In this episode, estate planning attorney Kristina Hess breaks down the recent legal updates from the OBBA bill, focusing on how these changes impact estate taxes, gift strategies, and enhanced vehicles for wealth transfer. Whether you're a business owner, parent, grandparent, or simply planning your legacy, this episode provides actionable insights to optimize your estate planning before 2026.Key Topics:- Permanent estate and gift tax exemption increases to $15 million per person in 2026- How portability allows surviving spouses to 'save' unused exemptions (file Form 706)- The importance of the step-up in basis and its current preservation- New accounts for children (Trump accounts) and adjustments to 529 plans for education funding- Charitable giving deductions expanded to non-itemizers and current limits100% bonus depreciation on property acquired after January 19, 2025, including cost segregation benefits- Changes to qualified small business stock (Section 1202) with increased exclusion limits- Practical estate planning checklist for 2026: valuing estate, restructuring trusts, beneficiary updates, and life insurance considerationsMain Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to the 2025 legal update & relevance 01:01 - Estate and gift tax exemption changes 03:08 - Major details: estate tax rate and basis step-up 05:11 - New accounts for children & 529 plans 09:54 - Charitable giving for non-itemizers 11:48 - Bonus depreciation & asset acquisition strategies 14:44 - Qualified small business stock exclusion 15:39 - Practical steps for estate planning 19:54 - Final thoughts: proactive estate planning for lasting legacy🎧 Listen and subscribe to the Legacy Maker Podcast on all major podcast platforms.Follow @legacymakerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe on YouTube for updates, clips, and new episodes.

In the first episode of the Legacy Maker Podcast, Kristina Hess shares why legacy planning is deeply personal—not just professional. Through her own story and the loss of her father, a man whose heart was set on legacy, Kristina reveals the lessons that shaped her passion for helping families plan with intention and foresight.

This episode explores the critical difference between estate planning and legacy planning, and why protecting assets alone is not enough if you want what you’ve built to truly endure. Kristina walks you through how to prepare for your future in a way that safeguards your wealth, strengthens your family, and honors the values you want passed on.

This conversation lays the foundation for everything to come—because legacy isn’t accidental, it’s intentional.

Takeaways:

- Estate planning is about assets; legacy planning is about influence.

- Implementation of estate plans is crucial to avoid probate.

- Intangible legacies often hold more value than material wealth.

- Mindsets for legacy making include valuing time and relationships.

- Legacy is built with intention and purpose, not left to chance.

- Legal planning is essential for preserving wealth across generations.

- Charitable legacies can enhance family values and involvement.

- Personal stories can shape the legacy we leave behind.

- Teaching future generations about stewardship is vital.

- Investing in relationships is key to a meaningful legacy.

Chapters:

00:00 Understanding Estate vs. Legacy Planning

03:53 The Five Foundational Legal Documents

06:47 Building a Charitable Legacy

09:36 The Importance of Intangible Legacies

12:26 Mindsets for Becoming a Legacy Maker

18:34 Intentionality in Legacy Building

24:26 The Role of Legal Planning in Legacy

28:14 The Passion for Legacy Planning

🎧 Listen and subscribe to the Legacy Maker Podcast on all major podcast platforms.

Follow @legacymakerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe on YouTube for updates, clips, and new episodes.

As someone who has helped hundred of families preserve their generational wealth and family's futures, I felt it necessary to pull the curtain back on some hard learned lessons that are essential to protect your legacy.

Click play to start your legacy making journey...