Vanilla Guides and Reports

Vanilla

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Oct 02, 2026

Learn the basics of AI-powered estate planning, a framework for evaluating tools and establishing a repeatable process, and how to standardize the estate planning experience across advisor teams and clients.

Vanilla

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Sep 04, 2026

The advisor's guide to implementing and scaling estate planning at your firm, at every stage.

Vanilla

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Jun 18, 2026

A practical guide for financial advisors on how to deliver quality estate planning to every client, across every level of wealth.

Vanilla

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May 29, 2026

See how leading trust companies are scaling efficiently with Vanilla by replacing institutional knowledge and informal processes with the infrastructure modern growth demands. Inside: what they were up against, and what changed.

Vanilla

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Apr 27, 2026

Market conditions like shifting interest rates, depressed asset valuations, and equity swings directly determine how effective certain estate planning strategies can be. The same volatility making your clients anxious is also opening planning windows that won't stay open indefinitely. This guide shows you how to read the current environment and act on it.

Vanilla

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Apr 07, 2026

Not every estate plan that exists is an estate plan that’s working. Plans go stale. Tax laws change. Clients move, remarry, inherit assets, and acquire property — often without thinking to call their advisor. This estate plan audit checklist gives you a structured way to review what’s in place, flag what’s out of date, and surface planning conversations before they become problems. Use it alongside the Estate Planning Document Checklist at moments such as:  Onboarding a new client Responding to a life event Tax season Changes in regulations Scheduled annual reviews Each section is tagged so you can pull out...

Vanilla

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Mar 26, 2026

The retention risk hiding in your existing book of business Most advisors don’t intend to leave one partner out of the conversation. But it happens in nearly every practice — and the cost shows up years later, when it’s too late to fix it. Research shows 70-80% of widows leave their advisor within a year of their spouse’s death. Not because of performance. Because no real relationship existed with the surviving spouse in the first place. With $124 trillion changing hands over the next 25 years, and women set to inherit approximately 70% of it, the advisors who build relationships...

Vanilla

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Mar 12, 2026

What women want from estate planning conversations — and what most advisors are missing. Vanilla’s Women & Wealth Survey asked 502 U.S. women who are the primary financial decision-makers in their households about estate planning: what they prioritize, where they feel prepared, and what they wish their advisors understood. The findings reveal a gap that’s bigger than most advisors realize, and more actionable than they might expect. This year’s key findings: Nearly 1 in 3 women with a financial advisor say estate planning has either never come up or they had to raise it themselves 46% say protecting their family...

Vanilla

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Jan 22, 2026

The emerging trends and sentiments advisors need to know for the coming year The 2026 State of Estate Planning Report reveals what’s on consumers’ minds as they think about legacy, wealth transfer, and the professionals they trust to guide them. Vanilla’s third annual survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers uncovers the trends shaping estate planning conversations—and the opportunities advisors can’t afford to miss. This year’s key findings: Nearly all (97%) say discussing estate plans with loved ones matters—but a gap exists between intention and action 8 in 10 expect their financial advisor to offer estate planning, either directly or through collaboration...