Email FacebookTwitterMenu burgerClose thin

Estate Planning Software Options for Financial Advisors

Published on
Written by Rebecca Lake
Edited by Arturo Conde, CEPF®
Share
A financial advisor uses software to create an estate plan for clients.

Estate planning may be one of the core services you offer your clients as an advisor. Utilizing the right tools can make crafting personalized estate plans easier and more efficient. If you’re interested in the best estate planning software for financial advisors, there are several top programs to choose from.

Ready to gain more clients? SmartAdvisor helps bring leads to you.

Best Estate Planning Software for Financial Advisors

Estate planning software can streamline the process of creating estate plans while ensuring that any documents included in the plan are accurate and legal. When comparing estate planning software, it’s helpful to consider the scope of features and benefits offered, as well as the cost to you and to your clients.

With that in mind, here are some estate planning software options that are highly recommended among financial advisors.

1. Asset-Map

Asset-Map is a comprehensive estate planning software created by financial professionals. It’s designed for financial planners, registered investment advisors (RIAs), insurance agents and tax or legal professionals who offer estate planning services. Advisors can choose from one of three estate planning solutions, with the Elite plan offering the broadest range of features and benefits.

Plan pricing is based on a one, two or three-year contract and advisors can choose from annual or monthly billing. Enterprise pricing is also available for larger advisory firms.

2. EncorEstate Plans

EncorEstate Plans partners with advisors to help them offer their clients a superior estate planning experience. Advisors can choose from one of four packages, depending on their clients’ needs. The most basic package allows advisors to update an existing estate plan, while the most comprehensive includes all of the legal documents necessary to create a trust-based estate plan.

This estate planning software utilizes a pay-as-you-go model rather than a recurring subscription. Each document you create is reviewed by EncorEstate Plans staff to ensure accuracy.

3. Just In Case Estates

Just In Case Estates helps financial advisors offer estate planning services to clients in a streamlined, cost-efficient way. The platform is free to advisors and clients only pay when creating estate planning documents. It’s designed for a broad range of clients, from those with fairly simple estate planning needs to high-net-worth individuals who have more complex estates.

The software utilizes visualizations to help you transmit financial information to clients in an easily digestible way. It also integrates with eMoney which may be a plus if you’re already using this financial planning software in your practice.

4. Snug

Snug allows advisors to handle the estate planning process from start to finish, without an attorney. The software program covers every aspect of creating an estate plan, including special circumstances, such as planning for the care of children or pets or protecting digital as well as physical assets.

Advisors can store client documents in Snug’s secure digital vault to ensure that sensitive information is safeguarded. The program also features an intuitive intake system, which can make client onboarding more efficient and less time-consuming.

5. NaviPlan

NaviPlan is designed with advisors who serve high-net-worth clients in mind. Advisors can use this software to develop estate plans that span a variety of needs, ranging from insurance to college planning to legacy wealth management.

With NaviPlan, you can generate visual reports to demonstrate to clients how much progress they’ve made in achieving their estate planning goals. Reports can be customized to fit individual client needs and match your firm’s branding.

6. Wealth

Wealth combines best-in-class technology with human expertise to help advisors create tailored estate plans for their clients. Advisors can use the platform to fine-tune estate plans to match the unique circumstances of clients, regardless of which stage of the process they’re in.

Some of the most helpful features include visual flowcharts for every client plan you manage, asset breakdowns and estate tax planning tools. Wealth makes it easy for advisors to generate key documents, including revocable trust documents, wills, advance health care directives and financial power of attorney forms.

7. Yourefolio

Yourefolio is a software solution for advisors who offer estate and legacy planning, though it’s also used by attorneys. The platform enables advisors to engage clients, design custom estate plans, and analyze the progress their clients are making.

One unique aspect of this software is its ability to connect advisors with beneficiaries in order to collect information for estate planning. That might be of value to advisors who are hoping to serve their current clients while bridging the gap with the next generation.

8. Vanilla

Vanilla is a complete estate planning solution for wealth advisors, financial planners and professionals who offer estate planning services. It allows advisors to create visual plans, deliver estate planning advice using a holistic approach, scale their estate planning offers and retain clients across generations.

While other estate planning software for financial advisors is focused on document creation, Vanilla allows you to organize and strategize to develop well-rounded plans.

Benefits of Using Estate Planning Software for Financial Advisors

A financial advisor uses estate planning software to work with clients.

Incorporating software programs into your estate planning services can yield a number of benefits, both for you and the clients you serve. Programs that automate certain steps of the process such as client intake, for example, can save you valuable time that you can spend serving clients or growing your business.

Estate planning software can also ensure that you’re following all applicable legal guidelines, without requiring you to outsource tasks to an attorney. Again, that can save you time as well as money if you don’t need to cover an attorney’s fees.

Clients may appreciate being able to see a visual map of their estate plan or obtain detailed reports that aren’t bogged down in jargon or technical terms. The better the experience you’re able to offer to your clients, the more likely they may be to remain your clients for the long haul.

Bottom Line

Two financial advisors work with estate planning software.

Estate planning software and other financial software programs can make running and scaling your business easier. Taking time to compare the best software options, based on features, benefits and pricing can help you to find the right one for your firm’s needs.

Tips for Growing Your Advisory Business

  • Retaining existing clients is important but you’ll also need to spend some time prospecting if you hope to grow your book of business. If you have limited time for making cold calls or you’re still working on increasing your digital footprint online, there are tools that can help. For example, SmartAdvisor can instantly boost your visibility and help you connect with leads in less time. This type of lead generation tool can be invaluable for growing your client base while leaving you free to work on other tasks.
  • Expanding your services is one way to attract new clients; leveraging social media is another. Digital marketing can be a powerful tool for connecting with your target audience and getting more eyes on your business. Creating social media content in written or video form that speaks to the needs of the types of clients you’re hoping to attract can help you to increase your firm’s visibility online.

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/courtneyk, ©iStock.com/courtneyk, ©iStock.com/courtneyk

...