Estate & Legacy Planning That Matches the Rest of Your Plan
Once your retirement plan is in place, the next step is making sure the wealth you've built transitions smoothly and according to your wishes. Estate and legacy planning isn't only for the ultra-wealthy — it's for anyone who wants to protect their family, avoid probate complications, and pass assets on the way they intended. At Heartland Retirement Group, we help families design personalized estate strategies that reflect what matters most to them.
Our role is different from an estate attorney's. We coordinate your financial plan and your estate documents so nothing falls through the gap between your advisor and your attorney. Whether you already have an estate planning relationship or need introductions to trusted professionals, we make sure your retirement plan and your estate plan are working from the same playbook.
Leaving More Than Money
Clarity and Confidence in the Legacy You Leave
What Changed Federally in 2026 — and Why Your State Still Matters
The federal estate tax landscape shifted in 2026, and a lot of estate documents haven't been reviewed since.
The federal estate and gift tax exemption is now $15 million per individual, and married couples can shield up to $30 million with proper
tax planning. The sunset that was scheduled to cut the exemption roughly in half at the end of 2025 didn't happen — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act removed it and set the higher figure going forward, indexed for inflation. The annual gift tax exclusion is $19,000 per recipient, or $38,000 for married couples electing to split gifts, which creates real room for families who want to transfer wealth during their lifetimes.
For the overwhelming majority of families, that means no federal estate tax. It does not mean no estate planning.
- Roughly a dozen states plus Washington, D.C., impose their own estate tax, several with exemption thresholds far below the federal figure — meaning an estate that owes nothing federally can still owe at the state level.
- A handful of states impose an inheritance tax, which is assessed on the person receiving the assets rather than the estate itself, and which often varies by how closely related the beneficiary is.
- Your domicile at death determines which rules apply. For anyone who splits time between states or is planning a move, that's a planning question, not a paperwork question.
Beneficiary designations, account titling, probate exposure, and how inherited retirement accounts are distributed still require coordination as part of any
retirement income planning strategy, regardless of where you live. If your estate documents were drafted before 2026, this is a reasonable time to review them against the current rules.
What We Cover
Legacy Planning Strategies That Reflect Your Life and Values
A well-structured plan ensures your assets are protected and distributed efficiently — without unnecessary taxes or delays. Every family’s goals are unique, and our advisors tailor each strategy around your vision and values.
Will & Trust Coordination
Your will or trust forms the foundation of your estate plan, but the documents alone don't guarantee your intentions are carried out. We collaborate with your estate attorney to make sure your legal documents align with how your accounts are titled, who is named as executor or trustee, and how your financial plan is structured.
We help you evaluate:
- Whether a will alone is sufficient or if a trust adds protection, probate avoidance, or distribution flexibility
- When and how to update documents after major life events — marriage, divorce, the birth of a grandchild, or significant changes in assets
- How assets are titled and whether that titling matches what your documents intend
Beneficiary Reviews
Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance policies often override what your will says — making them one of the most important and most frequently overlooked parts of an estate plan. We review these alongside your estate documents to make sure they're current, aligned, and working as intended.
We help you evaluate:
- Whether beneficiary designations match your current estate documents and family circumstances
- Options for contingent beneficiaries and how they affect the distribution of inherited accounts
- Tax implications for heirs inheriting IRAs, 401(k)s, and other retirement assets
Charitable & Legacy Giving
If giving back is part of your legacy, we help you structure gifts that create impact and tax efficiency.
We help you evaluate:
- Charitable trusts and donor-advised funds
- The benefits of gifting appreciated assets
- Ways to integrate philanthropy into your long-term plan
Wealth Transfer & Tax Efficiency
With federal exemptions at historically generous levels, families have real opportunities to transfer wealth efficiently — but the strategies still require coordination, and the state layer can undo a plan that only accounts for the federal one.
We help you evaluate:
- Lifetime gifting strategies, including the annual federal gift exclusion of $19,000 per recipient
- How Roth conversions and withdrawal sequencing interact with your estate and inheritance goals
- Whether your state — or the state your heirs live in — imposes an estate or inheritance tax that changes the approach
- Multi-generational planning for children and grandchildren, including how inherited retirement accounts are structured and distributed, alongside insurance and long-term care planning that protects the estate you're trying to pass on
Estate Planning Questions, Answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a trust?
Not always, but often yes. A will directs how your assets are distributed, but a trust can help your family avoid probate, provide privacy, and control how beneficiaries receive funds over time. Whether a trust makes sense depends on the size of your estate, how your assets are titled, which state you live in, and your goals for the people you're leaving them to. We help you work through those questions alongside your estate attorney.
Will my estate owe estate tax?
Federally, almost certainly not — the exemption is $15 million per individual and $30 million for married couples in 2026. The state answer is less predictable. Roughly a dozen states plus Washington, D.C., have their own estate tax, several with much lower thresholds, and a handful of states have an inheritance tax assessed on your beneficiaries. Which rules apply depends on where you're domiciled, and in some cases where your property is located.
How do I pass wealth to my kids without probate?
Several strategies can help assets transfer outside of probate — including trusts, payable-on-death designations on bank accounts, transfer-on-death registrations on investment accounts, and proper beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance. Probate rules and costs vary by state, so which combination makes the most sense depends on both your financial picture and where you live. We help you map that out in coordination with your attorney.
Can my retirement accounts pass outside my will?
Yes. IRAs, 401(k)s, and similar accounts pass through beneficiary designations, not through your will. That's why keeping those designations current is so important — and why reviewing them alongside your estate documents is part of what we do.
What happens to my estate plan if I move to another state?
Your documents generally remain valid, but the rules governing them change — probate procedure, spousal rights, estate and inheritance tax exposure, and in some cases how a trust is administered. A move is one of the clearest triggers for an estate plan review, and it's one of the most commonly skipped.
How do you work with my CPA and estate attorney?
We coordinate directly with both. Our job is to make sure your financial plan and your legal documents are working together — not operating independently. If you don't have an estate planning relationship, we can make introductions to attorneys licensed in your state.
Independent, Fiduciary Advisors Coordinating Estate and Retirement Planning
Heartland Retirement Group is a fiduciary firm — which means we're required to act in your best interest, full stop. Our team of 10 advisors, including founder Brandon Bose with 18+ years of experience, helps pre-retirees and retirees coordinate estate planning alongside their retirement income, tax, and investment strategies. We have no proprietary products and no Wall Street affiliations — just advisors who answer to you.
We're based in the
Des Moines metro and work with families across the Midwest and around the country, with meetings by video, phone, or in person.
