What to Know About Estate Planning in 2026

I often sit down with families who tell me the same thing: I’m not a billionaire, so I don’t really have an “estate” to plan. It’s a common misconception I encounter here at Amuni.

An estate feels like a luxury for the ultra-wealthy. They picture a movie about an old-money dynasty arguing over heirloom silver. In reality, it’s just quiet, responsible stewardship. The kind almost every family needs.

Whether your net worth is $100,000 or $10 million, an estate plan is simply a set of instructions. Without instructions, the state steps in and becomes your voice. The state’s plan rarely aligns with a family’s true values or financial goals.

As we navigate 2026, the landscape of wealth transfer is shifting. With updated tax thresholds and evolving family dynamics, having a set-it-and-forget-it mentality is no longer an option. From my side of the desk, are what I see as the essential pillars of a resilient plan.

1. The Foundation: Why a Will is Non-Negotiable

Think of a will as the cornerstone of your financial house. It’s the primary document that spells out who gets what. But more importantly, it names the people you trust to carry out your wishes.

The Role of the Executor

In my experience, choosing an executor is where many clients get stuck. I once worked with a client who wanted to name his youngest daughter as executor because she lived closest to him. That same daughter was already overwhelmed with a demanding career and three toddlers. After we discussed the administrative burden (paying debts, filing final tax returns, and navigating probate) he realized his brother, a retired accountant with a penchant for paperwork, was actually the better fit.

The long and short of it? Your executor doesn’t have to be your favorite person. Sometimes it’s more a burden than an honor. Look for the person who can stay cool and handle the checklist when things get heavy.

Protecting the Next Generation
If you have minor children, your will is where you designate a guardian. This is perhaps the most emotional part of the process. I always tell my clients that while no one wants to imagine someone else raising their kids, making that choice yourself is an act of love. Without it, a judge who has never met your family will be the one to decide.

2. Navigating the 2026 Tax Landscape

Tax laws are never static. As of 2026, the federal estate tax exemption sits at approximately $15 million per individual (IRS, 2026; What’s new — Estate and gift tax). For many American families, this means federal estate taxes won’t be a direct hurdle.

However, tax-free at the federal level doesn’t mean plan-free.

State-Level Nuances and Income Tax

Even if you’re under the federal limit, many states have much lower estate tax thresholds. We’d often look at the income tax implications for your heirs. For example, inheriting a large Traditional IRA can create a significant tax bill for your children if not managed correctly.

At Amuni, we often look at strategies such as:

• Annual Gifting: Utilizing the annual gift tax exclusion to transfer wealth during your lifetime.
• Charitable Giving: Directing assets to causes you care about to reduce the taxable size of your estate.
• Life Insurance: Structuring policies so the proceeds provide immediate liquidity to cover debts or state taxes, ensuring your heirs don’t have to sell the family home just to pay the bills.

3. Protecting You While You’re Living

One of the biggest opportunities I see is the belief that estate planning only matters after you’re gone. Some of the most critical work we do involves protecting you during your lifetime, particularly in the event of illness or incapacity.

Beneficiary Designations and Transfer-on-Death Accounts

Before we get into the legal documents, there’s a quieter piece of estate planning that often gets overlooked: the beneficiaries listed on your accounts. Investment accounts, IRAs, 401(k)s, life insurance policies, and even most bank accounts let you name a beneficiary directly. When you do, those assets pass to the named person automatically, outside of probate, regardless of what your will says.

That last part is the one that surprises clients the most. A will does not override a beneficiary form. I’ve seen cases where someone updated their will after a divorce but forgot to update the beneficiary on an old retirement account, and the ex-spouse inherited it years later. The paperwork wins.

For non-retirement accounts that don’t have a built-in beneficiary field, ask about a Transfer-on-Death (TOD) or Payable-on-Death (POD) designation. It’s a simple form that lets your accounts pass directly to the person you name, again skipping probate entirely.

I recommend reviewing these designations every couple of years, and any time there’s a major life change. It takes 10 minutes and it’s one of the highest-leverage things you can do for your estate.

Durable Power of Attorney (POA)

A Durable POA keeps the lights on. It lets someone you trust handle the bills and the accounts here at Amuni if you’re ever sidelined.

I’ve seen the rug pulled out firsthand. A sudden stroke hits, and without a POA, the spouse is stuck asking a court-appointed guardian for permission to spend their own money on medical bills. Court-supervised guardianship is slow and expensive, and the financial matters ultimately become public record.

POA can also be drafted to include the authority to change beneficiary designations on accounts and policies, though in most states this is considered a specific or “hot” power that has to be expressly granted in the document. It isn’t included by default. If that’s something you want your agent to be able to do, it’s worth raising with your estate attorney when the document is being drafted, because adding it later may require executing a new POA.

Healthcare Directives and Living Wills

This document outlines your medical preferences. Do you want life-sustaining treatment? Who should make medical decisions if you can’t? Pairing a Healthcare Power of Attorney with a Living Will ensures that your family isn’t left guessing (or arguing) in a hospital waiting room.

4. Trusts: The Secret to Privacy and Speed

While a will is a great start, it has one major drawback: Probate.

Probate is the court-supervised process of authenticating a will. It’s public, often expensive, and can take anywhere from six months to two years to complete. This is why some of the families I advise opt for a Revocable Living Trust.

Features and Benefits of a Trust

• Privacy: Unlike a will, which becomes public record, a trust is a private document.
• Continuity: Assets held in a trust can often be accessed by beneficiaries almost immediately after your passing, bypassing the court system.
• Control: A trust allows you to put “strings” on an inheritance. If you’re worried about a 21-year-old heir receiving a large lump sum, you can structure the trust to distribute funds in stages. This might look like a portion for college, a portion at age 30, and the remainder at 35.

5. The Modern Estate: Digital Assets

In 2026, we also have to talk about your digital footprint. Your estate now includes:

• Cryptocurrency and digital wallets.
• Social media accounts and photo storage.
• Online banking and recurring subscriptions.

I encourage all my clients to maintain a secure list of accounts and passwords (often managed via a digital vault or password manager) that their executor can access. Without this, your digital legacy can be lost forever in a sea of forgot-my-password prompts.

6. Ink is Only Half the Story

The best estate plan in the world is useless if it’s a surprise to your family. Once the ink is dry, it’s time for a simple sit-down. You don’t need to open the whole ledger. Just make time to discuss the essentials:

1. Who is in charge (Executor/Trustee).
2. Where the documents are kept.
3. Who your professional team is (your advisor at Amuni, your attorney, and your CPA).

At Amuni Financial, we believe our role is to act as the quarterback of this team. We work in tandem with your legal and tax professionals to ensure your financial strategy and your estate plan are always running the same play.

Start Where You Are

If 2026 is the year you’ve decided to get your affairs in order, my best advice is to just start. You don’t need a perfect plan today. Just start building your foundation. A basic will and a Power of Attorney are infinitely better than a so-called perfect plan that never gets signed.

As your life changes (marriages, births, moves, or career shifts) your plan should evolve with you. We’re here (with offices in St. Petersburg, FL and Little Rock, AR) to help you review those milestones and make sure your legacy is protected for the long haul.

Ready to discuss your legacy? Our wealth management team at Amuni Financial is ready to help you navigate these complexities.

Amuni Financial, Inc. is a Broker-Dealer and Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Please consult with a qualified estate attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation.