Estate Planning Services
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Your Guide to Retirement Security
Built Around You
Why Estate Planning Matters
67% of Americans lack basic estate planning documents.
Over $68 trillion is expected to transfer to heirs in the next 25 years.
Without a plan, state laws—not you—decide who inherits your assets.
Probate costs can consume 5–10% of estate value.
Key estate planning goals:
Protect assets from taxes and creditors
Ensure smooth asset transfer to loved ones
Minimize family conflict and confusion
Plan for incapacity and support charitable causes efficiently
Estate Planning 101 – Core Components
Asset Distribution: Who gets what, and when?
Incapacity Planning: Who makes decisions if you can’t?
Tax Minimization: Keep more for your family.
Family Protection: Guardianship and support provisions.
Healthcare Directives: Ensure your medical wishes are honored.
“I don’t have enough assets to need planning” and “Estate planning is only for the wealthy”—both are not true. Planning benefits everyone.
The Must-Have Documents for Everyone
Financial Power of Attorney: Authorizes money management if you’re incapacitated.
Healthcare Power of Attorney: Appoints someone to make medical decisions on your behalf.
Advance Healthcare Directive: Specifies your end-of-life care preferences.
HIPAA Authorization: Permits access to your medical information.
Other essentials:
Beneficiary designations
Letter of instruction
Digital asset inventory
Will Vs. Trust
Understanding Wills—The Foundation
Direct asset distribution after death
Names beneficiaries, guardians for minors, and appoints an executor
Cost-effective ($0–$1,000), easy to update, but subject to probate (public and may involve court delays)
No protection during incapacity
Understanding Trusts—Advanced Protection
A legal entity holding assets for beneficiaries, managed by a trustee
Revocable/Living Trust: Can be changed, avoids probate, operates during life and after death, prices vary ($160–$600 online; $3,000+ for complex)
Irrevocable Trust: Cannot be changed easily, offers tax benefits, provides protection from creditors
Trusts provide quick access to assets, incapacity planning, and privacy
The Truth: Most people need both—a will for items outside of a trust and guardianship, and a trust for major assets and incapacity planning.
When trusts make sense
Own real estate in multiple states
Concerns over family conflicts or desire for privacy
Avoid probate delays and costs
Business or complex investment ownership
Beneficiaries are minors or financially irresponsible
Need for protection in the event of incapacity
Note: Trusts must be funded (assets moved into the trust) to provide benefits.
Comparison Chart
2025 Tax Changes
2025 Individual Exemption – $13.99M (Federal estate tax exemption per person)
2025 Couple Exemption – $27.98M (Federal estate tax exemption per person)
2026+ Individual Exemption – $15M (Permanent exemption indexed for inflation)
2026+ Couple Exemption – $30M (Permanent exemption for couples indexed for inflation)
Annual Gift Exclusion – $19k (Per recipient in 2025 – up from $18k)
Note: What “Permanent” Means: No more sunset provisions, long-term planning certainty, indexed for inflation
Inflation Indexing & Future Changes
The exemption is indexed annually for inflation, which is why it increased from previous years (e.g., $13.61 million in 2024 to $13.99 million in 2025).
Originally, under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the increased exemption was set to sunset at the end of 2025, potentially dropping to about $7 million for individuals after 2026.
However, new legislation enacted in July 2025 (“One Big Beautiful Bill”/OBBBA) has made a permanent increase: for decedents dying or gifts made after December 31, 2025, the individual exemption is set at $15 million, with future inflation adjustments using 2025 as the new starting point
Annual Gift Exclusion
The annual gift tax exclusion increases to $19,000 per recipient in 2025, up from $18,000 in 2024. For married couples, this means $38,000 per year, per recipient, may be given tax-free without reducing their unified lifetime exemption
State Estate Taxes
New York: $7.16 million exemption
Massachusetts: $2 million exemption
Oregon: $1 million exemption
Washington: $2.2 million exemption
Key Point: State exemptions are much lower than federal – can’t be avoided by federal law changes and require specific state-by-state planning
Why Choose
Saxon Financial Group?
Personalized Estate Planning—Beyond the Basics
We recognize that no two families are alike—and neither are their estate planning needs. Our process begins by getting to know you: your financial goals, family dynamics, charitable wishes, and what you want your legacy to accomplish. We don’t just draft documents; we build comprehensive plans that:
Protect your assets from unnecessary taxes and legal hurdles
Ensure your wishes are honored—during your life and after
Minimize the possibility of family disputes and confusion
Support the people and causes you care about, exactly as you intend
We will take the time to understand your priorities, listening deeply so that every element of your plan reflects your intentions, values, and the future you want for your heirs.
Proactive Family Engagement and Legacy Conversations
The best estate plans aren’t made in isolation—they involve the people who will be most affected. We help you start meaningful conversations with your heirs and loved ones:
We facilitate family meetings to clarify your wishes, answer questions, and encourage transparency
Your heirs can learn about your vision and the reasoning behind your decisions, reducing potential friction later
We guide families through sensitive topics such as guardianship for minors, business succession, charitable objectives, and more
By involving your family from the beginning, we help ensure a smooth transfer of not just wealth, but also values and understanding—fostering harmony and greater peace of mind for all
Access to Advanced Estate Planning Tools—Vanilla
To make estate planning more approachable, efficient, and effective, we provide access to Vanilla, a leading AI-powered estate planning platform, as a resource for both current and new clients.
How Vanilla Enhances Your Estate Plan:
Document Creation: Easily generate wills, trusts, and healthcare directives tailored to your needs.
Document Analysis: Vanilla’s platform can review your existing plans, identify gaps, and ensure state-specific compliance.
Estate Visualization: See a clear, visual roadmap of how your assets will transfer, empowering you and your heirs to understand your plan.
Ongoing Monitoring: As laws or your situation change, we help you keep your estate plan fully up to date.
Why Clients Love Vanilla:
Turns complicated legal language into easy-to-understand summaries and visualizations
Drastically reduces the cost and time burden compared to traditional estate planning
Secure digital document storage and instant access for you and your family
interested in scheduling an estate planning meeting?
Taking action today is the first step toward protecting your legacy and ensuring your wishes are honored. Below is a checklist of important information and documents that we will need from you to begin our estate planning process. Reviewing and completing this checklist before your meeting will help our team serve you more effectively and provide a truly personalized plan. Start by asking yourself: Do I have these items organized and up to date? If not, now is the perfect time to gather them and take control of your future. Let’s work together to build a comprehensive estate plan that brings you peace of mind!
Once you complete the checklist, you can choose to schedule a meeting with us or click ‘Submit’ to download a sample estate planning report that we would create for you.
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