Entrusted Planning: Moving HNW Clients to Act on Legacy, with David York

HNW clients know they need an estate plan, but most still delay taking action. David York of Entrusted joins Alex Kirby to explain why the barrier is almost never information, it is inspiration. He shares a practical framework for advisors to open legacy conversations in a way that motivates clients to follow through on the planning that protects their family wealth.What if the problem with estate planning isn’t that clients are uninformed, but that they’re uninspired?In this episode of Visionary Advisor, David York, attorney, CPA, and Managing Partner at York Howell, joins Alex Kirby to reframe how advisors think about legacy, family leadership, and the true purpose of wealth.Drawing from his book Entrusted: Building a Legacy That Lasts, David explains why traditional estate planning often fails—not because of poor execution, but because it focuses on assets and taxes rather than values and purpose. He shares how advisors can help clients move from fear-based planning to inspired conversations about meaning, responsibility, and family connection.From his “flint and kindling” analogy to the lessons of Mayer Rothschild, David shows how families can pass on wisdom, not just wealth—and how advisors can guide that evolution.Whether you serve $10M families or multi-generational enterprises, this episode challenges you to elevate your role from technician to teacher, from planner to purpose-builder.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why so many clients delay estate planning—not from ignorance, but from lack of inspiration • How to move from documents and distributions to dialogue and discovery • The “flint and kindling” approach to transferring wisdom and opportunity, not just money • How to structure plans that balance rights and responsibilities across generations • Three powerful questions every family should answer before they plan • Why true legacy requires aligning assets with values—not just minimizing taxesNotable Quotes from David York:“Clients aren’t uninformed. They’re uninspired.” “Transferring financial resources is transferring the result of your work—the fire is the real asset.” “You can’t transfer the cost that comes with wealth. And when you can’t transfer cost, you can’t transfer value.” “The best families prepare the next generation for wealth. They don’t just prepare wealth for the next generation.” “Does your plan reflect who you are—or just how much tax you saved?”Resources:Book: Entrusted: Building a Legacy That Lasts Website: www.davidryork.com LinkedIn: David R. YorkYork Howell: https://www.yorkhowell.com/Send us feedbackStay Connected with Visionary Advisor We believe wealth is well-being. Subscribe to the Visionary Advisor Newsletter for practical tools and ideas to serve families across generations. Explore more at totalfamily.io | Follow us on LinkedIn |  Watch episode clips on YouTube