Estate planning
Preserve Your Wealth for Generations
A well-structured estate plan does more than transfer assets — it protects them from taxes, probate, and uncertainty. Jan Smida helps families and business owners use life insurance to build a lasting legacy.
Life Insurance as an Estate Planning Tool
The right life insurance strategy can eliminate estate taxes, fund trusts, replace wealth lost to long-term care costs, and create a tax-free inheritance for your heirs. Jan works alongside your attorney and CPA to integrate these solutions into a comprehensive plan.
Keep life insurance proceeds out of your taxable estate
An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) owns your life insurance policy so the death benefit passes directly to your heirs — outside your estate and free from estate taxes. When structured correctly, an ILIT can also protect proceeds from creditors and ensure they're distributed on your terms.
Ideal for: High-net-worth individuals and families whose estates may be subject to federal or state estate taxes.
- Death benefit excluded from the taxable estate
- Proceeds distributed according to your exact instructions
- Protection from creditors and divorce proceedings
- Can fund estate taxes without forcing asset liquidation
01
Trust Strategies
Keep life insurance proceeds out of your taxable estate
Tax-free retirement income and tax-free wealth transfer
An Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policy used as a Life Insurance Retirement Plan (LIRP) accumulates cash value tax-deferred and allows tax-free withdrawals via policy loans in retirement. It also passes a tax-free death benefit to heirs — making it one of the most versatile tools in estate planning.
Ideal for: Those who want to supplement retirement income, reduce future tax exposure, and leave a tax-free inheritance simultaneously.
- Tax-deferred cash value growth linked to a market index
- Tax-free retirement income through policy loans
- Floor protection — no loss due to market downturns
- Tax-free death benefit to heirs outside probate
02
IUL & LIRP
Tax-free retirement income and tax-free wealth transfer
Maximize what you leave behind
Life insurance is one of the most efficient wealth transfer vehicles available — delivering a guaranteed, income-tax-free death benefit to your heirs at a fraction of the face value in premiums. Strategies like second-to-die policies and charitable giving plans can multiply the legacy you leave while reducing your estate's tax burden.
Ideal for: Families and individuals who want to maximize the inheritance they leave, fund charitable goals, or equalize inheritances among heirs.
- Income-tax-free death benefit to named beneficiaries
- Second-to-die policies for cost-effective wealth transfer
- Charitable remainder trusts funded by life insurance
- Equalizes inheritances when assets are illiquid (real estate, business)
03
Wealth Transfer
Maximize what you leave behind
How It Works
Estate planning with life insurance is a coordinated process — Jan makes it straightforward.
Estate Review
Jan reviews your assets, beneficiaries, existing documents, and tax exposure to identify gaps and opportunities.
Strategy Design
You receive a tailored recommendation — ILIT, LIRP, wealth transfer, or a combination — with clear projections.
Coordinated Implementation
Jan works with your attorney and CPA to ensure the insurance structure integrates seamlessly with your legal and tax plan.
Ongoing Review
Tax laws and family circumstances change. Jan revisits your plan regularly to keep it aligned with your goals.
Start Building Your Legacy
Schedule a free consultation with Jan to review your estate's exposure and design a strategy that protects what you've built.