What Is an Accredited Estate Planner?

The Accredited Estate Planner designation is a professional credential for individuals who specialize in estate planning services. You might work with someone who holds an AEP^® designation if you need help creating or fine-tuning an estate plan or a succession plan for your business. This guide offers an overview of what an accredited estate planner is, who they serve and what services they provide.

A financial advisor can help you with estate planning, retirement, taxes, and more.

What Is the Accredited Estate Planner Designation?

The accredited estate planner designation is a way for estate planning specialists to set themselves apart from other financial professionals. This professional designation is administered by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC). To earn this designation, candidates must:

• Have at least five years of experience actively working in a related field. This includes accounting, insurance, financial planning, law, philanthropy and/or trust services.
• Devote at least one-third of one’s professional time to estate planning services.
• Possess one or more of the recognized professional credentials. JD (active law license required if this is the only credential with which you are applying), CPA, CLU, CFP®, ChFC, CLU, CPWA, CFA, CAP, CSPG, CTFA, MSFS, and MST.
• Provide at least three professional references from individuals they’ve worked with in an estate planning capacity.
• Be a member of an affiliated local estate planning council in their area.

Additionally, applicants with less than 15 years of professional estate planning experience must complete additional coursework. They need to pass at least two graduate courses through The American College of Financial Services. Specifically, one advanced course in estate planning and one elective course. Electives can cover family wealth planning, business estate planning, charitable strategies, executive compensation, or business valuation analysis. ¹

AEP Costs

The self-study, online courses cost a flat $2,050 each. Alternatively, applicants can substitute coursework completed through an accredited graduate program as part of a master’s or doctoral degree. ²

Candidates should spend 24 months prior to applying for the designation completing at least 30 hours of continuing education. At least 15 of those hours must focus on estate planning. After completing the designation, the same education requirement applies. Active AEPs must recertify with the NAEPC each year. All applicants must also agree to the NAEPC Code of Ethics, which covers conduct standards for accredited estate planners. ³

Estate planners who would like to be designated just need to fill out the appropriate application and pay the application fees. There’s one form for estate planners with less than 15 years of professional experience and another for those with 15 years or more of experience.

As of March 2026, the fees are as follows:

• $300 application fee
• $150 yearly dues
• $80 at-large membership dues for estate planners don’t belong to an accredited local estate planning council

Following an application’s approval, designees keep paying the $175 membership dues and the $80 at-large due fee each year. ⁴

Services an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) Provides

An AEP operates at the advanced end of estate planning, covering disciplines that go well beyond drafting a basic will. The credential encompasses the following:

• Trust administration
• Charitable giving strategies
• Business succession planning
• Wealth transfer techniques
• Fiduciary income tax preparation
• Life insurance settlement management
• Coordination of estate plans with broader financial and tax goals

AEPs must dedicate at least one-third of their professional time to estate planning. This means the designation signals a depth of focus that most generalist financial professionals do not maintain. Clients who work with an AEP can expect services tailored to the more technical and strategic aspects of estate planning. These may include

• Structure irrevocable trusts to reduce estate tax exposure
• Design charitable remainder or lead trusts for philanthropic goals
• Coordinate asset titling across multiple entities
• Review beneficiary designations to avoid unintended consequences
• Develop gifting strategies that take advantage of annual and lifetime exclusion amounts

An AEP may also work closely with a client’s attorney, accountant, and insurance professional to make sure each piece of the estate plan functions as intended.

When You’ll Need an AEP

The situations an AEP is best positioned to address tend to involve significant complexity or high dollar amounts. A blended family with competing inheritance interests, a business owner who needs to transfer the company to the next generation without triggering a liquidity crisis, a high-net-worth individual seeking to minimize federal and state estate taxes, or a philanthropist who wants to leave a structured legacy through a private foundation or donor-advised fund are all examples of the kinds of challenges this credential prepares an advisor to handle.

Specific planning scenarios where an AEP’s expertise could be particularly valuable include updating an outdated estate plan after a major life event like a second marriage or the birth of a grandchild, structuring a buy-sell agreement for a closely held business, evaluating whether an existing trust still serves the grantor’s intentions given current tax law, or coordinating a multi-generational wealth transfer strategy that spans trusts, insurance, and investment portfolios. An AEP could also help a client navigate the probate process or advise executors and trustees on their fiduciary obligations.

Because AEPs must also hold at least one other professional credential, such as a CFP, CPA, CLU or JD, the scope of advice they can offer often extends beyond estate planning into related areas. However, the AEP designation itself is specifically designed to elevate the quality and depth of estate planning advice. Clients whose primary concern falls outside of estate planning, such as day-to-day budgeting or basic investment selection, may find that an AEP’s expertise exceeds what they currently need.

How Much Does an Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) Cost?

The fees an AEP charges will depend largely on their underlying professional role, the structure of their firm and the complexity of the client’s estate. An AEP who practices as an attorney may bill by the hour or charge flat fees for specific documents like wills and trusts. One who operates as a financial planner may use an AUM model, a retainer or a combination. An AEP working within a trust company or bank may charge fees tied to the value of assets held in trust.

Estate planning engagements can vary widely in scope, which directly affects cost. A relatively straightforward estate plan for a couple with moderate assets will typically cost less than a multi-layered strategy involving irrevocable trusts, business succession structures, charitable giving, and coordination across several professional advisors. Ongoing trust administration or fiduciary services, if offered by the AEP, may carry separate recurring fees on top of any initial planning charges.

AEPs may price their services at a premium compared to generalist advisors who offer estate planning as one of many capabilities. The designation requires at least five years of relevant experience, completion of graduate-level coursework for those with fewer than 15 years in the field, and a sustained commitment to estate planning as a core part of their practice. Clients are paying not just for plan creation but for a level of specialization that can help avoid costly errors in areas like trust design, tax liability, and asset protection.

What to Ask Your AEP

To find out how a particular AEP charges, clients can start by requesting a fee schedule directly from the advisor. If the AEP is a registered investment adviser, their Form ADV Part 2 will be on file with the SEC and publicly available through the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database ⁵ . This document describes the advisor’s compensation methods, outlines any conflicts of interest and specifies what services are included in the fee arrangement. AEPs who practice exclusively as attorneys or CPAs may not have a Form ADV on file, in which case clients should ask for a written engagement letter that details pricing and scope.

Questions worth asking before hiring an AEP include whether fees cover plan design only or also include implementation and ongoing updates, how the advisor is compensated if they recommend insurance or investment products as part of the estate plan, whether there are separate charges for coordinating with other professionals on the planning team and how billing is handled if the estate plan needs to be revised after a change in tax law or family circumstances. Clarifying these details early can help clients avoid surprises and feel confident in the value they are receiving.

AEP vs. Other Professional Designations

What sets accredited estate planners apart from other financial professionals is their focus on estate planning. At least one-third of their professional services must involve estate planning. That can include things like administering trusts on behalf of clients, helping with charitable giving plans, drafting wills or trust documents, preparing fiduciary income tax returns, succession planning or managing life settlements from life insurance policies.

A certified financial planner, on the other hand, might spend 10% of their time advising clients on estate planning and focus more on retirement or investing strategies. Since an AEP must also have another professional credential, they can offer services beyond estate planning. For example, if an accredited estate planner is also an accountant, they might counsel business owners on how to create an exit plan once they’re ready to retire.

Why Work With an Accredited Estate Planner

Clients who have specialized estate planning needs or larger estates might consider an AEP. This designation signifies that a professional has extraordinary skills and expertise in estate planning and can offer a higher standard of service. As such, other professional certifications generally outnumber accredited estate planners.

If you need to find an accredited estate planner, the easiest way is to use the NAEPC’s online search tool. This tool lets you search for designated planners in your area, using your zip code or state as a filter. The search results will also show you the other designations an accredited estate planner holds. As with any other financial professional, take time to vet them carefully before committing to working with an AEP. You may want to ask what services they offer, how they communicate, and what they charge.

Bottom Line

Accredited estate planners can help meet a variety of estate planning needs, both for individuals, businesses and nonprofits. Depending on the other professional designations they hold, they may also help with other financial planning services. For example, they could handle accounting, business planning or insurance planning. Your need for an accredited estate planner may depend on the size of your estate. Also, your wealth management needs may determine your need for an AEP.

Estate Planning Tips

• Consider talking to a financial advisor about the different financial tools you might need to include in your estate plan. Finding the right financial advisor that fits your needs doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
• Are you looking for an advisor who specializes in estate planning? Do you need one familiar with estate planning laws in your state? SmartAsset’s estate planning guide can help you take your first steps.

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