Adding or expanding service offerings is a top consideration for RIA executives seeking to scale their businesses into sustainably managed businesses. Yet firms vary on how they manage the additional services; do they continue to refer clients to outside professionals for the expertise and execution of these advanced financial plans, or does it make more sense, from a business finance perspective, to bring the service in-house?
The 2026 Outlook Survey shows that 39% of financial planning firms currently offer trust and estate planning services in-house. A significant portion of firms (45%) still rely on referrals to external partners for these services. Almost one in 10 advisory firms (11%) have no plans to offer the service in 2026.
Notably, 5% of firms plan to bring the service in-house by 2026, signaling a modest but significant shift toward internalizing these capabilities.
Among firms already offering T&E services, 53% plan to expand their offerings in 2026, driven by client demand and the need to retain next-generation clients. This trend is particularly pronounced among firms managing over $500 million in assets, where 66% anticipate expansion.
Competitive differentiation (16%) and revenue diversification (15%) are secondary drivers, while a smaller percentage of firms (6%) are targeting the high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth markets.
Advisor expertise in trust and estate planning remains a concern. A striking 59% of respondents estimate that fewer than 25% of advisors have sufficient knowledge to implement the advanced planning strategies effectively. This highlights a critical gap in advisor training and expertise, which firms must address to meet client expectations.
Implementing and overseeing these services comes with its own set of challenges. Regulatory compliance and fiduciary responsibilities are the top concerns, cited by 60% of respondents. Client communication and managing expectations (49%) and staff training (43%) are also significant hurdles.
Technology and operational infrastructure (38%) and competition from established trust and estate firms (19%) were less cited, but still relevant, concerns.
Methodology: Beginning on Nov. 21, 2025, WealthManagement.com emailed invitations to participate in an online survey to active users. By Dec. 12, 2025, WealthManagement.com received 311 responses.
