New York, Sept. 5, 2012 – WealthCounsel and the publishers of Trusts & Estates magazine today announced the opening of the Sixth Annual Industry Trends Survey. Since 2007, this survey has provided industry insiders with the pulse of the estate planning industry, and it has become known as the only source for insight on emerging trends. All interdisciplinary professionals engaged in estate and business planning, wealth management, and retirement planning, are encouraged to participate in the survey at www.wealthcounsel.com or at www.wealthmanagement.com.
In addition to the standard sets of questions contained in previous years’ surveys such as the average net worth of clients, practice management challenges, and respondents’ educational preferences, the 2012 survey probes the mindset of practitioners as it relates to a number of current hot-button issues.
“Economists predict that the aging baby boom population will accelerate the number of boomer-owned businesses seeking to exit privately held companies over the next 20 years,” said Matt McClintock, WealthCounsel’s CEO. “As industry thought leaders, WealthCounsel will examine the extent to which practitioners believe this will drive demand for business succession planning and related services.”
McClintock also noted that “The collective wisdom of those who participate in the survey will serve as a harbinger of what we can expect to see over the next few years, and therein lies the value to those who read the results.”
Other questions in the 2012 survey explore the impact of the $5.12 million gift tax exemption, the extent to which the slow pace of the economic recovery has impacted business-owner clients, and practitioners’ use of business technologies in their offices.
“The results from this year’s survey will be one of the most interesting yet,” said Rich Santos, group publisher for Trusts & Estates and REP magazines in New York. “This year has been a particularly challenging one for estate planning professionals, who faced uncertainty as to the amount of the exemption in 2013 and beyond.”
The key findings from the survey will be formally announced on January 14, 2013, and a summary report of the findings will be published in the January 2013 issue of Trusts & Estates magazine. The summary report may also be downloaded starting January 14, 2013 at www.wealthcounsel.com or atwww.wealthmangement.com.
About The WealthCounsel Companies
The WealthCounsel Companies equip professionals to improve clients’ lives through proper planning.Established in 1997 and celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this year, WealthCounsel® is a membership-based organization of thousands of estate planning practitioners, business law attorneys, CPAs, and other wealth planning professionals located in all 50 states. WealthCounsel believes that proper planning is the key to better lives—for clients, for their families, and for the professionals who serve them. As a community of professionals, WealthCounsel members are best equipped to serve clients with the highest level of excellence.WealthCounsel shares ownership in ElderCounsel, and is the publisher of the WealthDocx® Trust and EstatePlanning Software system, the nation’s leading automated drafting system for trust and estate attorneys.
About Trusts & Estates Magazine (Penton Media, Inc.)
Trusts & Estates is the monthly journal for estate planning and wealth management professionals. Published since 1904, Trusts & Estates continues a long tradition of editorial excellence and credibility in the high-net-worth arena. Monthly issues focus on new tax legislation, ethics, investment strategies, financial planning, elder law, charitable giving and financial services.
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Contacts:
Marlene Hoover Frith, WealthCounsel, 888-659-4069, ext. 817
Rich Santos, Trusts & Estates, 212-204-4227
