Build Your Estate Plan — The Full Pack

A store of calculators is useful, but an estate plan is a sequence. Work the lifecycle from documents to state tax to portability — then print one page you can take to an attorney. Every tool below is free and state-aware.

The estate-plan lifecycle

Six steps turn a pile of accounts into a plan that actually works when it matters.

Phase	Lead question	Free tools in this pack
1 · Assess	What do I own and who gets it?	Blueprint tool, Readiness scorecard
2 · Document	Which documents do I need?	Doc Selector, Checklist generator
3 · Fund & title	Do titles match the plan?	Beneficiary Audit, Deed review
4 · State tax	What does my state take?	State calculator, 50-state compare
5 · Gift & portability	Move assets out / use both exemptions?	Gift simulator, Federal calculator
6 · Maintain	Keep it current after life events	Checklist generator, Learn hub

① Estate Plan Blueprint (printable main deliverable)

Pick your state, household, and asset size. The tool recommends the document set, flags state-tax exposure, and builds a one-page printable blueprint you can take to an attorney.

State Married ChildrenTotal assets

Name Date

Estate Plan Blueprint — California

2026 federal exemption: $15M per person · $30M married (OBBBA, P.L. 119-21 — permanent). Retrieved 2026-08-13.

Documents in place: 0 of 7 recommended

Document	Priority	Why it matters
Last will & testament	high	Names executor + guardian for minor children; controls intestacy.
Durable financial power of attorney	high	Avoids court guardianship if incapacitated.
Healthcare directive / living will	high	Names a healthcare proxy + end-of-life wishes.
Beneficiary designations review	high	Retirement + life insurance pass by designation, not the will.
Revocable living trust	medium	A revocable trust avoids probate; a will may suffice otherwise. Add testamentary trust provisions so a guardian never receives assets outright.
Digital-asset & password inventory	medium	Secure handoff for executor (RUFADAA).
Deed & title review	medium	Titles override the will — fix mismatches.

State-tax exposure — California

California has no state estate or inheritance tax — only the federal estate tax applies above $15M per person ($30M married).

Not legal advice. This blueprint is an educational planning aid summarizing documents, state-tax exposure, and a gifting strategy. Have a licensed estate attorney in California draft and sign the actual documents, and keep this list current.

② Beneficiary Audit

List each account and its beneficiaries. The audit flags missing contingents, will/trust conflicts, and minors named directly.

Plan covers minor children

Account	Primary beneficiary	Contingent	Matches will/trust	Minor named

Beneficiary consistency: 0% — No data

Audit findings

Add at least one account with a named beneficiary to run the audit.

Not legal advice. Beneficiary forms control who receives these assets — they override your will. Review them after every major life event and name contingent beneficiaries. A licensed advisor can confirm the designations match your overall plan.

③ Document Selector

Answer six questions about your situation. Get a yes / optional / not-needed matrix for each core document.

Document	Need	Why
Last will & testament	yes	Nominates a guardian for minor children and names your executor.
Revocable living trust	yes	Holds assets in a testamentary trust for minors.
Durable financial POA	yes	Lets someone manage finances without a court guardianship.
Healthcare directive / living will	yes	Appoints a healthcare proxy and records end-of-life wishes.
Credit-shelter (bypass) trust	no	Not needed unless your state has an estate tax and no portability.
ILIT (irrevocable life-insurance trust)	no	Consider only at larger estates.
Business succession documents	no	No business owned.

The numbers that drive the plan

Educational estimates from federal statute and state revenue departments (retrieved 2026-08-13).

Factor	Value	Why it matters
Federal estate-tax exemption (2026)	$15M per person	Made permanent by OBBBA (P.L. 119-21). Top rate 40%.
Married couple exemption	$30M	Only if the portability election is made on the first death — some states do not recognize it.
States with an estate/inheritance tax	17 jurisdictions	Layering on top of the federal tax; the federal exemption does not shield you.
Annual gift exclusion (2026)	$19,000 per recipient	Removes appreciating assets from the taxable estate over time.
Cliff-rule states	NY, others	Estate taxed in full once it exceeds 105% of the exemption.

Nine things that break an estate plan

Letting titles override the will

Joint/TOD/POD titling and beneficiary forms beat the will. Fix mismatches before they surface.

Skipping the contingent beneficiary

If the primary predeceases you, the asset flows to your estate and through probate.

Naming a minor directly

Without a trust, a court may control the funds until the child is 18 or 21.

Forgetting state estate tax

Estates under the federal $15M can still owe a state tax — and cliff states tax the whole estate.

Assuming portability is automatic

The surviving spouse must elect it; states without portability need a credit-shelter trust.

Ignoring the ILIT at large estates

Policy proceeds inside the taxable estate can push a near-exemption family over the line.

No durable POA

Incapacity then requires a court guardianship — slow, public, and costly.

Unfunded trust

A trust with no assets titled to it gives no probate protection.

Stale beneficiary forms

Divorce, death, or new children can leave the wrong person inheriting.

Other tools in the pack

Printable checklist generator · Estate & inheritance tax by state · Federal estate tax calculator · Compare all 50 states · Estate tax simulator · Readiness scorecard · Lifetime gift simulator · Learn hub

Frequently asked questions

What is the first step in building an estate plan?

Inventory what you own and who you want to receive it, then confirm the beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance — those pass outside the will. The Blueprint tool below walks you through the document set for your state and asset size.

Do I need a trust if I am under the federal exemption?

Often not, but a funded revocable trust still earns its keep by avoiding probate, staying private, and managing assets if you are incapacitated. It becomes important sooner if you own real estate in more than one state, have minor or blended-family children, or live in a state with its own estate tax and no portability.

Which states add a state estate or inheritance tax on top of the federal?

17 jurisdictions levy a state estate and/or inheritance tax in 2026. The federal $15M per-person exemption does not protect you from the state layer, and some states (like New York) apply a cliff rule once the estate exceeds 105% of the exemption.

Why audit beneficiary designations separately from the will?

Beneficiary forms and account titles override your will. A missing contingent beneficiary, a designation that conflicts with the will, or a minor named directly can silently break the plan and trigger court control. The Beneficiary Audit tool flags each of these.

How often should I update the plan?

Review every 3–5 years and immediately after marriage, divorce, birth, death, a move to another state, or a change in tax law (such as the OBBBA 2025 exemption permanence). Keep beneficiary designations current.

Not legal or tax advice. Estate and inheritance tax is determined by a court or tax authority using your actual filings. Online estimators provide an informal planning figure only. Laws and exemption amounts change every year — always confirm the current rule with the IRS, your state Department of Revenue, or a licensed estate attorney or CPA before relying on any number.