The Practical Planner

Knowing how to remove or replace a trustee comes down to what the trust document allows. Thomas Kopelman and Anne Rhodes cover why clients change trustees, from aging relatives to a corporate trustee that no longer fits. Then the mechanisms: a simple amendment to a revocable trust, trustee appointer and trust protector roles, and the court petition older documents leave as the only route. They also explain the release of liability a departing corporate trustee may ask a client to sign. And they cover when moving trusteeship out of California can reduce a trust's state income tax. Whether a trust is revocable or irrevocable, this episode shows advisors where to look and why clients are rarely as stuck as they think.

Giving assets away without giving up access is the puzzle at the center of most ultra-high-net-worth planning. Thomas Kopelman and Lisa Weigel are joined by Chris Nason, head of private wealth at Wealth.com, to walk through the tools that solve it: spousal lifetime access trusts and the surprisingly consequential question of how a document defines "spouse," dynasty trusts in South Dakota and other perpetuity-friendly states, GRATs, and installment sales to grantor trusts. They also cover the divorce and death risks that can lock a grantor out of a SLAT, and how life insurance backstops them. Whether a client has ten million or a hundred, this episode maps which strategies fit and what each one actually costs.

A green card makes someone a spouse in every way but one: the unlimited marital deduction. Thomas Kopelman and Lisa Weigel are joined by Chris Nason, head of private wealth at Wealth.com and a longtime international estate planning attorney, to unpack the cross-border problems hiding inside ordinary American plans — the non-citizen spouse who needs a QDOT, the child whose move abroad quietly converts a domestic trust, and the unreported foreign account that can cost half its value in a single year. They also cover expatriation, the exit tax, and who counts as a covered expatriate. Whether or not a client lives abroad, this episode shows advisors where the tripwires sit and when to call a specialist.

Thomas Kopelman, Anne Rhodes, and Lisa Weigel dig into one of the most common real estate questions advisors hear: should a client hold a rental, second home, or even a primary residence inside an LLC? The answer, they argue, is never reflexive — it depends on weighing liability protection against state estate taxes, property-tax reassessment, income-tax treatment, and lost personal exemptions. Along the way they cover piercing the corporate veil, how to size and separate LLCs, the domicile traps of converting real property into an intangible interest, and privacy tools like land trusts and nominee trusts. From entity structure to a well-built umbrella policy, this episode helps advisors model the trade-offs and avoid one-size-fits-all advice.

Being named in the trust feels like job security — until you realize it can be undone with a signature. In this episode, Thomas Kopelman, Anne Rhodes, and Lisa Weigel break down why advisors who chase trustee or "Investment Advisor" titles to lock in assets often take on fiduciary burdens and conflicts without the retention they expected. They unpack how modern trust codes split the trustee role, why self-dealing and prudent-investor rules complicate serving the trust, and where lasting stickiness actually comes from: the spouse, the beneficiaries, and the trustee who can choose to keep you on. From conflict traps to flexible trust design, this is a candid look at earning the next generation's business before the transfer happens.

Liam Hanlon of Jump joins Thomas Kopelman and Anne Rhodes for a data-driven look at what AI is really revealing about advisor–client conversations. Drawing on Jump's research across thousands of advisor meetings, they explore how note-takers have evolved from simple time-savers into a coaching tool — surfacing talk-time ratios, client sentiment trends, question quality, and which planning topics advisors raise versus their clients. From the "core four" planning conversations to why estate planning so often surfaces only after a loss, the discussion reframes AI as a command center that makes advisors more human, not less. Whether you're evaluating note-taking tools or sharpening your own client conversations, this episode shows how to turn meeting data into a genuine edge.

Thomas Kopelman, Anne Rhodes, and Lisa Weigel explore the critical role financial advisors play when a client loses a spouse. They break the advisor-widow relationship into three phases—preparation while both spouses are alive, the frenetic first year of estate administration, and long-term re-engagement—and discuss what advisors need to get right at each stage. From navigating marital trust structures and updating beneficiary designations to managing tax elections, filing deadlines, and step-up in basis opportunities, this episode covers the practical and emotional complexities of guiding clients through one of life's most difficult transitions.

In this episode, Anne Rhodes flips the script and interviews co-host Thomas Kopelman about how he actually uses Wealth.com in his financial planning practice. Thomas walks through his end-to-end process—from using Ester® to review and summarize existing estate plans, to guiding clients through document completion, mobile notarization, and trust funding. They also discuss how advisors can stay on the right side of unauthorized practice of law, which clients are the best fit for the platform, and how the attorney network and visualizer tools add value. This episode is a practical look at how technology can streamline estate planning without replacing the attorney relationship.

Thomas Kopelman is joined by Lisa Weigel, Senior Counsel and Strategic Growth Director at Wealth.com, to explore the essential estate planning steps new parents need to take. They break down how to designate guardians in a will, structure trusts for minor children, and build in flexibility through mechanisms like trust protectors. The conversation also dives into funding strategies—from 529 plans and Roth IRAs to gifting trusts and qualified education gifts—helping parents and grandparents find the right savings vehicles for their family's goals. Whether your clients just had their first child or are revisiting their plan as their family grows, this episode offers a practical roadmap for getting it right.

Lisa Weigel, Senior Counsel and Strategic Growth Director at Wealth.com, joins Thomas Kopelman and Anne Rhodes to tackle the complexities of estate planning when clients go through a divorce. From the ethical dilemmas advisors and attorneys face when a couple splits to the real risks of irrevocable trusts like SLATs, they explore how divorce impacts every layer of a client's financial and estate plan. The conversation also covers equitable asset division, the critical importance of updating beneficiary designations, and how prenup provisions within trusts can protect beneficiaries from future divorce. Whether you're navigating a client's divorce or helping them plan proactively, this episode offers practical guidance for advisors at every stage.