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Estate & Gift Planning Month 2025
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October is here, and for us at HeirSearch, we’re honored to, once again, join The Financial Awareness Foundation in advocating for a cause that matters deeply to legal and trust professionals: Estate & Gift Planning Awareness Month.
Our enduring commitment to partnering with The Financial Awareness Foundation is about building the financial literacy that underpins meaningful, enduring estate plans. As estate and trust professionals, you play a critical role in how well your clients understand their assets and value of committing to having a financial plan at all.
Why Financial Literacy Matters
Estate planning is the culmination of years of wealth-building, risk-taking, and intention. As one expert put it:
“You can spend decades building assets… but without an estate plan, everything you’ve worked for could be subject to probate delays, unnecessary taxes and potential disputes.”
— Cody Barbo, Found of Trust & Will, April 2025
That’s financial literacy at work. Clients who understand the risks of dying intestate or with outdated document, make choices that protect their families with firm outcomes for their heirs.
Why Plans Stall and How Financial Literacy Can Fix It
The 2025 Trust & Will Estate Planning Report shows:
- 83% of Americans say planning matters but only 31% have a will. And 55% have no plan at all.
- The primary reasons? Myths (“planning is only for the ultra-wealthy”), procrastination, and lack of clarity.
- Most people act to protect loved ones or gain peace of mind, not because of tax incentives. These emotional drivers matter in how we communicate planning.
These issues reveal a key truth: estate planning is as much about understanding and values as it is about legal instruments. Legal and trust professionals can engage their clients in the following ways:
- Educate with Intent
- Leverage Emotional Drivers
- Be Proactive
Translate complex concepts, like irrevocable transfers, or generation-skipping tax nuances, into straightforward terms. Ground them in outcomes: protecting heirs, preserving legacy, and preventing later disputes.
Clients are motivated by “peace of mind” and “protecting loved ones.” Position estate planning not as cold tax-saving mechanics, but as thoughtful legacy design.
Individual circumstances can change. An estate plan established in 2017 may not account for all of a client’s heirs or assets. Regular reviews ensure all assets and beneficiaries are accounted for.
How HeirSearch Supports Your Practice and Your Clients
An integral part of financial health revolves around robust estate and gift planning, which encompasses diverse aspects like inventorying tangible and intangible belongings, frequent beneficiary reviews, and navigating probate laws per state legislation. We at HeirSearch remain steadfast in underscoring the pivotal nature of estate planning in safeguarding against financial risks that could impact your loved ones.
Remember: sound financial planning is a gift to your clients’ future self and your loved ones.
Let’s make it count, especially this October by celebrating Estate & Gift Planning Awareness Month.
Do You Need Help Establishing Heirship for Probate or Trust Termination Purposes?
If you’re a legal professional facing the challenge of locating a missing heir or beneficiary in an estate or trust matter, HeirSearch can help.
Our professional researchers identify and locate missing or unknown beneficiaries and heirs for probate and trust termination. We work with executors, administrators, trustees, fiduciaries, bank and trust officers, and their counsel to establish kinship and identify shareholders for legal purposes.
Since 1967, we’ve completed tens of thousands of worldwide searches. And we proudly offer no-cost, no-obligation consultations, court-ready reports, and reasonable, non-percentage-based fees.
Feel free to reach out with any questions. We look forward to connecting!
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