Latest news with #EstateOS
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Haven't made a will yet? startup has new AI tool to help
In 2017, Cody Barbo told a room of investors that he was getting married in a month. His friend asked him this question: "Hey man, you're getting married. Do you have a will?" Barbo froze, threw out a mild swear word and answered, "I should probably have one." Barbo is the CEO of Trust & Will, a San Diego company that simplifies the creation of estate planning documents by drafting documents with its lawyer-vetted software. Eight years later, Barbo is married and his family has grown. So has his company. Trust & Will, based in San Diego's Bankers Hill, has helped more than 1 million families make estate plans, Barbo said in an interview from his Dallas home office. "Normally you pay thousands of dollars up front to do this with an attorney, or hundreds to thousands of dollars for those updates, for that ongoing guidance," he said. "This is the democratization of estate planning." It has raised more than $80 million from venture capital and corporate investors including Moderne Ventures, American Express, AARP and Northwestern Mutual. Last year, the company became "cash-flow positive," startup speak for hitting profitability, and then secured a Series C round of capital this year. It employs around 110 people, up from around 80 in 2023. And last week, it announced the launch of a new AI-powered platform called EstateOS, which Barbo says will make estate planning even easier, more efficient, more personalized and more broadly accessible. It also turns Trust & Will - one of several companies that digitally create estate plans - into what Barbo says is "the first company to launch an AI-integrated estate planning platform at scale, specifically designed for both consumers and financial professionals. While others may be experimenting with AI, EstateOS is the first comprehensive system combining Trust & Will's proprietary estate planning software with embedded OpenAI-powered tools to streamline creation, review, and updates of estate plans." New tools, an AI boost Using proprietary software and OpenAI, EstateOS delivers four features that are "intelligent upgrades of previously manual or slower processes," Barbo said, who co-founded the company with Daniel Goldstein and Brian Lamb. Some of the new features will appeal to U.S. consumers - only 31% of which have a will, according to a company survey of 10,000 people - and others will appeal to the company's industry targets: financial planners, life insurance agents, nonprofits and attorneys, he added. One feature, called PlanScore, does what its name suggests: It "scores" estate plans with a rating system that helps customers find blind spots and figure out where their estate plan needs buttressing. Another is an AI assistant that lets users ask questions and have the answer served instantly. Instead of digging around to find out who was named as a guardian, Barbo said, you can ask who the guardian is and get reminded that it is your mother-in-law. A third feature is document extraction, which will summarize and mine user-submitted documents for useful or actionable data and workflows. This could be especially useful for people who have drawn estate plans that are "just sitting in a box in the closet." The last feature streamlines communication - and client prospecting. The "Connected Networks" tool brings together parties connected to an account, including executors, beneficiaries, attorneys and financial advisers, into a shared platform. That can make deed transfers and notarized transactions run more smoothly, and also make it easier for those professionals to build their contact lists. Down the line, Barbo said a fifth service will keep track of life's seismic events, the kind where an estate plan update could make sense, such as marriage, divorce, a new baby, a home purchase - and alert users when they should amend something. Pricing to create a will or trust remains the same. An individual's will-based plan starts at $199 and a trust-based plan starts at $499. Couples are charged an extra $100, and updates cost extra. Optional memberships at different pricing tiers give access to the EstateOS and other features. Attorney support is included in some plans or can be purchased as an add-on. The estate planning startup's plans For its first eight years, Trust & Will was one of several in a crowded digital legal document and estate planning marketplace, all of which turned estate planning from a costly investment to something that could be scratched off one's to-do list with a few clicks and a spare hour. LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer are the bigger names, but there's also and the company that would win wittiest estate planning domain name, if that were a thing - The National Council on Aging recommends these online tools, saying "If an attorney isn't in your budget, an online will-making service can be a good alternative." Among the five companies it recommends, Trust & Will is crowned "most user-friendly." In estate planning, the use of AI is a topic of interest for attorneys, according to the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. A free video series explores practical and ethical issues around generative AI in estate planning. "Resistance to the coming of AI is futile," one speaker, a law professor, said last year. Lawyers, he added, "should keep abreast of the changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology. So accordingly, you have an obligation to yourself, your clients, and the profession to become acquainted with and proficient with the use of AI in your estate planning practice." Barbo's 2017 pitch to investors succeeded: His company won $5,000 in seed money. Today he is eyeing the biggest prize for a startup - to take the company public. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trust & Will Unveils EstateOS™, the First Intelligent Platform for Modern Legacy Planning -- and Announces Inaugural Generations Conference
SAN DIEGO, June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Trust & Will, the leading digital estate planning platform, today announced the launch of EstateOS™, the nation's first intelligent platform engineered to modernize how legacies are planned, managed, and preserved. Powered by the industry's most comprehensive first-party estate planning data, EstateOS transforms static documents into dynamic, connected, and continuously guided legacy plans that evolve with life. Designed for families, financial advisors, attorneys, nonprofits, and institutions, the platform delivers personalized insights and seamless coordination to ensure every plan stays aligned with life's changes. "EstateOS is more than a product, it's an intelligent system that is redefining how the estate planning industry is served," said Cody Barbo, Co-Founder & CEO of Trust & Will. "It currently supports over one million users, 20,000+ financial advisors, and 200+ institutional partners, tracking $200B+ in self-reported estate assets and 20,000+ planned charitable bequests. It's built to help families keep their plans current through every life stage and deliver value to all stakeholders involved in the legacy journey." For too long, estate planning has relied on static paperwork, infrequent updates, and disconnected professionals. The traditional process ends with a signature; often leaving families vulnerable to outdated plans, fragmented advice, and preventable risk. EstateOS is the next chapter: an intelligent, AI-powered platform that transforms estate planning into a dynamic, connected system for modern legacy management. Flagship features of EstateOS include: Plan Score™ – A dynamic rating system that surfaces personalized opportunities to help individuals understand, strengthen, and optimize their estate plans. Connected Networks – Connects key stakeholders, including beneficiaries, executors, advisors, and attorneys, while facilitating essential services like deed transfers and notaries. Intelligent Assistants – Embedded AI tools offering personalized, actionable guidance for families and professionals alike. Document Extraction & Summarization – Transforms uploaded documents into structured insights to accelerate plan creation and professional workflows. And coming later this year: a steady release of groundbreaking features including the Life Event Engine, the industry's first alert system that proactively notifies users of critical updates needed after life changes like marriage, relocation, birth, or death, bulk document ingestion for professionals, tax strategy simulations, tax and distribution insights, multi-beneficiary scenarios, and open API, MCP, and SDKs for enterprise integration. Introducing Generations: The Future of Planning, Together To celebrate and accelerate this next chapter in estate planning, Trust & Will is also announcing the launch of its inaugural event: Generations. Debuting in October 2025, Generations will convene financial advisors, attorneys, nonprofit leaders, innovators, and policymakers for a landmark summit on the future of wealth, family, and legacy planning. Held on the heels of EstateOS's debut, the conference will showcase the platform's continuous feature rollouts and provide exclusive access to the tools, insights, and partnerships driving the industry's transformation. Generations is more than a gathering; it's a rallying point for innovators, advisors, attorneys, nonprofits, and industry leaders redefining how families plan, protect, and pass on what matters most. A Platform Designed for Every Stakeholder EstateOS is the infrastructure driving Trust & Will's transformation into a lifelong partner in multi-generational wealth planning. For FamiliesEstateOS turns static paperwork into a dynamic, digital legacy plan. Families get one secure place to manage their wishes, track updates in real time, and stay organized through life's milestones. It helps prevent disputes and ensures peace, clarity, and continuity across generations. For Financial Advisors & Wealth ManagersEstateOS equips financial advisors and wealth managers with real-time visibility into client estate plans and AI-powered tools to streamline planning workflows at scale. It helps deepen relationships, strengthen retention, and turn estate planning into a strategic growth driver. With upcoming features like life event intelligence and expanded automation, advisors can stay proactive, connected, and indispensable across generations. For AttorneysEstateOS modernizes estate law practices with intelligent tools like AI-generated summaries, bulk document ingestion, and real-time collaboration with clients and partners. Attorneys can streamline operations, enhance referrals, and stay aligned with clients throughout life's changes. With life event intelligence and additional professional features on the horizon, EstateOS helps legal teams focus more on advising and legacy preservation, and less on administrative lift. For NonprofitsEstateOS brings clarity and insight to planned giving. Nonprofits gain visibility into donor intent, legacy commitments, and stewardship opportunities; surfacing bequests that might otherwise remain hidden. As AI tooling and life event alerts (including posthumous donor triggers) come online, organizations will be empowered to proactively engage supporters, secure legacy gifts, and maximize impact. For Partners & InstitutionsEstateOS enables banks, financial institutions, and wealth firms to integrate estate planning into client experiences. With open APIs, branded tools, and enterprise infrastructure, partners can scale services, deepen engagement, and build generational loyalty. As trillions in wealth change hands, EstateOS puts Trust & Will and its partners at the center of modern legacy planning. AvailabilityEstateOS is live for families, advisors, attorneys, nonprofits, and enterprise partners. To learn more, visit To stay informed about the upcoming Generations conference, visit About Trust & WillFounded in 2017, Trust & Will is the leading digital estate planning platform in the U.S., trusted by over one million individuals and families. Our simple, secure, and attorney-approved online solutions help Americans easily create wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and other essential estate planning documents tailored to state-specific laws. With a focus on easy access and a guided experience, we're transforming how families plan for the future and protect their legacies. Our platform supports 20,000+ registered financial advisors, along with 200+ enterprise partners and financial institutions, including AARP, Fifth Third Bank, LPL Financial, UBS, and USAA. We empower professionals to integrate estate planning into their client services, enabling multi-generational wealth planning. With more than one million users and $200+ billion in self-reported estate assets, Trust & Will is redefining estate planning as a relationship-deepening driver of financial wellness. Recognized for innovation and leadership, Trust & Will has earned spots on the CNBC Disruptor 50, Inc. 5000, and Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ lists. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Trust & Will
