Vanilla, the estate planning-focused fintech provider, is helping to raise the bar on estate planning across the wealth space as it revives a key advisor education initiative.
On Monday, the planning focused fintech announced its relaunch of Vanilla Academy, an estate planning educational platform specifically designed for financial advisors and planners.
The updated Academy offers free, on-demand continuing education, multimedia content, and downloadable guides and resources. Several courses also provide continuing education credit for certified financial planners.
“Vanilla Academy’s relaunch represents a significant step forward in our mission to empower advisors and estate planners with the knowledge and skills they need to deliver outstanding service,” Gene Farrell, CEO of Vanilla said in a statement. “We are committed to making estate planning accessible and effective for everyone regardless of wealth level."
For its initial lineup, the revived educational program includes a three-part series on Estate Planning 101, a course on estate planning for non-taxable estates, and a primer on advanced strategies for taxable estates.
The preliminary syllabus also includes a course on client conversations led by Steve Lockshin, Vanilla’s founder and chairman, and a primer on leveraging the estate tech planning platform in client conversations.
Vanilla says the academy is designed to accommodate professionals across all expertise levels, with insights from in-house experts and partners and regular updates.
Patrick Carlson, in-house counsel at Vanilla, said the academy will help scale estate planning services across the industry by leveling the playing field with respect to advisors’ confidence and expertise.
“Vanilla Academy will be a tremendous asset in helping ensure all advisors have a basic competency in estate planning and are able to continually uplevel that competency to provide additional value to clients,” said Carlson, who’s also one of the featured instructors.
The relaunch of Vanilla Academy is part of the wealth tech provider’s Summer School offering, which includes live courses and office hours with subject matter experts.
The firm has made the courses available to all qualified advisors, planners and attorneys, but said it will be limiting access to make some courses exclusive to its customers in the future.
Elsewhere in Utah, Raymond James also welcomed another experienced advisor from D.A. Davidson.
A federal appeals court says UBS can’t force arbitration in a trustee lawsuit over alleged fiduciary breaches involving millions in charitable assets.
NorthRock Partners' second deal of 2025 expands its Bay Area presence with a planning practice for tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners.
Rather than big projects and ambitious revamps, a few small but consequential tweaks could make all the difference while still leaving time for well-deserved days off.
Hadley, whose time at Goldman included working with newly appointed CEO Larry Restieri, will lead the firm's efforts at advisor engagement, growth initiatives, and practice management support.
Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.
Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.
