When most people hear the word legacy, they tend to picture legal documents—wills, trusts, inheritances. And while those are certainly important, legacy planning is about far more than just paperwork or the transfer of financial assets. It’s about intention. It’s about love. And it’s about creating clarity for the people who matter most to you.
At its core, legacy planning is the process of organizing your financial, legal, and personal affairs in a way that supports your values and priorities. It helps ensure that what you’ve built over a lifetime is preserved and passed on in a manner that reflects not just what you have, but who you are.
As you approach or settle into retirement, this kind of planning takes on even greater importance. The focus shifts from simply growing your assets to preserving them, using them wisely, and ultimately deciding how they’ll continue to support the people and causes you care about. We often hear from clients who say their greatest hope is to make life easier for their loved ones—to leave behind not just resources, but also reassurance. That kind of confidence comes from preparation, not from chance.
A thoughtful legacy plan does more than direct where your assets go. It can also help minimize the tax burden for your heirs, help protect beneficiaries from legal complications or financial missteps, and potentially reduce the risk of family conflict by clearly communicating your wishes. In short, it helps avoid confusion at a time when your loved ones are already navigating enough.
But legacy planning is not just financial—it’s deeply emotional, too. Your legacy includes the values you’ve lived by, the lessons you’ve learned, and the stories only you can tell. Many of our clients choose to leave letters for their grandchildren, record messages or memories, or designate gifts to causes that reflect their personal passions. These are the elements that make a legacy truly lasting.
At South Shore Retirement Services, we incorporate legacy planning into every retirement plan we design. We believe it’s not enough to preserve what you’ve earned—we want to help ensure that your hard work continues to support those you care about long after you’re gone. That means reviewing your estate documents, addressing potential tax implications, revisiting beneficiary designations, and planning around long-term care if needed. It also means creating space for meaningful conversations—sometimes even inviting family members to the table when appropriate—so that everyone is aligned and informed.
We collaborate with estate attorneys and tax professionals to make sure every detail is handled with care, but the heart of legacy planning always begins with you: your goals, your people, your priorities.
Legacy planning isn’t just for the wealthy. And it’s not something to be left for later. In fact, the ideal time to start may be when you still have time to shape it intentionally. Because when it’s done right, a legacy plan doesn’t just leave something behind—it leaves a lasting impact. It tells the people you love: I thought of you. I prepared for you. I cared enough to make this easier.
And that’s a powerful message to leave behind.
Investment advisory products and services made available through AE Wealth Management, LLC
(AEWM), a Registered Investment Adviser. South Shore Retirement Services has a strategic partnership with tax professionals and attorneys who can provide tax and/or legal advice. This article is meant to be general and is not investment or financial advice or a recommendation of any kind. The opinions and other information contained in this article are subject to change based on the market or other conditions. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, which change over time. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. Please consult your financial advisor before making financial decisions. For more detailed information, contact Mark Rowlette, a financial advisor with South Shore Retirement Services offering investment advisory products and services through AE Wealth Management, LLC.. 3040187 – 5/25
