Estate planning is a cornerstone of financial security, far more comprehensive than drafting a will. It involves strategies to minimize taxes, streamline asset transfers and protect wealth for future generations. Whether you’re setting up trusts, exploring life insurance options or adapting plans to market conditions, estate and legacy planning equips you to confidently navigate retirement’s challenges.
Here are some tools and strategies to keep in mind in your own estate and legacy planning.
Trusts: Shields for your assets
Trusts are among the most effective tools in estate planning, offering protection during your lifetime and beyond. A critical aspect to consider is the five-year look-back period, which requires trusts to be funded at least five years before they can shield assets from long-term care costs.
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For instance, if you establish a trust at age 70 and need long-term care at age 73, assets within the trust could still be accessible to creditors. By funding the trust five years earlier, those assets become safeguarded, ensuring they remain intact for your heirs. Timing is crucial in estate planning, and starting early provides the flexibility to address unforeseen needs.
Life insurance: More than a safety net
Life insurance is a versatile tool in estate planning, particularly for mitigating estate taxes. With the 2025 federal estate tax exemption at $13.99 million per individual, estates exceeding this threshold are taxed at 40%. However, this exemption is set to sunset in 2026, reducing the threshold to $5.6 million per person (about $7 million when adjusted for inflation).
For example, an estate worth $15 million today could grow to $20 million by 2026, leaving a $7 million tax liability for heirs. A life insurance policy can offset this burden, providing a tax-free legacy.
Modern insurance strategies
For high-net-worth individuals, innovative life insurance strategies can further enhance estate plans:
- Collateralized life insurance. Leverage existing assets to pay premiums, minimizing out-of-pocket costs.
- Hybrid policies. Combine life insurance with long-term care benefits, ensuring value whether the policy is used during your lifetime or passed on to heirs.
These options make life insurance a dynamic component of estate planning, offering both protection and growth.
Updating beneficiaries
One simple yet often-overlooked aspect of estate planning is maintaining up-to-date beneficiary designations for all aspects of your estate plan, from trusts to insurance policies. Life changes, like divorce, remarriage or the birth of grandchildren, can make previously selected beneficiaries obsolete.
Regularly reviewing and updating these designations ensures your assets are distributed according to your current wishes, avoiding unnecessary complications.
Adapting plans to changing conditions
Retirement planning doesn’t stop at implementation — it requires ongoing adjustments. Market conditions, tax laws and personal circumstances change over time, making flexibility essential.
Regular reviews of your estate plan ensure it remains aligned with your goals. Your advisers should address questions like:
- Are your income strategies resilient to market downturns?
- Have tax planning opportunities been maximized?
- Do your estate and legacy plans reflect current family dynamics?
For example, clients who prepared for the 2022 market correction through strategic reallocations avoided significant losses. Proactively adjusting plans to account for potential risks ensures long-term stability.
Building strong adviser relationships
A critical yet underappreciated aspect of retirement planning is the relationship with your financial adviser. It’s not enough for an adviser to offer a strong initial plan — they must provide ongoing guidance and support.
Frequent communication is key. Advisers who meet with clients only once a year to review portfolio performance miss the opportunity to address broader needs, like tax efficiency, estate planning and income strategies.
A robust advisory process might include quarterly meetings in the early years of retirement, gradually reducing frequency as the relationship and plan mature.
Additionally, consider your adviser’s stage of life. If your adviser is nearing retirement themselves, ask about their succession plan. Will their team provide consistent service, or will you need to transition to a new advisor? Ensuring continuity is vital for long-term planning success.
Strategies for estate and legacy resilience
Adapting to challenges isn’t just about having a plan — it’s about having the right strategies:
- Income planning for downturns. Create a diversified income plan with safe assets like annuities and bonds to withstand market corrections.
- Tax-efficient legacy strategies. Utilize tools like Roth conversions or trusts to minimize tax burdens for heirs.
- Innovative investment approaches. Work with advisers who remain engaged in finding opportunities to enhance your portfolio.
These strategies build resilience into your financial plan, ensuring it evolves alongside your needs.
To ensure your plan is robust and forward-thinking, consider these questions:
- Have you established a trust and funded it within the required timeframe?
- Are your beneficiaries current and reflective of your wishes?
- Does your adviser regularly review your plan to address changes in your circumstances or the market?
- Are you leveraging innovative tools like hybrid life insurance policies or collateralized strategies?
The bottom line
Estate planning and legacy planning are your tools to help create a secure future for you and your loved ones. By starting early, maintaining flexibility and working with a proactive adviser, you can protect your assets, adapt to changing conditions and leave a lasting legacy that reflects your values. With the right strategies, you can confidently navigate the challenges of retirement and beyond.
Want more guidance on retirement savings? Sign up for Kiplinger's six-week series, Invest for Retirement.
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