Wealth Preservation Guide
Wealth Preservation Guide: Estate Planning in Plain English
Wills, trusts, taxes, and incapacity planning — explained without jargon, so you can protect your family and make informed decisions with your advisors.
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Every guide on this site, organized by question.
Estate Planning Basics
Wills, executors, probate, and the core documents every plan needs. Start here if estate planning is new to you.
Trusts Explained
What trusts are, how revocable and irrevocable trusts differ, and the most common trust types — in plain English.
Tax-Aware Strategies
How estate taxes work, gifting concepts, step-up in basis, and digital assets — the tax-aware side of preserving wealth.
Incapacity Planning
Powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and avoiding guardianship — planning for incapacity while you have capacity.
Beneficiaries & Designations
Beneficiary forms, POD/TOD designations, and the mistakes that undo good plans — the paperwork that outranks your will.
Choosing Advisors
Who does what on your estate team, how to choose an estate attorney, and the questions that reveal a good advisor.
Estate-Tax Exposure Illustrator
Answer 3 questions and get an illustrative estate-tax exposure range. The math runs in your browser and nothing is sent to any server.
Illustrative educational model only — not tax advice and not current law. Exemptions and rates change; consult a qualified estate attorney or CPA.
Fresh
New for 2026
Fresh guides for 2026 — review checklists, digital assets, blended families, and business succession.
Business Succession Basics for Small Business Owners
If you own a business, your estate plan is incomplete without succession planning. Learn buy-sell concepts, va
Read →Estate Planning for Blended Families: Key Considerations
Second marriages and stepchildren add competing priorities to estate planning. Learn key considerations, from
Read →Digital Assets and Estate Planning: What to Know
Crypto, online accounts, and digital files are part of modern estates, but access rules complicate inheritance
Read →Your 2026 Estate Planning Review: A Qualitative Checklist
Life, laws, and assets change, so estate plans should keep up. This 2026 review checklist covers life events,
Read →Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What is estate planning?
Estate planning is the process of arranging who makes decisions for you during incapacity and who receives your assets at death — through wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and beneficiary designations. Everyone with assets, dependents, or medical wishes needs the basics; the complexity of the plan scales with the complexity of your life.
Do I need a will or a trust?
A will goes through probate court and takes effect only at death; a trust can avoid probate, manage assets during incapacity, and control distributions over time. Many families use both — a will as the foundation and a trust for probate avoidance and control. Neither is automatically better; the right mix depends on your assets and goals.
What is probate, and should I avoid it?
Probate is the court process that validates a will, pays debts, and distributes assets. It costs time and money, and it is public. Common avoidance tools include revocable living trusts, beneficiary designations, and POD/TOD arrangements — but avoiding probate is not the same as avoiding taxes, and the tools must be coordinated.
Will my family owe estate taxes?
Because the federal exemption is high, most families owe no federal estate tax — but several states impose their own estate or inheritance taxes with much lower exemptions. The concepts still matter for everyone: basis planning, beneficiary tax efficiency, and state-level exposure. Our Estate-Tax Exposure Illustrator gives an illustrative sense of the federal side.
Where should I start?
Start with incapacity documents (durable power of attorney, healthcare proxy) — they protect you during life. Then a will naming guardians and an executor. Then beneficiary designations, reviewed and current. Trusts, tax-aware strategies, and business succession come after the foundation is solid. A qualified estate attorney tailors the order to your situation.
Is this site financial or legal advice?
No — this site provides general educational information only, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Estate law is state-specific and changes over time. Use these guides to become an informed client, then work with a qualified estate attorney and CPA for decisions about your own situation.