Estate & Legacy Planning for Iowa Families
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 Des Moines area 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 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 in the area, 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 for Iowa Families in 2025 — and Why It Matters Now
Iowa's estate planning landscape shifted significantly in recent years, and many families haven't updated their tax plans to reflect it.
Iowa repealed its inheritance tax effective January 1, 2025. For deaths occurring on or after that date, no Iowa inheritance tax applies — regardless of how the beneficiary was related to the deceased. Iowa also has no state estate tax. That means for most Iowa families, there is no state-level death tax of any kind.
Federal estate tax rules still apply for larger estates. The federal exemption is $15 million per individual in 2026, and married couples can protect up to $30 million with proper retirement income planning. The annual federal gift tax exclusion is $19,000 per recipient, which creates real opportunities for families who want to transfer wealth during their lifetimes.
The repeal is a meaningful change — but it doesn't eliminate the need for a thoughtful estate plan. Beneficiary designations, account titling, probate exposure, and how inherited retirement accounts are distributed still require coordination. If your estate documents were drafted before 2025, now is a reasonable time to review them in light of the new landscape.
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 Iowa's inheritance tax gone and federal exemptions at historically generous levels, Iowa families have real opportunities to transfer wealth efficiently — but insurance and long-term care planning strategies still require coordination.
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
- Multi-generational planning for children and grandchildren, including how inherited retirement accounts are structured and distributed
Estate Planning Questions, Answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a trust if I live in Iowa?
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, and your goals for the people you're leaving them to. We help you work through those questions alongside your estate attorney.
Does Iowa still have an inheritance tax?
No. Iowa repealed its inheritance tax effective January 1, 2025. For deaths occurring on or after that date, no Iowa inheritance tax applies to any beneficiary, regardless of their relationship to the deceased. Iowa also has no state estate tax. Federal estate tax rules still apply for larger estates, but the vast majority of Iowa families won't be affected by them.
How do I pass wealth to my kids without probate in Iowa?
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. Which combination makes the most sense depends on your full financial picture, and 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.
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. We can also refer you to trusted estate attorneys in the Des Moines area if you don't have an existing relationship.
Independent, Fiduciary Advisors Serving Des Moines Area Families
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 across the
Des Moines metro 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.
