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Legacy Planning Resources

We love helping people put together thoughtful legacy plans that fit their goals, values, and stage of life. But we also know that a full, comprehensive deep-dive isn’t right for everyone. We’ve put together all sorts of legacy-related tools and resources that our team and our clients use all the time. Whether you’re just starting to think about your legacy, or you’ve had a plan for years and want to look through it from a different angle, we hope these resources are helpful to you. If you get stuck or want to chat with one of our expert legacy consultants, let us know!

How to Guides

Blog Post Resources

Fun Team Feature: Favorite Recipes & Ideas for Passing Yours On

Fun Team Feature: Favorite Recipes & Ideas for Passing Yours On

I grew up in Wisconsin, which means a few things: I can only cheer for the Packers. My car automatically stops at tiny roadside cheese shops. I eat my apple pie with a slice of that cheese: cheddar, the sharper the better. There’s nothing so delicious as a slice of my...

“How to Fund a Trust” with Attorney Jason Heinen

“How to Fund a Trust” with Attorney Jason Heinen

Trusts are essential to legacy planning, yet they can be complex. That’s probably why trust-related questions are some of the most common we get from our clients: what are they, how do they work, and how are they funded? We’ve done whole blog posts on the types of...

The Pros and Cons of a Charitable Trust

The Pros and Cons of a Charitable Trust

Charitable Trusts: We love them, but they’re not for everyone! Charitable trusts are so powerful, we sometimes call them “give it twice” trusts. First off, here’s a quick overview of the different types of charitable trusts, and who might consider one.  But while they...

4 Tips for Storing and Sharing Your Digital Assets

4 Tips for Storing and Sharing Your Digital Assets

As legacy planners, we get a lot of questions about how to store important documents, photos, and other digital assets for the long haul...and how to securely share them with trusted loved ones who will play a role in our estate plans.  We've written all about setting...

Including Pets in Your Legacy Plan

Including Pets in Your Legacy Plan

If you have a pet, I’m sure you’ve made plans for their care at some point. Maybe you were taking a vacation or had a busy workday and just wanted to ensure they were properly taken care of. Most of us don’t bat an eyelash at these forward-thinking plans for our furry...

Our Favorite Charitable Giving Tools (And Who Should Consider Them)

Our Favorite Charitable Giving Tools (And Who Should Consider Them)

Our focus is on legacy planning…but we’re always helping donors identify the most effective ways to give charitably–starting now! There are CRUTs and CRATs and DAFs and ILITs and QCDs, and while we’ve just scratched the surface of the many charitable giving tools out...

7 Questions to Ask a Nonprofit Before Making a Major Gift

7 Questions to Ask a Nonprofit Before Making a Major Gift

“We can give HOW much?!” That’s one of my favorite questions, and it’s one that comes up often with the people and families we work with.  During meeting one of our legacy planning program, I do a “deep-dive” with clients. I learn about their family and their goals. I...

Travel Can Be Risky: Here’s How to Prep for Your Next Trip

Travel Can Be Risky: Here’s How to Prep for Your Next Trip

People often want help "getting their ducks in a row" before a major life change or milestone. Another reason people reach out to Apex: international trips. It’s smart to prepare well, communicate your travel plans with loved ones, and take precautions for your safety...

Thinking Beyond the Checkbook: Consider Non-Cash Gifting Strategies

Thinking Beyond the Checkbook: Consider Non-Cash Gifting Strategies

As a gift strategist at WaterStone, Stephanie Hoff helps donors envision creative and tax-efficient ways to make a difference for their favorite causes. We send some donors her way after they’ve created a full legacy plan–and want to set up trusts or donor-advised...

Plan (and Fund) Your Own Funeral As a Gift to Your Family

Plan (and Fund) Your Own Funeral As a Gift to Your Family

When you make key decisions about how you want to be remembered, you’ll make it the celebration you want while eliminating a significant burden for your family. Our family friend, Jean, loved to throw a good party. The woman had closets full of colorful, seasonal...

Legacy Planning Basics

Legacy Planning Basics

If you’re a car dealership, it doesn’t take a lot of explaining for people to understand what you’re about and why they’d stop in to see you.  When we say we’re legacy consultants, we sometimes get blank stares from people. People understand what a will is. They might...

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Creating a charitable trust was a benchmark of a lifetime…signing was a celebration of our ability to appreciate and thank two universities that empowered us; two schools in which we did our life work; and the church that sustained and steered us on our path. The gifts mean our work will continue after we are gone, developing citizens for the world and the future.”

“A lot of people don’t like to think about legacy issues, but Christy’s demeanor and process was extremely helpful and prompted important discussions. She helped us see the most tax-advantaged ways to leave an appropriate amount for our heirs—but also for ministries we care about—and effectively double our money.”

The discussions were very structured which helped keep us on track and stay focused on what we were there to accomplish. It also prompted my spouse and I to have follow-up discussions outside of our meetings.”

“The worksheets! The charts! The visual presentations were significantly better than numerical presentations. Sizes, proportions, and directions were represented. Suddenly I could “see the big picture.”

[Apex] provides a unique personalized service that is insightful, eye-opening, confidential, with patience to work with us through this important estate planning process.”

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