Vanilla Blog

Sarah D. McDaniel, CFA

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Apr 03, 2026

Once a year, clients do something remarkable: they gather every meaningful financial document they own. W-2s, 1099s, brokerage statements, retirement account summaries, Social Security income, rental income, trust distributions, charitable contribution receipts are all collected in one place, often for the first time since last April. For a few weeks, your clients have a clearer picture of their complete financial life than at almost any other moment in the year. They know what they own, what it earned, who depends on them, and what they owe. That document gathering process is more than a tax compliance exercise. It’s a full...

Vanilla

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Mar 31, 2026

Bellevue, WA – March 31, 2026 – Vanilla, the leading platform in modern estate planning, has been selected as a finalist for the Thirteenth Annual Family Wealth Report Awards 2026 in the following categories: Technology Start-Up Innovative Use of AI The Family Wealth Report Awards recognize the firms and individuals driving meaningful change across the family office, family wealth, and trusted advisor communities in North America 2014 selected through an independent judging process that evaluates real impact, not just ambition. “Being recognized in both the Technology Start-Up and Innovative Use of AI categories reflects what we’ve been building toward since...

Jennifer Raess JD, CFP®, CLU®

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Mar 26, 2026

Most estate plans were written for a different world. A world where the federal exemption was heading back to $5 million, indexed for inflation, where the planning urgency was about beating a deadline, and where the core question was: how much can we shelter before the window closes? That world no longer exists. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) permanently extended the exemption, raising it to $15 million per individual in 2026, and indexed for inflation thereafter. This means no more sunset, no more deadline, no more countdown. For clients, that's genuinely good news. For their estate plans, it...

Jessica Lantz

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Mar 25, 2026

Starting this month, you'll notice something a little different about how we talk about what we're building. In 2026, we're anchoring our product enhancements around three commitments: Getting you faster to the moments that matter — less friction between where you are and the moment estate planning becomes meaningful for a client Arming you with confidence at every client conversation — giving you the conviction and coverage to go deeper with every client you serve Providing AI that elevates you — a partner that makes every advisor more prepared, more proactive, and more present with clients We'll connect each release...

Gene Farrell

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Mar 24, 2026

When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last July, I watched advisors exhale. The exemption sunset everyone had been bracing for didn’t happen. The $15 million per-individual exemption was locked in permanently. The deadline pressure was gone. That exhale worries me. Not because the law is bad — it isn’t. But because relief has a way of crowding out urgency. And right now, sitting inside millions of client files, is a problem that didn’t go away when the exemption did. It just got harder to see. The sunset created a habit. The OBBBA broke it. For years, the looming...

Vanilla

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Mar 10, 2026

The Wealth Engineering Family of Companies (WE) is pleased to announce the inclusion of the Vanilla patented estate planning platform as a core component ORLANDO, FL, UNITED STATES, March 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Wealth Engineering Family of Companies (WE) is pleased to announce the inclusion of the Vanilla patented estate planning platform as a core component of its Expert Sourcing Consortium; synchronized with our other expert sourcing firms and our elastic infrastructures – The FusionPowered Wealth Advisor and OpenOption Practice Engineering Dashboards. "The top-tier firms that we consult with build practices that go beyond investing, they advise on the...

Vanilla

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Mar 09, 2026

The partnership gives Vanilla customers access to the first personalized tax planning tool for advisors BELLEVUE, WA – March 9, 2026 Vanilla, the most trusted modern estate planning platform for financial advisors, today announced a partnership with Worthy, the AI-native tax intelligence platform built for financial advisors. Together, Vanilla and Worthy help advisors surface opportunities, deepen client conversations, and deliver more value across both estate and tax planning. Worthy will be available to Vanilla customers at special pricing. Tax and estate planning are deeply intertwined — the same life events that shape a client’s estate plan carry significant tax implications...

Sarah D. McDaniel, CFA

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Mar 02, 2026

As snowbirds enjoy their annual migration to warmer climates, most are focused on escaping icy roads and enjoying sunshine. But there's a critical financial consideration that many overlook: state estate taxes. With an estimated $124 trillion in assets transferring to younger generations over the next two decades, and states increasingly turning to wealth taxes to fund growing priorities, understanding the state tax implications of owning multiple properties has never been more important. The snowbird's dilemma: when a client’s winter paradise becomes a tax trap The appeal of owning a second home in Florida, Arizona, or another warm-weather destination is undeniable....

Jessica Lantz

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Feb 25, 2026

This month's releases are about removing friction—the kind that slows advisors down before they ever get to the work that matters. From smarter AI verification to an upgraded integration, February's updates are built around one idea: your time is better spent on clients, not on your tools. Here's what's new. Source tracking for all of VAI’s work: Trust every insight, across every document The challenge: When V/AI generates a full estate summary, advisors need to know exactly where each insight is coming from. Manually cross-referencing AI-generated insights against a stack of documents takes away time advisors should be spending on...

Vanilla

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Feb 24, 2026

For RIA principals and wealth management firm leaders, estate planning software is a strategic investment that will shape how your team delivers advice, deepens client relationships, and scales personalized planning across your firm. Depending on the platform you choose, estate planning software can create a significant competitive advantage, enabling advisors to deliver sophisticated estate strategies efficiently and helping clients clearly see the impact of complex plans.  Within this framework, we’ll explore how to evaluate estate planning platforms through the lens of what your firm needs to grow while bringing more value to clients. Why choosing the right estate planning software...

Vanilla

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Feb 16, 2026

As investment management becomes increasingly commoditized through low-cost index funds and robo-advisors, firms need strategies that deliver value to clients beyond portfolio construction.  Leading firms are finding that bringing estate planning in house as a core service offering enables them to provide the holistic guidance today’s clients are looking for, while also acting as a powerful growth and retention tool. Estate planning turns advisors from portfolio managers into indispensable financial partners, positioning them to guide clients through legacy planning, tax optimization, and wealth transfer strategies. Overwhelming research indicates clients are looking for this kind of comprehensive experience: 95% of investors...

Vanilla

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Feb 10, 2026

According to Spectrem Group research, 93% of people want estate planning services from their financial advisor but only 22% are actually getting that advice. That’s a massive gap between client expectations and reality; one that presents a compelling opportunity for the advisors willing to close it. Estate planning can deepen client relationships and lock in loyalty for multiple generations. When you help someone think through what happens to their wealth after they're gone, you're talking about family, values, and legacy, a fundamentally different conversation than the quarterly portfolio review. Most advisors already know estate planning is a critical part of...