SWPP launches free Ontario estate-planning video series

Strategic Wealth Protection Partners is rolling out a free five-part video series over the next eight weeks to help Ontario families with complex estates understand tax exposure at death and possible planning steps. The series, led by founder Ron Cooke, targets business owners and real estate investors and is available online at no cost.

Why it matters: - Ontario families with complex estates often face large tax bills when assets are treated as sold at death. - The series is aimed at business owners, real estate investors and other families trying to preserve more wealth for heirs. - SWPP is positioning the videos as a plain-language guide for people who have a will but not a full estate plan.

What happened: - Strategic Wealth Protection Partners, an estate planning firm in Aurora, Ontario, launched a free five-part video series on estate planning in Ontario. - SWPP founder and president Ron Cooke hosts the series. - The videos are being released over the next eight weeks. - The series is free to watch in SWPP's Ontario Estate Planning Video Library and on the Ron Cooke YouTube channel. - Ontario residents can book a complimentary 30-minute call through the SWPP website.

The details: - The series explains how taxes at death work in Canada and how families can leave more to loved ones. - Canada does not have a formal estate tax. - Under the system Cooke describes, the government treats a person's assets as if they were sold on the day they die. - The resulting tax is due on the final tax return. - Cooke cites a $2 million Registered Retirement Savings Plan as an example of how one asset can create a tax bill of more than $1 million if it cannot roll over to a spouse or dependent child. - The five videos are titled: "7 Estate Planning Strategies Every Canadian Should Know," "4 Ways Real Estate Investors Can Avoid a Huge Tax Hit on Death in Canada," "4 Ways Wealthy Families Use Life Insurance for Estate Planning," "The Truth About Living Trusts in Canada" and "The 5-Step Estate Planning Process for Wealthy Canadians." - The first video covers seven estate-planning strategies, from doing nothing to using an estate freeze. - Cooke says no single tool fits every family. - Cooke says the cost of a strategy can sometimes exceed the tax it is meant to save. - Cooke says a will is not the first step in estate planning. - Cooke says a will only controls assets that pass through an estate. - SWPP says every family needs a will, but a will is not a substitute for an estate plan. - The videos are for general education only and are not tax, legal or financial advice.

Between the lines: - The launch reflects a push to close what SWPP sees as a gap between having a will and having a full estate plan. - Cooke's message is that families should quantify the tax exposure first, then choose tools that solve a specific problem. - The release uses Cooke's background as a former auto mechanic to frame his approach as diagnose first, then fix. - SWPP is also emphasizing coordination among accountants, lawyers and tax specialists as part of its Living Estate Plan process.

What's next: - The remaining videos will continue rolling out during the eight-week release window. - SWPP says Ontario residents can use the free call to discuss their situation before taking action. - The firm says its broader focus is comprehensive estate planning in Ontario aimed at reducing taxes and probate fees for the next generation.

The bottom line: - SWPP is using a free video series to turn a complex tax issue into a step-by-step estate-planning lesson for Ontario families with higher-stakes estates.