Advisor Resources
Guides and tools for your estate planning practice.
Practical references for financial advisors, written by the team building Bancroft and grounded in the same statutory research behind our state-specific document library. Every guide is free to download.
Getting Started
Estate Planning 101
Understand common documents and prepare questions for your advisor and estate attorney.
PDF · 11 pages
Getting Started
Estate Planning Checklist
Track the steps that apply to your household, from gathering information to signing and follow-up.
PDF · 8 pages
Getting Started
Asset Inventory Worksheet
Record assets, debts, ownership and key contacts before a planning meeting.
PDF · 10 pages
Advisor Practice
Estate Planning Conversation Guide
Discovery questions and example language for estate-planning conversations.
PDF · 15 pages
Trust Funding
Trust Funding Guide
Review asset ownership, transfer steps and beneficiary designations with the professionals involved.
PDF · 9 pages
Trust Funding
Trust Funding Letter Template
Request an account update from a bank, brokerage or insurer, then track it until the institution confirms the change.
PDF · 9 pages
Trust Funding
The Funding Ceremony Playbook
A meeting agenda, household chart and follow-up templates for trust funding.
PDF · 13 pages
Trust Funding
Retitling Accounts Into a Trust
What custodians ask for to retitle an account into a revocable trust, with Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard compared.
Web guide
Estate Plan Maintenance
Beneficiary Designation Review Worksheet
Record account beneficiaries and identify designations that need review.
PDF · 6 pages
Trust Administration
A Guide for Successor Trustees
Prepare for trustee responsibilities after death or incapacity.
PDF · 14 pages
Estate Administration
A Guide for POA Agents
Understand your authority, keep records and work with institutions as a POA agent.
PDF · 13 pages
Estate Administration
A Guide for Executors
Organize estate-administration tasks and questions for legal and tax professionals.
PDF · 12 pages
Specialized Planning
Incapacity Planning Guide
Prepare for financial decisions, healthcare decisions and access to medical information.
PDF · 13 pages
Specialized Planning
Digital Asset Inventory Guide
Inventory online accounts and document how authorized people can locate them.
PDF · 15 pages
Personal Planning
Letter of Instruction Template
Record practical instructions, contacts and personal wishes alongside your estate documents.
PDF · 12 pages
Estate Plan Maintenance
Annual Review & Life Event Guide
Use an annual review or life event to identify changes and assign follow-up.
PDF · 8 pages
Print-and-Sign Forms
Personal Property Memorandum (Michigan)
A statutory print-and-sign form under MCL 700.2513 for distributing tangible personal property to specific people without rewriting your will. For clients who prefer a paper form over a digital workflow. Includes preprinted statutory recitations, an items table, optional witness and notary blocks, and clear instructions on what can and cannot be distributed.
PDF · 10 pages
Print-and-Sign Forms
Personal Property Memorandum (Florida)
A signed personal-property list under F.S. 732.515, with an items table and instructions to discuss with Florida counsel. The statute requires a signature; handwriting alone is insufficient.
PDF · 10 pages
Print-and-Sign Forms
Personal Property Memorandum (California)
A statutory print-and-sign form under California Probate Code section 6132 for distributing tangible personal property to specific people without rewriting your will. California caps value: no single item over $5,000 and no more than $25,000 in total, with anything above either limit passing under the will instead. Includes preprinted statutory recitations, an items table, optional witness blocks, and a dedicated section on the limits.
PDF · 10 pages
Print-and-Sign Forms
Personal Property Memorandum (Washington)
A statutory print-and-sign form under RCW 11.12.260 for distributing tangible personal property to specific people without rewriting your will. Washington sets no dollar limit and expressly reaches articles held for investment and precious metals in tangible form, while excluding mobile homes and property used primarily in a trade or business. Includes preprinted statutory recitations, an items table, optional witness blocks, and the full inclusion and exclusion list.
PDF · 10 pages