Estate Strategy
A Legacy That Reflects You
An estate strategy is less about documents than about intent, clearly recorded.
Overview
Understanding estate strategy
Most estates are not undone by tax. They are undone by outdated beneficiary forms, assets titled the wrong way, and instructions no one could find.
Wills and trusts
A will directs what a probate court does. A trust can direct assets privately, immediately and on your own terms.
Beneficiary designations
Retirement accounts and insurance pass by designation, not by will. These forms quietly override everything else.
Titling and ownership
How property is titled determines whether it passes smoothly or sits in probate for months.
Estate and gift tax
Federal exemptions are generous but not permanent, and several states apply their own thresholds far lower.
Calculator
Estate exposure estimator
A rough look at what your estate would face today, based on the current federal exemption and the estate tax rules of the state you select.
Estimated estate tax
$0
Net taxable estate
$11,000,000
Federal exemption applied
$30,000,000
Estimated federal tax
$0
Estimated Florida estate tax
$0
State thresholds and rates change often, and states such as New York apply a cliff rather than a simple exemption. Exposure is only part of the picture: titling, beneficiary designations and gifting strategy usually matter more to the outcome than the headline number.
Your options
How we coordinate the work
One coordinated team
We work alongside your attorney and CPA so the plan, the documents and the accounts actually agree with each other.
Lifetime gifting
Annual exclusion gifts, 529 funding and family loans can move wealth efficiently while you are here to see it work.
Charitable intent
Donor-advised funds and appreciated-security gifts let generosity and tax efficiency work together.
A regular review
Marriages, births, sales and moves all change the answer. We revisit designations and titling as part of the annual review.
This estimator is illustrative only. It does not account for portability, prior taxable gifts, trust structures, deductions or the specifics of any state estate or inheritance tax. Paulson Wealth Management does not provide legal advice; please consult your estate attorney.