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Estate Planning

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Introduction to Estate Planning

The advisors at Smith Complete Wealth help clients develop estate strategies designed to align with their family goals, financial priorities, and long-term legacy objectives. Estate planning is not only about deciding where assets go after your lifetime. It's an ongoing process of organizing your affairs, protecting the people you care about, and helping ensure your wishes are clearly communicated and efficiently carried out.

Effective estate planning touches many areas of your financial life, including retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, charitable giving, business succession, and risk management. Because laws, family circumstances, and financial situations can change over time, we regularly revisit your strategy and coordinate with your attorney and other professionals when appropriate. No two estate strategies at Smith Complete Wealth look alike because every family has unique goals, values, and priorities.

Estate Planning Before and During Retirement

As retirement approaches, estate planning often becomes increasingly important. Many retirees begin thinking more intentionally about how their assets will support loved ones, charitable causes, and future generations.

Retirement is often an ideal time to review beneficiary designations, trusts, wills, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney. It may also be an opportunity to evaluate charitable goals, business succession plans, and strategies for transferring assets efficiently. Durable powers of attorney can authorize trusted individuals to handle financial matters, including bank accounts and property, if you become incapacitated, within the authority granted. See the American Bar Association’s power of attorney guidance. Healthcare directives can record healthcare wishes and name someone to make medical care decisions when you cannot. See Tennessee’s advance directive form.

We help clients evaluate these decisions within the context of their broader financial plan. By coordinating estate planning with retirement income strategies, investment management, and tax considerations, we can help create a more comprehensive and cohesive approach to long-term financial success.

What Should Your Estate Planning Strategy Be Designed to Accomplish?

Estate Planning at Smith Complete Wealth is proactive and highly personalized. Rather than focusing solely on documents and legal structures, we help clients think strategically about the people, causes, and goals that matter most. We'll work together to develop a plan that reflects your wishes and integrates with your overall financial strategy while planning ahead for your family’s future.

Legacy Planning

We'll help you define what you want your legacy to be and how your assets can support the people and causes you care about. Estate planning is often about more than wealth transfer. It's about creating clarity and expressing your values for future generations.

Beneficiary Review

We'll review beneficiary designations on retirement accounts, insurance policies, and other assets to help ensure they align with your broader estate goals. These designations can have a significant impact on how assets are ultimately transferred. Valid beneficiary designations can allow certain financial accounts to bypass the probate process and generally take precedence over instructions in a will. See the American Bar Association’s introduction to wills and non-probate property.

Trust and Will Coordination

We'll work alongside your attorney to help ensure that trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and other estate documents are coordinated with your financial plan. Proper alignment can help reduce confusion and support the efficient transfer of assets according to your wishes. Common estate planning documents include a will, financial power of attorney, healthcare directives, and a trust (when appropriate). The right combination depends on your circumstances and applicable state laws. See the American Bar Association’s guide to estate planning documents.

Estate Tax Considerations

We'll help identify potential estate and inheritance tax considerations that may affect your family, business, or legacy objectives. While most families may not face federal estate taxes, thoughtful planning can still play an important role in preserving wealth and improving flexibility.

Business Succession Planning

For business owners, we'll discuss succession planning strategies that help support continuity for your business, employees, partners, and family members. A well-designed succession plan can provide clarity and confidence for everyone involved.

Charitable Giving Strategies

We'll explore charitable planning opportunities that align with your values and financial goals. Depending on your circumstances, this may include donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, beneficiary designations, or other giving strategies.

Family Communication and Coordination

One of the most overlooked aspects of estate planning is communication. We'll discuss ways to help your family understand your wishes and prepare for important future decisions. Clear communication can often help reduce uncertainty and family conflict. Discussing final wishes, personal property, and who to contact can give loved ones practical direction during a difficult time.

Ongoing Review and Updates

Estate planning is rarely a one-time event. We'll regularly review your strategy as your family, finances, goals, and applicable laws evolve. Major life events such as marriage, divorce, births, deaths, retirement, or the sale of a business may all warrant updates to your plan.

Why Families Choose Smith Complete Wealth for Estate planning

Smith Complete Wealth offers a broad range of financial planning services and connections to those services we don't have in-house. We're differentiated by the care and attention we give to each client, seeing each person as an individual while bringing our depth of experience with similar people to create a customized plan tailored to your circumstances and goals.

We believe estate planning works best when it's integrated into your overall financial plan rather than treated as a stand-alone legal exercise. Our advisors take the time to understand your family relationships, financial resources, retirement goals, charitable intentions, and legacy objectives so we can help connect all the moving pieces.

Founded by a former professional athlete, Smith Complete Wealth follows a disciplined approach to helping clients pursue their financial goals. We're not focused on complicated strategies for the sake of complexity. Transparency, accountability, and intellectual rigor remain central to our process as we help clients make informed decisions for themselves and future generations.

How We Develop Your Personalized Estate Strategy

We believe Estate Planning should be as individual as the people we serve. That's why we begin by understanding your complete financial picture, family relationships, asset structure, charitable goals, business interests, and long-term wishes.

From there, we identify planning opportunities and coordinate recommendations with your overall financial plan and legal professionals where appropriate. Our advisors continuously seek new knowledge and planning insights through industry education, professional networks, and advanced financial planning technology. While we're always looking for ways to better serve our clients, we never lose sight of what matters most: the relationships we build and the trust our clients place in us.

We want your process from prospect to joining the Smith Complete Wealth family to be as easy as possible. We generally follow these steps when bringing on a new client:

Contact us by calling the office at (931) 674-2082 or clicking the "Contact Form" button at the bottom of this page.
Initial Conversation: We'll schedule a brief introductory call to learn more about you, your goals, and what you're looking for. This is usually done as a 5- to 10-minute phone call. During the Initial Conversation, we'll get you scheduled for a Deep-Dive Conversation if it seems like a good fit.
Deep-Dive Conversation: You'll meet with one of our financial advisors, during which they'll review your current financial situation, retirement objectives, healthcare concerns, and family goals. We'll gather the information needed to develop personalized recommendations.
Final Conversation: We'll present our recommendations, explain potential planning opportunities, and discuss how we can help you implement and maintain your strategy.

Once you become a client, we'll continue reviewing your situation as your financial life, health considerations, and planning needs evolve.

Who We Help With Estate Planning

We work with individuals and families in all stages of life, from hardworking professionals and business owners to pre-retirees and retirees seeking a thoughtful, tax-conscious approach to financial planning. While many of our clients are located throughout Middle Tennessee, including Williamson, Maury, Davidson, and Cheatham counties, we proudly serve clients across Tennessee and throughout the country.

We're honored to work with blue-collar families, manufacturing and utility professionals, small business owners, and others who value personalized advice that connects tax planning to their broader financial goals. We do not currently have a minimum asset requirement for new clients. We simply enjoy working with good people who value hard work, honesty, and thoughtful planning.

Estate Planning FAQs

We know many of the questions you have require answers unique to your situation. Below we’ve provided answers to some of the more general questions that our prospective clients typically ask.

What is estate planning?

Estate planning is the process of organizing your financial affairs and creating strategies designed to help ensure your assets are managed and distributed according to your wishes. It often includes legal documents, beneficiary designations, tax considerations, and legacy planning goals.

Do I need an estate plan if I'm not wealthy?

Yes. Estate planning is important for many people regardless of net worth. It can help provide direction regarding healthcare decisions, guardianship, asset distribution, and other important matters that affect your family and loved ones. Without a valid will, state laws generally determine who inherits assets subject to intestate succession. See the American Bar Association’s explanation of wills.

What's the difference between a will and a trust?

A will generally outlines how assets should be distributed after death and can nominate guardians for minor children. A trust is a legal arrangement that can provide additional control over how assets are managed and distributed. We can help you determine which tools are appropriate for your circumstances in coordination with your estate attorney. A revocable living trust can manage assets during your lifetime and after death, and properly funded trust assets generally bypass probate court. It does not, by itself, reduce estate taxes. See the American Bar Association’s revocable trust guidance.

How often should I review my estate plan?

We recommend reviewing your estate plan periodically and after major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, retirement, the death of a family member, or significant changes in financial circumstances.

Can you help coordinate with my attorney?

Yes. We frequently collaborate with estate planning attorneys and other professionals to help ensure your financial plan and estate documents work together effectively.

What happens if I don't have beneficiary designations updated?

Outdated beneficiary designations can result in assets being transferred in ways that may no longer align with your wishes. Regular reviews can help ensure these important details remain current.

Can estate planning help with charitable giving?

Yes. Estate planning can incorporate charitable objectives through a variety of strategies, helping you support causes that are important to you while maintaining alignment with your broader financial goals.

How does estate planning fit into my overall financial plan?

Estate planning works best when coordinated with retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, insurance strategies, and risk management. By looking at the complete picture, we can help ensure your financial decisions support both your current goals and the legacy you hope to leave behind.

If you have other general questions about Smith Complete Wealth, check out our full FAQ page or reach out and ask. We’d love to meet you.

Smith Complete Wealth and LPL Financial do not provide legal advice or tax services. Please consult your legal advisor or tax advisor regarding your specific situation.

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Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re feeling unsure about your current estate planning strategies, we’d love to talk. There’s no need to have it all figured out before partnering with a financial advisor like Smith Complete Wealth—helping you sort through those questions and make informed decisions is part of the estate planning process.

Give our office a call at (931) 674-2082 or complete the Contact Form:

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My ServicesEstate Planning

How I Help Introduction to Estate Planning