Estate, financial & legacy planning
The professionals who help people plan, protect, transfer, administer, and give away assets during life and after death.
5 roles in this field
Estate & Trust Tax Professional
Help individuals, estates, trusts, fiduciaries, and families understand and meet the tax responsibilities that arise during estate planning and after a death.
Estate Planning Attorney
Help individuals and families create legally effective plans for incapacity, death, inheritance, taxes, trusts, and the transfer of property.
Financial Planner
Help individuals and families make informed decisions about money, retirement, insurance, taxes, estates, and the financial legacy they want to leave behind.
Planned Giving Advisor
Help donors, families, nonprofits, and professional advisors structure charitable gifts that reflect a person's values, financial goals, and long-term legacy.
Trust & Estate Officer
Administer trusts and estates, carry out fiduciary responsibilities, manage beneficiary relationships, and help turn estate plans into action.
Certifications in this field
Accredited Estate Planner®They’re an experienced, credentialed professional who collaborates with other advisors to develop advanced estate plans. Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy®They’re trained to help individuals and nonprofits integrate charitable giving into estate and legacy planning Estate Planning Law SpecialistThey’re an attorney with proven expertise in estate law, meeting rigorous ethical and educational standards State Bar Licence Certified Public Accountant Enrolled Agent Personal Financial SpecialistThey’re a CPA with additional training in personal financial planning, including estate and retirement guidance Certified Financial Planner™They’ve passed a rigorous national exam and meet ethical and education standards for comprehensive financial planning.
Other fields
Funeral & deathcare operationsThe people who run services, care for the body, and keep a funeral home working. Death investigation & forensicsDetermining how and why someone died, and the specialized work that surrounds it. Clinical & bedside careMedical, spiritual, and therapeutic care for people in their final months and days. Companionship & grief supportNon-clinical presence before a death, and support for the people left behind. After-loss & legacyUntangling the practical, digital, and financial aftermath, and preserving a life story.