Most of what you own — life insurance, annuities, IRAs, 401(k)s — passes to your family by beneficiary designation, not by your will. I’m Daniel Faiella, an independent estate advisor and licensed insurance broker in Carson City — CrossSell Academy certified in estate planning, with more than 10 years of experience in sales and education. I help Northern Nevada families structure those assets on purpose: life insurance that transfers wealth efficiently, beneficiary designations that actually say what you mean, and coordination with your attorney and CPA so every piece agrees. The review costs you nothing.
Beneficiary designations override the will. That’s either a powerful tool or a quiet disaster — depending on whether anyone is paying attention.
Families are often surprised to learn that the will their attorney carefully drafted never touches the life insurance, the annuity, or the retirement accounts. Those assets transfer by contract — directly to whoever is named on a beneficiary form, sometimes one filled out decades ago. When the form is right, money moves quickly, privately, and usually outside probate. When it’s wrong or blank, it can undo the entire plan.
That contract layer is where I work as an estate advisor. We inventory every policy and account, make sure primary and contingent beneficiaries actually reflect your wishes, and structure new coverage so it does a specific job: creating estate liquidity so nobody has to sell the house or the land in a hurry, equalizing inheritances between children, or simply making sure final expenses never land on your kids’ credit cards.
And because an estate plan is a team sport, I stay in my lane: I’m a licensed insurance professional, not an attorney or a CPA. Wills, trusts, and tax strategy belong with your estate attorney and tax advisor — and I’m glad to sit at the same table so the legal documents, the tax picture, and the insurance contracts all tell the same story.
Six jobs I do every week for Northern Nevada families. Each one starts with a free conversation and ends with paperwork that says what you actually mean.
I’m a licensed insurance professional, not an attorney or tax advisor. Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and tax filings belong with your estate attorney and CPA — I coordinate with them, not around them. This page is education, not legal or tax advice.
The kindest thing you can leave your family isn’t just money. It’s money with instructions — so grief never has to share the table with paperwork.
— Daniel J. FaiellaGood estate planning is a team sport with clear positions. Here’s the division of labor, in writing.
Don’t have an estate attorney yet? That’s common — and no obstacle. We can still get the insurance and beneficiary layer in order today, and when you’re ready for the legal documents, I’m happy to work alongside whichever Nevada attorney you choose.
Kitchen table, my Carson City office, or a video call — the same local estate advisor before you sign and every year after.
Estate conversations are personal. You deserve to have them with someone local — who knows Nevada, answers his own phone, and will still be here for the annual beneficiary check years from now.
Estate and legacy planning help near you:
An estate attorney drafts the legal documents — wills, trusts, powers of attorney. As an estate advisor on the insurance side, I work on the assets those documents often never touch: life insurance, annuities, and other beneficiary-designation assets that transfer by contract. I help you structure ownership and beneficiaries, create estate liquidity with life insurance, and coordinate with your attorney and tax advisor so all the pieces agree. I'm a licensed insurance professional, not an attorney, and I don't draft legal documents or give legal advice.
Usually not — and that's one of their quiet superpowers. When a valid beneficiary is named, life insurance death benefits and annuity proceeds pay directly to that person by contract, typically bypassing probate entirely. The exceptions are avoidable mistakes: naming your estate as beneficiary, letting designations lapse after a death or divorce, or leaving them blank. That's exactly what a beneficiary review catches.
Three big ways. First, death benefits are generally income-tax-free to your beneficiaries, so a premium dollar can deliver more than a taxed dollar of savings. Second, it creates immediate liquidity — cash your family can use for final expenses, debts, or taxes without selling the house, the land, or the business in a hurry. Third, it can equalize an inheritance — for example, one child inherits the ranch and the other inherits a policy of similar value. Your CPA weighs in on the tax specifics; I design the coverage.
Nothing out of pocket. Like the rest of my work, legacy reviews and beneficiary checkups are free — if a policy or annuity ends up being part of the plan, the insurance carrier you choose pays me a commission. There's no fee to sit down, and no obligation to buy anything for the conversation to be useful.
At every major life event — marriage, divorce, a birth, a death in the family, a move to Nevada, retirement — and at least once a year even when nothing feels different. Beneficiary designations override your will, so an outdated form can send money to exactly the wrong person no matter what your attorney drafted. It's a ten-minute check that prevents the most painful mistakes I see.
Bring your policies, your statements, and your questions. Leave knowing exactly what your family would receive, how, and how fast — and what to fix while it’s easy.