Wealth Transfer & Estate Planning
What I Help You implement to Transfer Wealth
Essential Estate Documents
I make sure the foundational documents are in place — wills, guardianship designations for your kids, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney. These safeguard your family and your wishes if something happens sooner than expected.
Tax Planning
We address the tax side — federal estate tax exemption, state-level wealth or estate taxes, and probate — so more of what you've built goes to your family instead of unnecessary taxes or court costs.
A Plan That Moves Smoothly
I build a structure so your assets transfer efficiently, without unnecessary delays or complications for the people you leave behind. The goal is a plan your family can actually execute when it matters.
Ongoing Review
We meet regularly to revisit your plan as your life changes — a new child, a move, a liquidity event, or a change in the law — so it stays current instead of going stale.
The Approach​​
Understand your full picture.
I start with what you own, who you want it to go to, and what documents and structures are already in place — and which ones are missing.
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Review Risks and Solutions
We talk through the specific risks in your situation — from probate delays to tax exposure around liquidity events and appreciated equity — and build real projections so decisions are based on actual numbers, not guesswork.​
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Coordinating Execution
We bring in the right resources to make it happen, working directly with your estate attorney and other professionals so your plan is properly documented, and legally sound.
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Ongoing Review
Your equity, income, and family situation can shift fast — a new grant, a liquidity event, a move, a new child. We revisit the plan together regularly to make sure it keeps pace with your life.
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Who This Is For​​
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High-income families — Fast-growing wealth often outpaces outdated beneficiary designations and basic documents, leaving gaps that only surface when it's too late to fix them.
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Anyone receiving stock compensation — RSUs, options, and other equity create tax and transfer complications that a standard will doesn't address, especially when unvested shares or concentrated positions are involved.
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Those participating in an IPO or liquidity event — The timing of your estate plan relative to a liquidity event can significantly change your family's tax exposure, making advance planning far more valuable than planning after the fact.
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People who've inherited assets themselves — Without an updated plan of your own, inherited wealth can face the same probate delays and tax exposure you may have just navigated — an estate plan makes sure it doesn't happen twice.
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Business owners — Without a clear succession and transfer plan, a business can become the biggest point of risk in an estate, tied up in probate or lost in value during a transition.
Want to make sure your wealth transfer plan actually works the way you intend?
Frequently Asked Questions​​
Why Work With a Financial Advisor on Wealth Transfer, Not Just an Attorney?
An estate attorney drafts and executes the legal documents — wills, trusts, powers of attorney — but typically doesn't build the financial projections, tax strategy, or investment structure behind them. That's where a financial advisor comes in: analyzing your full financial picture, modeling the tax impact of decisions like liquidity events or transferring appreciated stock, and determining the strategy that informs what those documents should say. The two roles work best together — I coordinate directly with your estate attorney so the legal documents reflect a plan that's been tested against your actual numbers, not a generic template. Without that financial layer, you may end up with legally valid documents that miss the most tax-efficient or strategically sound path for your specific situation.
How do I pass on concentrated stock wealth to my heirs without a large tax burden?
Strategies like the step-up in cost basis at death, gifting during your lifetime, or certain trust structures can meaningfully affect what your heirs actually receive. I help you evaluate these options as part of a coordinated wealth transfer plan.
How should I update my beneficiary designations after a liquidity event or job change?
401(k)s, brokerage accounts, and equity plans each have their own beneficiary forms, separate from your will, and they're easy to overlook after a major life or career change. We help you review and keep these current as part of your ongoing plan.
It depends on the complexity of your assets and your goals for how they pass on. I help you think through whether your situation calls for more than a basic will, working alongside your estate attorney on the legal details.
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough, given my equity and stock compensation?
No — I'm not a estate attorney. I work alongside your attorney to make sure your accounts and investments are structured to support the estate plan they create for you.
Do you draft wills or trusts?
What happens if I inherit an IRA?
Distribution rules depend on your relationship to the original owner and when they passed away. Properly executed transfers that are time-sensitive are required; if done incorrectly, it can trigger large tax liabilities. I help you understand your options and plan a tax-efficient distribution strategy.
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax or legal advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor.
After spending decades building your wealth, the last thing you want is for poor planning to create confusion, conflict, or unnecessary cost for the people you leave it to. In Phase Wealth Management helps high-income families in San Mateo and the Bay Area put a thorough wealth transfer plan in place — so your assets move to the people and causes you care about as smoothly as possible.