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The Wealth Counselor




President Trump's First 100 Days in Office


President Trump entered office having won the electoral college and with relatively strong approval ratings. On his first day in office, he issued over 25 executive orders, and in his first 30 days, he issued more than 70,1 seeking to make good on his promises to transform the federal government, ignite an economic boom, and revive the American Dream.2

The Trump administration has been unable to produce much in the way of legislation, however; the president has run into political and economic realities that have slowed his momentum and made it harder to deliver on his promises, some of which could impact your estate planning and financial decisions.

Estate, Tax, and Wealth Planning Implications of Trump's Actions

Despite the many uncertainties facing Trump's agenda, his administration has strongly signaled that tax-related measures are a top priority.

Trump and Republicans want to extend many provisions from the expiring Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that the president signed into law in his first term.3 There could also be new tax cuts, such as Trump's proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits.4

Here are some of Trump's and the GOP's reported tax priorities for their economic package: If you are currently affected by any of these TCJA tax laws, or if you are not sure whether they affect you, contact us so we can discuss ways to help you prepare for them ending in 2026 or being extended this year.

For example, depending on your risk appetite and estate size, you may want to use gifting and trust-based strategies to lock in currently high exemption levels or sell some of your highly appreciated securities now to avoid potentially higher capital gains in 2026.

Control What You Can Control

While we hope to get more legislative clarity in the next 100 days of the Trump presidency, you should focus on controlling what you can through your estate plan and aim to maintain flexibility. This includes doing things such as updating your will or trust, creating an incapacity plan, updating beneficiary designations on financial accounts and insurance policies, and talking to your attorney about ways to hedge against potential outcomes in your plan. That way, if any major policy changes that affect your finances and family do come to pass, you will be ready to make targeted adjustments.

Maintaining flexibility and focusing on fundamentals are key during transition periods like the one we are experiencing now. For a steady and experienced hand to guide you through the transformations of Trump 2.0, reach out to our office and set up an appointment.
12025 Donald J. Trump Executive Orders, Fed. Reg.: Executive Orders, https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders/donald-trump/2025 (last visited Apr. 21, 2025).

2Natalie Sherman, Has Trump Promised Too Much on US Economy? BBC (Jan. 17, 2025), https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17d41y70deo.

3Preparing for the Expiration of the TCJA in 2025, Bloomberg Tax (Mar. 28, 2025), https://pro.bloombergtax.com/insights/federal-tax/what-is-the-future-of-the-tcja/#will-the-tcja-be-extended.

4Alex Isenstadt, Scoop: Trump Lays Out Tax Priorities to House GOP, Axios (Feb. 6, 2025), https://www.axios.com/2025/02/06/trump-no-tax-on-tips-social-security-overtime.

5Press Release, John Thune, Thune Leads Effort to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax (Feb. 13, 2025), https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/2/thune-leads-effort-to-permanently-repeal-the-death-tax.

6Kevin Frekin et al., Senate GOP Approves Framework for Trump's Tax Breaks and Spending Cuts After Late-Night Session, AP (Apr. 5, 2025), https://apnews.com/article/senate-budget-tax-cuts-trump-485845a9c0b7dfc5d2194d4c1e4723ae.

7Trump Tax Priorities Total $5 to $11 Trillion, Comm. for a Responsible Fed. Budget (Feb. 6, 2025), https://www.crfb.org/blogs/trump-tax-priorities-total-5-11-trillion.

8Aimee Picchi, Trump Wants to Close the Carried Interest Tax Loophole, a Longtime Target of Democrats, CBS News (Feb. 7, 2025), https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tax-taxes-carried-interest-loophole-hedge-funds.

9How Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Change Personal Taxes?, Tax Pol'y Ctr. (Jan. 2024), https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-did-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-change-personal-taxes.

MEREDITH | PC
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This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as written advice about a Federal tax matter. Readers should consult with their own professional Counselors to evaluate or pursue tax, accounting, financial, or legal planning strategies.
You have received this newsletter because I believe you will find its content valuable. Please feel free to Contact Me if you have any questions about this or any matters relating to estate planning.