Vanilla Blog

Vanilla

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Jan 19, 2026

The financial advisory profession has shifted from selling investments to building long-term client relationships grounded in comprehensive wealth stewardship. Today’s clients expect a holistic approach to financial planning from their financial advisor, and the ongoing commoditization of investment management means that advisors can no longer rely on returns alone to prove their value. Think of this shift as an opportunity to deepen client relationships, boost satisfaction, and differentiate your practice, particularly if you’re serving mass affluent clients and high earners building wealth. Leveraging the following 12 strategies can help you deliver the end-to-end experience modern clients are looking for while...

Sarah D. McDaniel, CFA

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Jan 08, 2026

The new year naturally prompts clients to reflect on their priorities and reassess their goals. While many focus on financial resolutions and self reflection, this mindset creates an ideal opportunity to introduce estate planning conversations to ensure client wishes are properly documented and their loved ones protected. Just as clients wouldn't operate with an outdated financial strategy, their estate plans require regular attention to remain aligned with current circumstances and intentions. A systematic review identifies gaps between clients' current plans and present reality, demonstrating your commitment to holistic wealth management beyond investment performance. Frame it as an estate health check...

Vanilla

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Jan 06, 2026

Though an often overlooked part of financial planning, estate planning is a critical part of a well-rounded wealth management strategy. In fact, estate planning is about much more than just creating a will. A thoughtful estate plan is a comprehensive strategy for things like:  Managing one’s wealth during life and after death Ensuring one’s family is cared for Supporting causes that align with one’s values Minimizing taxes and fees Documenting wishes in case of incapacitation Planning for one’s future legacy The common myth that estate planning is only for the ultra-wealthy is patently false. Estate planning benefits individuals at all...

Sarah D. McDaniel, CFA

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Jan 05, 2026

Let’s face it—most people procrastinate. Deadlines are often the only motivators that spur action, and for financial planning, this “crunch time” tends to hit in November and December. Unfortunately, this end-of-year rush isn’t ideal for a number of reasons: The holidays: Advisors and clients alike are juggling travel, vacations, and family obligations. Emotional decision-making: Whether it’s the stress of family reunions or the joy of celebrations, emotions can cloud judgment. Rushed choices: Big-picture financial planning requires clarity and focus, neither of which are easy to achieve in a hectic environment. The result? A less-than-optimal setup for making critical long-term decisions....

Karen Nachbar

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Dec 29, 2025

As Vanilla’s Chief Legal Officer, I talk to customers every day about the trust they have put in us to handle their clients' most confidential financial and estate planning data. I’m thrilled to share that Vanilla has successfully completed its annual SOC 2 Type II audit with no findings—marking our fourth consecutive year (since we began our SOC 2 audits in 2022) with a clean report. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest standards of security, availability, and confidentiality for our customers' data. What This Means for Our Customers A SOC 2 Type II audit is an...

Vanilla

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Dec 18, 2025

As your clients’ lives evolve, so should their estate plan. Your role as their financial advisor is to guide them through each stage, ensuring their plans stay relevant and aligned with their goals while working alongside estate attorneys to protect what they've built. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how to position your estate planning services and deliver real value throughout the entire estate planning process. Why estate planning requires wealth management expertise For even simple estates, clients need professional help beyond drafting documents. They need someone who understands how their wealth connects to their legacy goals....

Vanilla

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Dec 16, 2025

Through the partnership, Vanilla’s modern estate planning platform offers streamlined workflows, deeper client conversations, and planning confidence to Cetera advisors BELLEVUE, WA – December 16, 2025 – Vanilla, the trusted and modern estate planning platform for financial advisors, today announced a partnership with Cetera Financial Group (Cetera), the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, that supports independent advisors and institutions with personalized support, flexible affiliation models, and end-to-end growth solutions.Through the partnership, Cetera’s network of more than 12,000 financial advisors and institutions can leverage Vanilla’s comprehensive estate planning platform to simplify complex workflows, visualize planning scenarios, and support more engaging, outcome-driven...

Vanilla

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Dec 15, 2025

We recently hosted our Year in Innovation webinar with CEO Gene Farrell and Head of Product Strategy Sam Trapkin. For those who couldn't join live, here's the recap. Estate Planning Is No Longer a Fringe Offering Just a few years ago, estate planning was still seen as a niche service—something advisors assumed belonged exclusively to attorneys or ultra-high-net-worth practices. That's changed. Today, advisors from independents to the largest institutions recognize estate planning as essential to their value proposition. The shift makes sense. Advisors who quarterback estate planning conversations build deeper relationships, retain more assets across generations, and differentiate in ways...

Vanilla

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Dec 09, 2025

All of your clients need estate planning. Many of them don't realize it yet. Only a little over 50% of Baby Boomers have a trust, will, or an estate plan in place, a figure that decreases with each subsequent generation. Meanwhile, your ability to retain their families through generational wealth transfers hangs in the balance. Only 27% of heirs plan to keep their benefactor's wealth advisor, dropping to 20% for those who have already received an inheritance. Estate planning isn't just critical for your clients. It's critical for your practice. As an advisor, you can influence your clients’ ability to...

Jessica Lantz

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Dec 03, 2025

This month brings transformative changes to how you interact with Vanilla. We've reimagined core navigation experiences, unified our estate visualization tools, and rebuilt our integration infrastructure from the ground up. Each enhancement addresses friction points in your daily workflows while unlocking new possibilities for managing complex client portfolios. Edit Balance Sheet data in one unified workspace The challenge: Cleaning up imported Balance Sheet data requires navigating between multiple accounts, creating a fragmented workflow that consumes hours and makes it difficult to maintain context across portfolios. The solution: A single, table-like workspace where you can review, validate, and correct all imported...

Vanilla

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Dec 01, 2025

Over the next two decades, $124 trillion will transfer from baby boomers to younger generations. Your clients are part of this colossal shift, and they want help navigating it. Research confirms this: 93% of clients want estate planning advice from their advisor. Beyond the legal structures of estate planning, legacy planning is increasingly a key component of a comprehensive financial plan. Where estate planning focuses on wills, trusts, and tax strategies, legacy planning adds another dimension, addressing personal values, family dynamics, charitable intentions, and the stories your clients want to pass down.  Legacy planning: Estate planning plus intent Your clients...

Vanilla

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Nov 20, 2025

Industry data reveals the strategies behind revenue growth in wealth management—and why the most productive advisors serve fewer clients, not more. On November 13th, Vanilla hosted Michael Kitces and Steve Lockshin for a conversation about building thriving practices in today's market. Their insights, backed by decades of industry research and direct experience managing billions in client assets, challenge conventional wisdom about scaling an advisory firm. Below are their key takeaways.   The Stability of Advisory Fees The median advisory fee has remained at one percent for over twenty-five years. This benchmark held steady through the introduction of robo-advisors, algorithmic trading,...