Estate Planning

The federal estate tax exemption remains at an all-time high. For some families, that is genuinely good news. But it may also be creating a false sense of security, especially if you live in one of the states that sets its own rules or if your estate strategy was written before the law changed.

After years of walking clients through inheritances, business sales, bonuses, and liquidity events, we have seen how these moments unfold in remarkably consistent ways. There is almost always a boat, or something like one. A vacation home. A renovation. A car that was never quite justified before. None of it is wrong on its own.

One of the greatest gifts you can give your loved ones is a thoughtful estate strategy that outlines your wishes after you are gone. Discussing estate details with your team of professionals is another way to help manage your legacy and final wishes.

Legacy preparation can play a key role in any financial strategy. Legacy management lets you consider what happens to everything you’ve accumulated—and may continue to accumulate—throughout your lifetime. But far too often, we’ve seen this as something that gets overlooked. In a 2024 survey, Caring.com found that less than one-third of Americans had wills.

At the end of 2025, portions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are set to expire. Many changes will come with the sunsetting of many rules, including the possibility that federal estate and gift tax exemption levels will revert to pre-TCJA levels.

Everyone who makes time to ponder and plan for the end of this life on earth does some form of estate planning in an effort to spare their family from facing major legal issues, inheritance taxes, and (potentially) bitter disputes.

With the advancements in medical technology, medicine, and treatment, it is now more possible than ever for a person to defeat a health crisis that would have ended a person’s life several years ago. Additionally, hospitals can now keep a person alive, often under the most extreme situations.

Why does life insurance matter?

Understandably, no one likes to contemplate the end of his or her life. We work to focus on the moment and live in the present, hopefully enjoying life stages and milestones as they come. While thinking of our own demise may seem unpleasant, just like birth, death will be a part of everyone’s life.

Have you ever received a notice stating you’ve got unclaimed money sitting around? Although your first instinct might be that you’re being scammed, and although you could be, you very well might not be.