Estate & Trust Planning
Estate Planning Advisor for Families and Trusts
Sentinel Asset Management helps you organize accounts, beneficiaries and trusts so your wealth passes to the people and causes you care about.
- Titling, beneficiary and trust review in one plan
- We work alongside your estate attorney
- Offices in Maryland and Connecticut, 5 in total
2,000+ clients guided into retirement. 100+ years of combined advisory experience.
Prefer to talk? Call 203-793-0707
Request an estate planning conversation
Tell us a little about your family and goals. An advisor will follow up to talk through your estate and trust questions.
Why families choose Sentinel for estate and trust planning
One coordinated plan
We line up your titling, beneficiary designations, wills and trusts so the pieces agree with each other.
Focus on what you control
We handle the 98% of estate planning that does not require a lawyer: accounts, insurance policies and ownership structures.
Attorney coordination
When more complex instruments make sense, we work alongside your estate attorney on design and review.
Tax-aware structure
We organize assets across taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free categories and plan orderly transitions between them.
Legacy beyond the money
Staged inheritance structures, heir education and guardrails that protect family relationships as well as assets.
Experience with complex families
25 years working with families with special needs and a team versed in the financial side of divorce.
What estate and trust planning covers at Sentinel
Estate planning is more than a signed document. It is the way your accounts are titled, who is named on each beneficiary form, and how ownership is structured. Sentinel reviews all of it for consistency, with the goal of reducing unnecessary tax exposure, public disclosure and court involvement.
Trusts can be powerful tools when they are built with intention. We help you design and review trusts alongside estate attorneys so assets are directed to the right people at the right time, on your terms.
- Account titling and ownership structure review
- Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and insurance policies
- Wills and trusts reviewed for consistency and alignment
- Trust design and review in coordination with estate attorneys
- Probate avoidance and orderly transfer strategies
- Organizing assets across taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free categories
- Qualified Charitable Distributions and tax-efficient gifting modeling
- Staged inheritance structures and multi-generational trusts
- Special needs planning for families who require lifelong support
How we get started
Share your situation
Send the form with a few details about your family, your accounts and what you want your estate to do.
Talk with an advisor
We review your titling, beneficiaries, wills and trusts and point out where things do not line up.
Build the plan
You get a written structure for transfer and legacy, coordinated with your estate attorney where needed.
Frequently asked questions
Do you write wills and trusts?
No. We are not a law firm and do not draft legal documents. We work alongside estate attorneys and focus on the 98% of estate planning that does not require a lawyer, such as account titling, beneficiary designations, insurance policies and ownership structures.
What does estate planning advice cost?
Fees depend on the scope of your plan and the assets involved. We will explain how our service is structured before you commit to anything.
Where do you work with clients?
We serve clients in Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, with 5 offices including Bethesda, MD and Rockville, MD, plus Connecticut locations.
Can you help if we already have a trust in place?
Yes. We review existing wills and trusts for consistency with your titling and beneficiary forms, and coordinate with your attorney if changes are appropriate.
Do you handle planning for a child with special needs?
Yes. Sentinel has 25 years of experience working with families with special needs and supports 20+ families long term, coordinating with attorneys and care planners when required.
Do you prepare tax returns?
No. We do not provide tax return preparation or CPA accounting services. We do provide tax management planning, such as Roth conversions, withdrawal sequencing and charitable giving strategies.
Talk to an estate planning advisor
Get a clear view of how your accounts, beneficiaries and trusts fit together. Share a few details and an advisor from Sentinel Asset Management will reach out.
- Titling, beneficiary and trust review in one plan
- We work alongside your estate attorney
- Offices in Maryland and Connecticut, 5 in total
Prefer to talk? Call 203-793-0707