Podcast
The Practical Planner
Hosted by wealth.com · EN
Let's reimagine estate planning together. We'll explore ways for advisors to better serve existing clients and grow your business. Unlike other shows that skim the surface of easily Googled topics, hosts Thomas Kopelman and Anne Rhodes provide takeaways that advisors can use to meet your clients wherever they are in the estate planning process. What’s the difference between a will and a trust? What is an estate plan, and why do you need one? What are the biggest estate planning mistakes? The Practical Planner details everything advisors need for effective estate planning. We cover everything from the basics (defining terms like beneficiary, trustee, and family trust, breaking down estate tax 101) to the more complex (such as compliance for advisors, best practices with crypto, and charitable strategies). The Practical Planner is a production of wealth.com. Wealth.com is the #1 Estate Planning Solution built for advisors. Our mission is to modernize estate planning through innovative technology. Thomas Kopelman is the Head of Community at wealth.com, and was named as a Top 100 Advisor by Investopedia in 2022 and 2023, 2023 Young Advisor to Watch, and Top 23 Millennial Financial Advisor by Business Insider. Anne Rhodes is the Chief Legal Officer at wealth.com. Prior to her current role, she was an estate planning attorney first at McDermott Will & Emery (New York), then at Perkins Coie (San Francisco).
68episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Preparing for the Unimaginable and Inevitable with Samantha Russell
May 28, 202400:36:47Tap to summarizeSamantha Russell, Chief Evangelist at FMG, joins hosts Anne Rhodes, Chief Legal Officer at wealth.com and Thomas Kopelman, Head of Community at wealth.com and Founder at AllStreet Wealth, to share her personal story and how major life events led her to view estate planning in her life—that it’s not just something the top 1% do when they’re older but is also about giving loved ones peace of mind and clarity.She discusses how selling the company she and her husband, Ryan Russell built (Twenty Over Ten) was acquired by FMG, led them to taking estate planning seriously due to the financial windfall. But when the unimaginable happened and her husband was diagnosed with cancer, estate planning took on a whole new meaning for her and her family.You can buy her husband’s book, which she discussed in the episode, on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1804090840?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_F0F592E6F9AJY05AHNZ5.
Transcribe →How to approach real estate in an estate plan with Jennifer Rozelle
May 14, 202400:43:57Tap to summarizeJennifer Rozelle, Owner and Attorney at Indiana Estate & Elder Law and host of the Legal Tea podcast, joins hosts Anne Rhodes and Thomas Kopelman to discuss what advisors need to know when helping their clients figure out what to do with their real estate assets. They touch on common mistakes to avoid, gifting strategies and why it’s often about helping clients have conversations they’ve been avoiding.
Transcribe →What to Know About Funding a Trust
Apr 30, 202400:28:52Tap to summarizeYour client has set up a trust, now what? Hosts Anne Rhodes and Thomas Kopelman dive deep into what assets should go into a trust and what assets should not or, more often, what assets can't go into a trust. They cover real estate, businesses, international assets, retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, bank accounts and more. And why the key may be what your state's threshold for probate is, known as "petition for small estate." They also tackle beneficary designations and more, sharing key insights for financial advisors.
Transcribe →How To Manage Estate Planning Costs For Clients
Apr 16, 202400:15:46Tap to summarizeHosts Anne Rhodes and Thomas Kopelman discuss how advisors can help their clients manage and reduce fees related to estate plans. The conversation highlights that, often, the biggest assistance and advisor can provide is to prepare their clients ahead of meeting an estate planner while also helping set expectations. While this can help streamline their time with an estate planner, they stress that quality is always paramount.
Transcribe →Should Your Irrevocable Trust Own Your Business?
Apr 2, 202400:32:11Tap to summarizeThe previous episode covered why you may want your revocable trust should own your business. So, in this episode hosts Anne Rhodes, Chief Legal Officer at wealth.com, and Thomas Kopelman, Head of Community at wealth.com and co-founder of AllStreet Wealth, talk about why you may want your irrevocable trust own your business. The discussion the main considerations — Control, Asset Protection and Tax Planning — as well as key legal terms to know, plus key examples of when someone may want to consider their business being in their irrevocable trust.
Transcribe →Should Your Revocable Trust Own Your Business?
Mar 19, 202400:18:54Tap to summarizeIf you’re a business owner, does it really make sense to put it in a Revocable Trust? That’s what hosts Anne Rhodes, Chief Legal Officer at wealth.com, and Thomas Koppelmen, Head of Community at wealth.com and co-founder of AllStreetWealth discuss in this week’s episode.In this episode, they cover:- Why a trust may offer more flexibility in separating out personal and business assets but also offers better protection if you’re incapacitated.- How a trust can be a better vehicle for your wishes to be followed after your passing.- Why setting up a revocable trust today offers you flexibility should you need to make changes as your business grows.
Transcribe →Tips for Advising New Clients on Estate Planning
Mar 5, 202400:19:15Tap to summarizeHelping new clients with their estate plan can be an early win. It’s not uncommon for new clients to not even have an estate plan in place. If they do, there may be opportunities for updating and optimizing.In this episode host Anne Rhodes, Chief Legal Officer at wealth.com, asks her co-host Thomas Koppelman, Co-founder of AllStreetWealth and wealth.com’s Head of Community, how he approaches new clients and where financial planning intersects with estate planning, including: Finding simple opportunities like just creating a will or updating old plans to include new children. Understand the “why” of what they did previously to see if there’s new, better ways to achieve their goals. How to dig deeper for more robust estate planning optimizations and opportunities.
Transcribe →Individual vs. Joint Trusts: Which One Makes Sense?
Feb 20, 202400:22:05Tap to summarizeDeciding to fund an individual or a joint trust may seem like a straightforward decision. But there are a number of factors that can impact which one to choose.Hosts Anne Rhodes, Chief Legal Officer at wealth.com and Thomas Koppelman, Head of Community at wealth.com and Lead Financial Advisor at AllStreet Wealth, get into the major differences between the two types of trusts, how people should approach choosing the right type of trust, and some misconceptions, including: How living in or moving to a community property state could impact a decision How joint trusts may negatively impact tax planning Why a joint trust doesn’t always have to be between spouses
Transcribe →2024 Estate Planning Numbers You Need to Know
Feb 6, 202400:32:42Tap to summarizeA new year means financial advisors are taking a fresh look at their clients’ financial plans, so it’s important to know IRS’s adjusted numbers for 2024. In this episode hosts Thomas Kopelman (Named a Top 100 financial advisor by Investopedia) and Anne Rhodes (Chief Legal Officer at Wealth.com) discuss: The updated IRS numbers all advisors need to know. Annual family gifting details and opportunities you may not be aware of. Other estate planning strategies, such as why grandparents contributing to a 529 plan are excluded from FAFSA applications. Get the full 2024 IRS inflation Adjusted Numbers Reference Guide for Estate Planning here.
Transcribe →Revocable Trusts Explained: The Power To Change Your Mind
Jan 23, 202400:26:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Practical Planner hosts Anne Rhodes & Thomas Kopelman discuss what advisors need to know about revocable trusts, including: What revocable trusts are & how they function. Common reasons why clients benefit from having revocable trusts, such as real estate ownership privacy. The differences between trust restatements and amendments. Common misconceptions about revocable trusts. + More Find other episodes of The Practical Planner at wealth.com/podcast
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