Co-founder Eron Bucciarelli with his father, Todd
Estate planning often feels like trying to decipher an ancient language. It feels arcane. There are complex terms and daunting paperwork. While that may have been true in the past, it doesn’t mean it has to remain that way in the present, and certainly not the future.
At Todd, we're on a mission to peel back the layers of legal jargon and make planning for the future as straightforward and accessible as chatting about your day. Founded on a deeply personal story, our approach is about more than legal documents. It's about simplifying the process of leaving a legacy, making sure it's something everyone can do, not just the few. It's about turning a task that many of us put off into a meaningful conversation about life, legacy, and love.
The Genesis of a Vision
Todd's journey began not in boardrooms or brainstorming sessions, but in a moment of profound personal insight. Our company's co-founder, Eron Bucciarelli, was given an envelope after the passing of his father—whose name was Todd. This envelope contained not only the tangible aspects of an estate (his father’s Will, pension plans, investment accounts, insurance policies) but also a list of bills, passwords, and instructions for messages to friends, family, and social media accounts.
Along with the envelope came the suggestion that what his father had assembled should be done digitally and a company could be built around this premise—to simplify the burdensome process of collecting and storing the materials. After his father’s passing, his mother anguished over settling the estate - a process that took over nine months and robbed her of being able to grieve her loss.
Fast-forwarding several years, Eron was catching up with a former work colleague, Justin Deja, over lunch and the subject of startup ideas came up. Eron shared the premise for Todd (the company) and Justin immediately related, having experienced similar challenges around the passing of his own father. United by their shared experiences, Todd’s holistic approach to estate planning was born.
A Holistic Approach to Estate Planning
At Todd, we believe that estate planning is more than drafting wills or managing assets. It's about creating a comprehensive plan in an easy, accessible tool that includes connections to not only the individual but also their family, financial advisors, estate attorneys, and tax experts. This holistic approach, which we refer to as Legacy Planning, ensures that all aspects of a person's life are considered, making it easier for their families to settle affairs when the time comes.
Embracing Automation in Estate Planning
In the digital age, the potential for technology to streamline and automate complex processes is unprecedented. Todd embraces this potential, advocating for the automation of most estate planning tasks, while also ensuring estate owners and experts confirm all information. Our platform is designed to remove the guesswork and manual labor from estate planning, making it accessible, intuitive, and, most importantly, effective.
The Freedom to Grieve
One of the core principles guiding Todd is the belief that individuals should have the freedom and space to process loss in their own way, without the added burden of estate settlement. Our platform aims to lift the weight of logistical concerns, allowing families to focus on what truly matters in times of grief: each other. The last thing a family should worry about is where a life insurance policy is located or how to access the checking account for bill payments.
Simplicity at Its Core
The true testament to any tool or technology is its ease-of-use. At Todd, we strive for simplicity, creating a platform that is so user-friendly that anyone, regardless of their familiarity with technology or estate planning, can navigate it with ease. It's a platform designed not only for today's generation but for those to come, embodying the belief that planning for the future shouldn't be a task, but a seamless part of life.
A Tribute to Legacy
More than a startup, Todd, is a tribute—a tribute to a father's legacy, to the belief in technology's power to solve real human problems, and to a commitment to making a difference. As we embark on this journey, we invite you to join us in transforming the way the world approaches estate planning. Together, we can ensure that every individual has the opportunity to leave a legacy that reflects their life, their wishes, and their love for those they leave behind.
To those who have been part of this journey, from the inception of the idea to the launch of Todd, we extend our deepest gratitude. Here's to a future where estate planning is a part of life, not a burden at the end of it.
