The estate tax exemption is now the highest it's ever been. For a lot of families, that's created a sense of breathing room. Chris Sutherland, senior wealth advisor and principal in Trust Company's Charlotte office, would push back on that.

In the newest episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce sit down with Chris for a conversation that covers what the recent legislation actually did, why Chris puts the word "permanent" in quotes and why some folks who were on the doorstep of major gifting decisions stopped moving once the urgency disappeared.

Chris also introduces the idea of reverse estate planning, where those who did smart work moving assets out of their estate years ago, when exemptions were much lower, may now want to bring some of those assets back to capture a step-up in basis. And he lays out what everyone should be reviewing on a regular basis, whether or not they have a taxable estate.

The conversation touches on:

• Why the estate tax exemption being "permanent" still requires planning, and what post-2028 might look like
• Reverse estate planning and when it makes sense to bring assets back into the estate
• Asset titling, beneficiary designations and asset location as annual review items
• Generation-skipping trusts, qualified charitable distributions and Roth conversions
• Insurance reviews and the long-term care conversation
• Working with younger generations on trust basics and personal finance

If tax season has you wondering whether your own plan still fits, this episode is a good place to start.

Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.