Legacy & Wealth Transfer Planning
Legacy Planning That Passes On More Than Money
Sentinel Asset Management helps East Coast families structure inheritance, review trusts and prepare heirs — so your wealth moves on your terms.
- Staged inheritance structures built around your family
- Trust and beneficiary review with your estate attorney
- Heir education so the next generation is prepared
2,000+ clients supported and 100+ years of combined advisory experience.
Prefer to talk? Call 203-793-0707
Talk with a legacy planning advisor
Tell us a little about your family and goals. An advisor will follow up to set up a no-obligation conversation.
Why families choose Sentinel for legacy planning
Wealth transfer with intention
We help you decide who receives what, when and how — using account titling, beneficiary designations and ownership structures.
Trusts reviewed with your attorney
We work alongside estate attorneys to design and review trusts, and handle the parts of estate planning that don't need a lawyer.
Heirs who are ready
Education plans and a small, supervised pool of assets let beneficiaries practice stewardship before a full inheritance.
Tax-aware coordination
We look at your taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free accounts as one plan, including Roth conversions and charitable distributions.
Plans that address real risks
We build guardrails with divorce, debt and mismanagement in mind, so the plan holds up over time.
Offices near you
Five offices across Maryland and Connecticut, serving families along the U.S. East Coast.
What legacy and wealth transfer planning covers
Legacy planning is about more than control — it's about character. We help you put your values into words, prepare your heirs and set guardrails that protect both the wealth and the relationships it touches.
Your plan connects with the rest of your financial picture: investments, income, taxes and estate documents. We coordinate titling, beneficiaries, wills and trusts so everything points the same direction.
- Staged inheritance structures and multi-generational trusts
- A pilot pool of assets so heirs can practice stewardship first
- Account titling, beneficiary designations and ownership structures
- Wills and trusts reviewed for consistency with your accounts
- Coordination with estate attorneys on complex instruments
- Organizing assets across taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free accounts
- Qualified Charitable Distributions and tax-efficient gifting strategies
- Planning that honors philanthropic or faith-based intentions
How we start your legacy plan
Share your goals
Send the short form. Tell us about your family, your assets and what you want your wealth to do.
Meet an advisor
We review your accounts, titling, beneficiaries and any existing wills or trusts in a no-obligation conversation.
Build the structure
You get a written plan for transferring wealth, with attorney coordination where more complex instruments fit.
Frequently asked questions
What does legacy planning cost?
Fees depend on the scope of your plan and the accounts involved. We explain how we are paid in your first conversation, before you commit to anything.
Do you write wills and trusts?
No. We are not attorneys. We focus on the roughly 98% of estate planning that doesn't require a lawyer — accounts, insurance policies, titling and ownership structures — and work alongside your estate attorney on trust documents.
How is legacy planning different from estate planning?
Estate planning organizes how assets transfer. Legacy planning adds the human side: articulating your values, educating heirs and setting staged structures so an inheritance empowers rather than enables.
Do I need a certain level of wealth to start?
There is no stated minimum. Families come to us at many stages. The first conversation clarifies whether our planning approach fits your situation.
Which states do you serve?
We serve clients in Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, with offices in Bethesda and Rockville, MD and Fairfield, Middletown and West Haven, CT.
Can you help a family with a member who needs lifelong care?
Yes. We have 25 years working with families with special needs and support 20+ families long term, coordinating with attorneys and care planners when needed.
Pass on your wealth, and your values
Tell us about your family and what you want your legacy to look like. An advisor will reach out to arrange a no-obligation conversation.
- Staged inheritance structures built around your family
- Trust and beneficiary review with your estate attorney
- Heir education so the next generation is prepared
Prefer to talk? Call 203-793-0707