planning, estate strategy and execution workflows within a single platform for advisors. The announcement was made during the keynote address at Wealth.com’s inaugural EstateCon, delivered to a sold-out in-person audience and more than 1,000 virtual attendees nationwide.

As advisors navigate increasingly complex client lives, including multi-state residency, concentrated equity, Qualified Small Business stock considerations, advanced trusts, evolving tax legislation and multigenerational planning needs, fragmented tools and disconnected workflows have struggled to keep pace. Wealth.com Tax Planning is designed to close this gap by connecting tax strategy, legal intent and execution inside one integrated system.

“Tax planning and estate planning are inseparable parts of a holistic financial plan, yet the industry has historically treated them as disconnected disciplines,” said Rafael Loureiro, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wealth.com. “Advisors are being asked to do more, with greater precision and accountability. We built Wealth.com Tax Planning to move beyond calculating a tax bill and toward architecting a client’s future. It is the difference between optimizing a moment and compounding a lifetime.”

 

Introducing Wealth.com Tax Planning

Wealth.com Tax Planning enables advisors to model forward-looking tax strategies while understanding their downstream impact on estate outcomes, gifting capacity, charitable planning and long-term family legacy. Rather than optimizing for a single tax year, the platform connects tax decisions to multigenerational outcomes.

Key capabilities include:

  • Multi-state tax scenario modeling with side-by-side comparisons
  • Guided planning workflows through intuitive “Quick Actions”
  • Natural-language data capture from advisor and client inputs
  • Client-ready reporting with delivery through a secure client portal

“Advisors don’t think about tax planning, estate planning and execution as separate workflows. They think in terms of outcomes for real families,” said Danny Lohrfink, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Wealth.com. “We built Wealth.com Tax Planning to reflect how advice is actually delivered, connecting tax decisions to legal structures and execution in one continuous system. This gives advisors confidence that what they plan is what ultimately gets implemented.”

Tax Planning is embedded directly within the Wealth.com platform, ensuring tax strategies remain continuously connected to trusts, legal documents and execution workflows, and will be available on April 2, 2026.

 

Second-Generation AI Built for Planning, Not Just Calculation

During the keynote, Wealth.com also unveiled major advancements to Ester®, its proprietary AI engine. Ester now analyzes federal and state tax documents alongside estate documents and trust provisions to surface risks, conflicts and future-state implications across a client’s plan.

These insights power Wealth.com’s redesigned Report Builder, enabling advisors to deliver clearer, more actionable planning narratives that connect tax decisions to estate outcomes, funding gaps and long-term legacy considerations.

 

Additional Platform Announcements

Wealth.com also introduced several new execution-focused capabilities designed to reduce friction and accelerate outcomes for advisors and clients:

  • Mobile Notary: Enables advisors or clients to engage a notary public directly within Wealth.com, supporting same-day document execution and automatic digital upload.
  • Nationwide Deed Preparation: Now available in all 50 states through a partnership with Dec Law, simplifying trust funding for real property. Nationwide deed preparation is offered at a flat $175 per deed, plus recording fees, with advisors and clients able to track deed status and transfers directly within the Wealth.com platform.

 

New Integrations Across the Wealth.com Ecosystem

To further streamline workflows and reduce manual work, Wealth.com announced several new integrations:

  • Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions: For trust accounts held at GSCS, advisors can open and fund accounts directly within the Wealth.com platform. By automatically extracting trust data via Wealth.com this integration streamlines account setup, reduces manual data entry and increases visibility into onboarding status of complex trust structures and estate plans.
  • Zocks and Jump: Sync meeting intelligence so advisor conversations, notes and action items are reflected across estate and tax planning workflows
  • Arch: Aggregates complex client financial data, including K-1s and alternative investment holdings, to bring richer context into Wealth.com.

Together, these integrations further position Wealth.com as a system of record for tax, estate and legacy planning.

 

Continued Industry Momentum

At EstateCon, Wealth.com highlighted continued growth across both enterprise and independent advisor channels, including expanded firm-wide deployments and approvals. The company also announced plans to open a New York City office in February 2026, further expanding its physical presence and commitment to serving advisors nationwide.

 

Wealth.com Tax Tour

To bring its next-generation tax and estate planning platform directly to advisors, Wealth.com announced the Wealth.com Tax Tour, with planned stops in 20 cities throughout 2026.

To learn more about Wealth.com and its tax and estate planning platform for advisors, visit www.wealth.com/tax.

 

 

About Wealth.com

Wealth.com is the industry’s leading estate and tax planning platform, empowering thousands of wealth management firms to modernize how planning guidance is delivered to clients. Purpose-built for financial institutions, Wealth.com is the only tech-led, end-to-end platform that enables firms to scale estate and tax planning with efficiency, consistency and measurable client impact.

Trusted by some of the largest names in finance, Wealth.com combines proprietary AI, enterprise-grade security, and deep legal and tax expertise to support the full spectrum of client needs—from foundational estate plans to advanced estate and tax analysis and reporting. With the introduction of Wealth.com Tax Planning, firms can deliver more integrated, proactive planning through a single platform. Wealth.com has been widely recognized for innovation and leadership, earning Top Estate Planning Technology and Top Estate Planning Implementation at the 2025 WealthManagement.com Industry Awards, as well as the #1 estate planning market share in the 2025 Kitces AdvisorTech Study.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

StreetCred PR
[email protected]

 

Hannah Dixon
317-590-0915
[email protected]

 

Rob Farmer
415-377-3293
[email protected]

 

Add link to landing page once available.

 

Add hyperlink.

Decidely Wealth Management Drives Client Loyalty and Referrals with Wealth.com

 

In this testimonial, Sanger Smith, founder of Decidedly Wealth Management, shares how Wealth.com transformed the way he delivers estate planning for clients.

Sanger begins with a deeply personal story about his grandfather passing away without a will, an experience that shaped his commitment to helping families avoid unnecessary stress and uncertainty. He recounts working with clients Ruth and Terry, who finalized their will just 12 days before Ruth passed away, a moment that underscored both the urgency and the impact of timely estate planning.

With Wealth.com, Sanger explains, the friction is gone. He can analyze documents instantly, move faster with confidence, and complete estate plans in as little as 30 minutes. The result is not just efficiency, but stronger client relationships, increased loyalty, and more referrals. As Sanger puts it, the return on investment is undeniable, and the cost is insignificant compared to the value delivered.

How to Navigate Next Generation Estate Planning Conversations With Millennial Clients

Many Millennial clients view estate planning as something they can address “later.” They may be building careers, raising young children, buying homes, or launching businesses, yet formal planning often sits at the bottom of their financial to-do list.

Advisors hear variations of the same refrains repeatedly:

  • “I am still young. I do not need a will yet.”
  • “We are not wealthy enough for an estate plan.”
  • “My partner knows what I want. That is enough for now.”

At the same time, Millennials are increasingly holding meaningful assets and decision-making rights that require structure. This includes equity compensation, concentrated employer stock, early-stage business interests, digital property, and young children who would require guardianship.

The misconception that estate planning is only for older or high-net-worth individuals can leave significant gaps. Advisors are in a strong position to correct that narrative and show next-generation clients that planning is about control, clarity, and protection of the people and values they care about most.

Why Estate Planning Matters for Millennials

Millennial clients often have complex profiles, even if their liquid net worth is still growing. Planning matters whenever there are people who depend on them, assets that need direction, or decisions that would otherwise default to state law.

Consider these common scenarios.

New parenthood
A couple in their early thirties has a toddler and another child on the way. They have life insurance and retirement accounts, but no will and no named guardian. If one or both parents die unexpectedly, family members may disagree over who should care for the children. A court will decide, and the process may be slow and emotionally draining.

Long-term unmarried partners
A client has lived with a partner for eight years. They share a home, but the deed and most accounts are in one person’s name. Without an estate plan, the surviving partner may have no legal right to remain in the home or to inherit assets, even if that was the clear intent.

Equity compensation and employer stock
A Millennial tech employee accumulates restricted stock units and stock options at a fast growing company. They assume everything will automatically transfer to their spouse if something happens. In reality, outdated beneficiary designations, plan rules, or lack of coordination with their will can lead to unintended outcomes or delays.

Entrepreneurial ventures and side businesses
A client runs an online store and holds intellectual property, trademarks, and vendor contracts. Without planning, it is unclear who can access business accounts, manage inventory, or sell the enterprise if the owner is incapacitated. Value that took years to build may quickly erode.

Blended families
A Millennial remarried parent has children from a prior relationship and a new baby with a current spouse. Without explicit instructions, state intestacy rules may not align with their intent to provide for all children and support the current partner in a balanced way.

Student loan and debt considerations
Some private student loans and personal debts may not be discharged at death, affecting co signers or spouses. Planning helps clarify how these obligations would be handled and how to protect the financial position of surviving family members.

Digital asset control
Clients store photos, creative work, and financial value across cloud services, social platforms, and crypto wallets. Without documented access and clear instructions, families may be locked out of accounts or lose digital value permanently.

Medical directives and decision making
A young professional has strong views about medical care and end of life decisions. If they do not have a health care proxy or advance directive, loved ones may face painful uncertainty, and medical decisions will default to statutory hierarchies rather than personal intent.

These situations are not theoretical. They play out in probate courts and family disputes every day. The role of the advisor is to translate these risks into practical, values based conversations that resonate with Millennial clients.

Advisor Talking Points and Conversation Starters

Advisors can normalize estate planning by integrating it into routine reviews and life event check-ins. The goal is to focus on clarity and education, not fear.

Here are conversation starters that support that tone:

  1. “If something unexpected happened tomorrow, who would you want to make medical decisions for you, and have you documented that preference anywhere?”
  2. “If you and your partner were both unavailable, who should care for your children, and would a court know that from your current documents?”
  3. “Do you know who would have legal access to your digital accounts, photos, or crypto wallets if you were not here to log in?”
  4. “Your equity comp and RSUs may not transfer the way you assume without updated documentation. Have you reviewed how those benefits fit into your broader estate plan?”
  5. “How would you want your partner or children supported financially if you were not here, and have you put instructions in place to make that happen?”
  6. “You have invested a lot of energy into your business. If you were unable to run it for six months, who could legally step in and make decisions?”
  7. “You mentioned causes you care deeply about. Would you like some portion of your estate or future liquidity events to support those organizations?”
  8. “Right now, state law has a default plan for your assets and decisions. Would you like to design your own plan instead?”
  9. “We review your investments regularly. I would like to do the same for your estate documents so you stay aligned with your goals.”
  10. “What would peace of mind look like for you when it comes to your family’s financial future?”

These prompts open the door to deeper dialogue without relying on worst case scenarios or scare tactics. Advisors can use these prompts to surface goals, family dynamics, and planning gaps. Legal advice and document drafting belong with an estate planning attorney or attorney supported solution. 

How Advisors Can Reframe the Value of Planning
Millennial clients respond well when estate planning is positioned as part of their overall life design. Advisors can:

  • Present planning as a tool for control, not fear; clients are choosing who makes decisions and how their assets support the people and causes they care about.
  • Emphasize that a thoughtful plan reduces avoidable legal burdens for loved ones, which aligns with many clients’ desire to “not leave a mess.”
  • Connect estate planning to milestones Millennials already prioritize, such as protecting children, securing a home, formalizing a long term partnership, or documenting ownership in a side business.
  • Frame planning as a pillar of financial wellness, in the same category as emergency funds, insurance, and retirement savings.

When clients see estate planning as an extension of the work they are already doing with their advisor, the process feels more approachable.

Practical Tips for Advisors During These Discussions
Advisors can improve engagement and follow-through by making the process concrete and manageable.

Practical mini checklist for an estate planning conversation

  1. Confirm life stage details: children, partner status, business interests, major assets.
  2. Ask one or two open questions from the list above to surface priorities.
  3. Identify the most pressing gaps, such as guardianship or lack of a health care proxy.
  4. Outline a simple sequence, for example: “First, we will confirm beneficiaries; next, we will establish key documents; then we will revisit annually.”
  5. Agree on clear next steps, including introductions to legal resources or a digital planning platform.

Additional best practices:

  • Tailor examples to the client’s life stage and values, for instance focusing on guardianship for new parents or business continuity for entrepreneurs.
  • Emphasize flexibility and remind clients that plans can be updated as careers, families, and assets evolve.
  • Bring both partners into the conversation early so each person understands the plan and feels ownership of the decisions.
  • Use simple visuals or checklists to break down the components of a plan, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and directives.
  • Introduce estate planning during natural transition moments such as job changes, stock vesting events, home purchases, or the birth or adoption of a child.

Why Technology Matters for Next Gen Clients

Millennial clients are accustomed to integrated digital experiences in banking, investing, and day to day life. They expect clarity, transparency, and relatively quick execution. Estate planning that relies solely on paper forms, long delays, and opaque processes can feel out of step.

Modern estate planning platforms can help close that gap. They typically offer:

  • Guided workflows that reduce friction, translate legal concepts into plain language, and help clients identify which documents they need.
  • Digital document creation with real time visibility into progress, so clients can see where they are in the process and what remains outstanding.
  • Secure collaboration environments where advisors, attorneys, and clients can share information without email chains and version confusion.
  • Mobile-friendly experiences and intuitive interfaces that meet clients where they already manage much of their financial life.
  • Clear compliance features and audit trails that document activity, support fiduciary oversight, and reinforce trust.

For advisors, using technology in this area is not about replacing professional judgment. It is about making the planning process more accessible and aligned with how next-generation clients already interact with financial services.

How Wealth.com Complements the Advisor’s Role
Platforms such as Wealth.com are designed to bring financial strategy and legal structure into closer alignment. When advisors integrate a modern estate planning tool into their practice, several benefits often follow.

  • Attorney-supported workflows help ensure that documents reflect current legal standards and that clients receive appropriate legal guidance while the advisor focuses on financial strategy.
  • Collaborative tools allow advisors to stay involved, from initial education through implementation and ongoing updates, without needing to manage every legal detail themselves.
  • Centralized digital storage and organization of estate documents reduce the risk that critical paperwork is lost or outdated, and make it easier to revisit the plan as life changes.
  • Time savings result from simplified data gathering and document preparation, which can free advisors to focus on higher-value planning discussions.
  • The overall client experience feels more modern and consistent with other digital financial tools, which is especially important when serving Millennials and other next-generation stakeholders.

In this model, the advisor remains the trusted guide who frames the “why” behind planning and helps clients connect estate decisions to their broader financial objectives. Wealth.com functions as an infrastructure layer that supports efficient, compliant, and understandable execution.

Millennial clients may not always see estate planning as urgent, but many already have the relationships, responsibilities, and assets that make planning essential. Advisors who introduce these conversations early, in a calm and values-based way, can help clients avoid unnecessary complexity later and build deeper trust in the process.

By combining clear education, practical examples, and technology-enabled tools such as Wealth.com, advisors can offer an estate planning experience that aligns with next-generation expectations for simplicity, transparency, and speed. Starting these discussions now, rather than waiting for a crisis or major life event, positions both clients and advisors for a more secure and intentional future.

1 2 3 4 … 12