Estate Planning Coordination for Retirees and Executives in Del Mar, CA

We help raise the questions that surface gaps in your estate plan and facilitate the conversation with your attorney.

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It is complimentary, with no obligation. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you honestly.
Serving Families in Southern
California since 2015
Chad Waters is a CERTIFIED
FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional
Affiliated with LPL Financial, a Fortune
500 company; Member FINRA/SIPC

Check the background of this firm on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

Most retirees have an estate plan. Very few have one that is current, funded correctly, and coordinated with the rest of their financial plan.

Beneficiary designations that haven't been updated since a first marriage. Trusts drafted before the grandchildren were born. Retirement accounts titled incorrectly. Life insurance that no longer makes sense for your situation. These aren't rare exceptions.

In our experience, it comes up more often than most people expect. Life changes faster than most estate plans get updated, and the gap tends to grow quietly over time.

In California, how your accounts are titled and how your trust is funded can matter as much as what the documents say. A plan that is not coordinated with your financial picture can create consequences nobody anticipated.

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What a Proper Estate Plan Looks Like

You have reviewed your beneficiary designations and have a clearer sense of whether they reflect what you actually want today.

You have had a conversation about whether your trust is funded and your accounts are titled in a way that may align with your estate documents.

Your spouse has a clearer picture of what to do and who to call if something happens to you.

Your estate plan and your financial plan are finally working from the same picture.

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Estate Planning at Trifecta Wealth Management

Estate planning conversations are part of the ongoing relationship at Trifecta Wealth Management, not a one-time document review.

We do not draft documents or provide legal advice. Our role is to raise the questions worth asking across the areas that tend to matter most: beneficiary designations, trust titling and funding, estate tax considerations, spousal planning, legacy and charitable goals, and healthcare directives. Where you choose to involve your estate attorney, we are happy to help facilitate that conversation at your request.

For clients with more complex needs, we have access to a dedicated HNW planning team that can assist with advanced trust and estate strategy, subject to eligibility.

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Complimentary Second Opinion

A no-obligation conversation about what you currently have in place and where questions may be worth exploring.

Gap Review

We can review beneficiary designations, trust titling, account structure, and potential estate tax considerations, raising questions about whether each may reflect your current wishes. Legacy and charitable goals are part of that conversation as well.

Coordinated Conversation

Where you choose to involve your estate attorney, we are happy to help facilitate that conversation at your request.

Plan Alignment

We work to help your financial plan and your estate planning conversations stay connected and reflect the same picture.

Ongoing Review

As your life evolves, we aim to revisit estate planning questions where they may be relevant, including life events such as marriage, the birth of a grandchild, or the loss of a spouse.

What We Charge

Estate planning coordination is included as part of Trifecta Wealth Management's fee-based advisory relationship, with all fees disclosed in writing before you make any decision. Legal document drafting and attorney fees are separate and handled directly between you and your estate attorney.

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Why Work With Trifecta Wealth Management

We Help Raise the Right Questions

Estate planning gaps often go unnoticed for years. Our role is to help surface the questions worth asking and make sure they get to the right people.

We Coordinate With Your Attorney at your request

Your attorney handles the legal documents. We make sure they stay aligned with your financial plan.

Part of the Ongoing Conversation

Estate planning questions are revisited as your life evolves, alongside the rest of your financial plan.

Specialized Support Available

Access to specialized support. A dedicated HNW planning team is available for advanced trust and estate strategy, subject to eligibility.

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What Our Clients Say

It is to my great fortune to have met Chad Waters 7 years ago! My husband and I signed up with Chad to manage our portfolio. When Chad started his new business, Trifecta Wealth Management, we were all too happy to follow him, and Heather St. Amour, Trifecta's Branch Operations Manager. We trust them for our financial management and peace of mind, and whenever I call, the phone is answered immediately or I'm called back within minutes. It's so wonderful learning from Chad's expertise if I have a question or concern, he is so knowledgeable. I have recommended Trifecta to all of my friends and family. We are extremely satisfied clients!

Mary Jo S.
Business Owner
September 2, 2026

My wife and I have worked with Chad Waters for 10 years since he knocked on my door a year before our retirement. Usually I shoo away people selling services but there was something about Chad that made me want to hear what he had to say. In our experience Chad and Heather have always had our best interests at heart. I find that they are always available. They have our absolute trust with our money for our financial plan and retirement savings. We look forward to a continued relationship with Trifecta Wealth Management, LLC.

Jere D.
Retired
August 14, 2026

Chad Waters and Heather St. Amour of Trifecta Wealth Management are a wealth of knowledge and they are always well prepared for our quarterly meetings. They are very patient with our questions and always provide knowledgeable answers. They always provide a great long-term plan and always take into account our risk tolerance. They always stay in touch and respond to our emails or phone calls in a timely manner. If my wife or I do not understand something they explain it in simple terms.

Pat H.
Business Owner
August 13, 2026

This statement is a testimonial by a client of the financial professional as of the indicated date. The client has not been paid or received any other compensation for making these statements. As a result, the client does not receive any material incentives or benefits for providing the testimonial. These views may not be representative of the views of other clients and are not indicative of future performance or success.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you draft my estate documents?

No. We do not provide legal advice or draft estate documents. Our role is to raise questions, surface areas worth exploring, and coordinate with your estate attorney at your request. Your attorney handles the legal work.

What if I don't have an estate attorney?

We can still review your current designations and account structure and, at your request, help facilitate a conversation with an attorney you choose to work with.

How do you find gaps in an existing plan?

We look at beneficiary designations, trust titling, and account structure in the context of your financial plan and current wishes, and raise questions about areas that may be worth a closer look.

Can you guarantee my estate plan has no gaps?

No. We raise questions and surface areas that may be worth exploring, but we cannot guarantee that every area is addressed or that next steps are ultimately acted upon. Outcomes depend on the information you share with us and the professionals you choose to involve.

What if my situation is more complex, with trusts or business succession involved?

For clients with more complex needs, we have access to a dedicated HNW planning team for advanced trust, estate, and philanthropic strategy, subject to eligibility.

Are you a fiduciary?

In our fee-based advisory relationships, yes. We are required to act as a fiduciary, and as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, held to a fiduciary standard under the CFP Board's Code of Ethics.

Got questions?

Apply for a Second Opinion call with our team to get all your questions answered.

Get a Second Opinion

Let's talk through your estate planning picture and see what might need a second look.

Get a Second Opinion
It is complimentary, with no obligation. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you honestly.
Prefer to call?
+1 858-703-6033

This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax or legal advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax or legal advisor.