Estate planning: It’s one of the most important aspects of financial wellness, yet it often remains the most overlooked. Many financial advisors understand its significance, but they also face considerable stress when trying to guide clients through the process. From client procrastination to legal complexities, estate planning can feel like trying to build a puzzle without seeing the picture on the box.
So, what exactly stresses financial advisors out the most about estate planning? And more importantly, how can Trust & Will help alleviate that stress? To answer these questions, I turned to the experts—financial advisors who navigate these challenges daily. Here’s what they had to say.
The Challenge: Getting Clients to Think Beyond the Present
Cary Bazan, a financial advisor with Mutual of Omaha, shared a common frustration: getting clients to look beyond their immediate financial concerns.
“My biggest stress is getting people to think beyond their immediate needs. Usually, New Year's resolutions are based around getting out of debt or saving more money, which is a good thing. I would feel better about my clients' futures if they actually had a resolution to look further out in their planning.”
For many advisors, estate planning conversations take a backseat to more pressing financial matters like retirement savings and debt management. Trust & Will plays a crucial role in shifting this mindset. By providing an accessible platform where clients can explore estate planning at their own pace, Trust & Will helps advisors initiate these important conversations earlier.
The Challenge: Complexity of Client Needs
Estate planning is not a one-size-fits-all process. Chitra Patel, Founder and CEO of WealthWorth, explains that serving diverse clients with varying estate planning needs can be stressful.
“At WealthWorth, we serve diverse clients with varying levels of complexity in their estate planning needs. It can be stressful to address every nuance while ensuring affordability and accessibility. Trust & Will’s user-friendly platform simplifies foundational estate planning for clients, giving us a solid starting point to build upon.”
Advisors need solutions that streamline estate planning while allowing for customization. Trust & Will simplifies the foundational aspects, making it easier for advisors to build a comprehensive estate strategy tailored to their clients’ needs.
The Challenge: Answering Every Client Question
Even seasoned financial advisors aren’t estate planning experts. Domenick D’Andrea, Co-Founder of DanDarah Wealth Management, expresses the stress that comes with not having all the answers:
“What stresses me most about estate planning is that I can’t answer all the questions my clients ask. Estate planning is very specialized in each client’s individual needs, and it is very important to partner with an expert who has the necessary knowledge to properly evaluate your clients’ needs.”
Trust & Will serves as a reliable resource, helping advisors bridge knowledge gaps. With an intuitive website and educational content, advisors can confidently refer clients to accurate information without feeling the pressure to be estate planning specialists themselves—like having an expert guide in your corner to fill in the missing pieces.
The Challenge: Clients Don’t See Estate Planning as an Advisor’s Role
Alan Gorlick, CEO of Gorlick Financial Strategies, points out a unique challenge: clients often separate estate planning from their financial advisor’s scope, leading to fragmented planning.
“Clients may recognize the importance of estate planning but don’t see it as my domain. This could lead to a trust, plan, or giving strategy that I’m not aware of, required changes to beneficiary designations that don’t get implemented, or a suboptimal strategy because they went to the wrong kind of lawyer.”
This disconnect between estate planning and financial advising can lead to costly mistakes. Trust & Will helps bridge this gap by integrating estate planning seamlessly into the financial planning process, reinforcing that estate planning is an essential component of overall financial health.
The Solution: A Streamlined, Digital-First Approach
Tim Woodward, Managing Partner of Blend Wealth, emphasizes how Trust & Will is transforming the way advisors approach estate planning:
“Trust & Will has been a game changer for our firm by making the estate planning process simple and accessible. By providing user-friendly tools and resources, you empower advisors like us to guide clients easily through the process. The more streamlined and accessible estate planning becomes, the fewer families are left unprepared—and that’s a win for everyone.”
The power of technology is undeniable. By removing barriers like complex paperwork and high attorney fees, Trust & Will makes estate planning more approachable, reducing stress for both advisors and clients.
Final Thoughts: Turning Stress into Opportunity
Estate planning will always have its challenges, but the right tools can make all the difference. Trust & Will is not just a platform—it’s a solution that empowers advisors to serve their clients more effectively, overcome common stressors, and ensure that families are financially secure for generations to come.
If you’re a financial advisor looking to streamline estate planning for your clients, now is the time to explore how Trust & Will can support you. Don’t let stress hold you back—let technology pave the way for a smoother, more efficient process. Start the conversation today and make estate planning a key pillar of your advisory practice. Interested in partnering with Trust & Will to enhance your own clients’ estate planning needs? Learn more about how you can join over 17,000 financial advisors and firms who are delivering peace of mind to their clients by offering a comprehensive estate planning solution. Schedule a free demo today.
Trust & Will is an online service providing legal forms and information. We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice.
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