Giving While Living: Wealth.com Study Reveals Shift in Legacy Planning
Event summary
- Wealth.com and The Compound Insights released a study on 'Giving While Living' and family-wide legacy planning, based on a survey of 400 financial advisors conducted between November 26 and December 21, 2025.
- 46% of clients planning to pass assets intend to share a portion of their wealth during their lifetimes, rising to 55% among clients with more than $25 million.
- Advisors who include family members in legacy planning discussions report stronger growth outcomes and greater confidence in retaining the next generation.
- 37% of advisors hesitate to initiate legacy planning conversations, indicating a 'demand gap' between client behavior and advisor initiation.
The big picture
The study highlights a significant shift in legacy planning, with 'Giving While Living' becoming a mainstream priority among affluent families. This trend is reshaping the role of legacy and estate planning across the wealth spectrum, as advisors who formalize family engagement report stronger growth outcomes. The findings suggest that the $124 trillion great wealth transfer is driving demand for scalable infrastructure and coordinated document management to reduce friction in the planning process.
What we're watching
- Advisor Initiation
- How advisors will bridge the 'demand gap' and proactively initiate legacy planning conversations with clients.
- Operational Complexity
- Whether advisors can overcome barriers such as complex family dynamics and legal coordination challenges to scale legacy planning services.
- Tech Adoption
- The pace at which advisors will adopt AI/automation tools and attorney coordination portals to streamline legacy planning processes.
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