Helping Clients Avoid Sticker Shock at Year-End

As the calendar inches toward December, many clients are juggling holiday plans, year-end deadlines, and financial housekeeping. Estate planning can easily fall to the bottom of their list—until January arrives, and they’re met with an unwelcome surprise: sticker shock.

For advisors, this is a critical window to help clients avoid that last-minute rush and the potential for unexpected costs or lost opportunities. A proactive nudge now can make all the difference.

Why “Sticker Shock” Happens

Many clients assume they can revisit their estate plan whenever they get around to it. But waiting until after year-end often brings a perfect storm:

• Tighter Timelines: Professional calendars fill quickly in January, which can delay projects and limit strategic options.
  
• Complexity Creep: Plans that seemed straightforward earlier in the year may now require extra steps to catch up on funding, titling, or compliance.
  
• Higher Costs: Rush fees, expedited filings, or simply the need for more intensive work can drive up costs unnecessarily.
  
• Lost Planning Opportunities: Certain gifting, tax strategies, or funding actions tied to the calendar year may no longer be available.
  

Advisors Can Play a Key Role

As a trusted advisor, you’re often the first to spot the signs that a client may be heading toward year-end surprises. Here are a few practical ways to step in early:

1. Initiate the Conversation
   A quick “year-end check-in” can prompt clients to revisit their planning before schedules tighten. Even a short review can uncover outdated beneficiary designations, unfunded trusts, or unaddressed changes in family structure.
   
2. Highlight the Financial Impact
   Framing delays in terms of missed opportunities or added costs makes the issue real. For example: “By updating your trust funding now, you can avoid paying for expedited filings in January.”
   
3. Coordinate with Other Professionals
   Aligning efforts with attorneys, CPAs, and financial planners before year-end allows for a more efficient, strategic approach—especially when tax strategies are involved.
   

A Simple Year-End Review Checklist

Encourage clients to review these key areas before December 31:

• Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and insurance policies
  
• Trustee, executor, and agent appointments
  
• Asset titling and trust funding status
  
• Major life changes (marriage, divorce, births, deaths, relocations)
  
• Gifting or tax strategies that must be implemented before year-end
  

Even small updates can help clients avoid unnecessary surprises—and build goodwill by demonstrating that you’re looking out for their best interests.

The Takeaway

Year-end doesn’t have to bring stress and sticker shock. By starting the conversation early, you can help clients lock in strategic opportunities, manage costs, and enter the new year with confidence. Encourage clients to schedule a year-end estate planning review now—before the calendar (and the costs) catch up with them.