Start with the free trust, cash value, and estate planning walkthrough below. It gives you the basic steps in one place.
Read it here with no email or checkout. If you want printable worksheets and a deeper plan afterward, the full guides are available when you are ready.
This is the basic framework I wanted you to have. Download the free PDF, or work through it right here on the page.
NO EMAIL · NO CHECKOUT · START HERE
PART 1
Set up the family trust.
A signed document is the beginning. The goal is to make the plan usable when your family needs it.
Name the people.Choose who manages the trust now, who steps in later, and who should receive the property.
List what you own.Start with the home, bank accounts, business interests, insurance, and retirement accounts.
Build the documents.Have the trust and supporting estate documents prepared for your family and your state.
Connect the assets.Review deeds, account titles, and beneficiary choices. Different assets may need different treatment.
Keep it usable.Tell the right person where the documents are and review the plan after major life changes.
ABOUT THE EIN
A separate EIN is not automatically required for every revocable living trust during the grantor's lifetime. Ask your tax or legal professional which tax ID applies before submitting an IRS application.
PART 2
Build useful cash value.
The policy still needs to provide life insurance. The design also affects how quickly value builds and how it may be used.
Start with protection and budget.Choose a payment you can support for the long term and the coverage your family needs.
Ask to see the design.Have the agent explain how the policy balances death benefit, cost, and early cash value.
Read both sets of numbers.Compare the guaranteed values with the projected values. Know which numbers can change.
Understand the loan.The insurer lends against the policy's cash value. Interest is charged, and an unpaid loan can reduce benefits or put the policy at risk.
Give the money a job.Decide what you would borrow for, how you would track the loan, and when you would review the policy.
HOW THE “VELOCITY” IDEA WORKS
With some policies, the value backing the loan may continue receiving interest or dividends under the contract while loan interest builds separately. Both sides must be reviewed together.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS PAGE
Write down these six answers.
You do not need perfect answers. A name, a number, or a question mark is enough to begin.
1. Who should step in if I cannot manage the plan?
2. Where are the trust and estate documents kept?
3. What are the three largest assets in the family?
4. Are those assets titled or assigned the way the plan expects?
5. What purchase or opportunity would I want policy cash value for?
6. What policy payment could I comfortably maintain?
YOU NOW HAVE THE STARTING POINT.
The full playbooks add printable checklists, account maps, policy questions, and step-by-step worksheets.
Make it easier for the people you love to know what matters, who can help, and where to find the plan. Start here whether you already have a trust or are beginning from scratch.
01 / PEOPLE
Choose who can step in.
List the people you would want to handle financial decisions, health care decisions, and estate responsibilities. Discuss backups and any care needs for children or dependents.
02 / DOCUMENTS
Know what belongs in the plan.
Review your will, any trust, financial power of attorney, and health care directives with an estate planning professional. Find out what is current and what needs attention.
03 / PROPERTY
Connect the instructions.
Compare account ownership and beneficiary records with your intentions. Have the right professionals review changes before you update titles or forms.
04 / FAMILY
Make the plan findable.
Keep a secure record of document locations and professional contacts. Tell the right people how to find it, and review the plan after major life changes.
YOUR FIRST STEP
Write down one name and one question.
Who would you want to step in? What would they need to know? The Estate Planning Playbook helps you turn those answers into a practical family plan.
The playbook helps you prepare and organize. Legal documents and professional services are separate and should be tailored to your state and circumstances.
THE BIG IDEA
EVERY PART NEEDS A JOB.
Your documents, policies, and accounts should work together. These guides help you see what each one is meant to do.
01
CONTROL
Who can act? Who gets what? Where are the instructions?
02
ACCESS
Where can you reach money when life creates an opportunity?
03
RETIREMENT
How can old accounts support growth and future income?
04
FAMILY
How can your family receive what you built with less confusion?
START SMALL You do not need every answer today. Choose one area and write down what you already know.
CHOOSE YOUR STARTING POINT
PICK THE GUIDE THAT MATCHES YOUR LIFE TODAY.
01 / PROTECTTRUST ACTIVATION PLAYBOOK12 pages · PDF
BEST FOR: A TRUST THAT STILL FEELS UNFINISHED
Turn signed papers into a plan your family can use.
Map your assets, learn when a trust may need an EIN, organize key records, and build a simple 30-day activation plan.
Learn what builds inside a policy, when you may be able to use it, what borrowing costs, and what can change over time.
THE KEY IDEA
When you borrow, the insurance company sends you money and uses your policy value as backup. With some policies, that value may keep growing while the loan is open. You still pay loan interest. The guide helps you see both sides.
Use them together: connect your estate plan, trust, policy, and retirement accounts.
WHEN YOU WANT A HAND
BRING US THE PAGE THAT STOPPED YOU.
Mark helps families with life insurance, including cash value plans built for long-term use. He and his team can also help families put revocable living trusts and estate plans in place.
Work through the guide at your own pace. If you want help afterward, bring the page you could not finish. Mark and his team work with families in all 50 states.
HOW IT WORKS
1. Pick your topic. 2. Fill in what you know. 3. Mark the part that needs help. 4. Reach out when you are ready.
QUICK ANSWERS
BEFORE YOU BUY.
Are these physical books?
No. Each playbook is a downloadable PDF. You get access right after checkout.
Which one should I start with?
Choose Estate Planning to organize family wishes, decision-makers, and key documents. Choose Protect if your trust feels unfinished. Choose Access if you want to understand cash value and policy loans. Choose Reposition if you have money in an old employer plan. Get the collection if two or more apply.
How is Estate Planning different from Trust Activation?
Estate Planning covers the broader family plan: people, documents, care wishes, beneficiaries, and records. Trust Activation focuses on putting an existing trust to work. The $39 collection includes both, plus Cash Value and Old Money.
Does the Estate Planning Playbook include legal documents?
No. It is an educational PDF with planning worksheets. It does not create a will or trust, prepare legal documents, or include professional services.
Will this tell me exactly what to buy or move?
No. It helps you organize what you have, see your choices, and know which questions to ask before making a decision.
Can Mark and his team help me afterward?
Yes. Mark helps families with life insurance and cash value plans. He and his team can also help set up revocable living trusts and estate plans. They work with families in all 50 states.
When should I schedule a conversation?
Once you have gone through the worksheet and know where you feel stuck. That way, the conversation can focus on the help you actually want.
A SMALL UPDATE CAN GO A LONG WAY
MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR YOUR FUTURE SELF.
Connect the right assets to the trust. Understand the real cost of a policy loan. Give every old account a purpose. Make your family wishes clear. You can work on one area now and come back to the others later.
Begin with the page you would be most relieved to finish.
