Overview

Sunset is a Salt Lake City-based fintech software company that provides the inheritance process; finding assets after death and transferring them to inheritors. Founded by Stephen Walter and Kaela Worthen, both with extensive backgrounds in financial technology and product development, the company specializes in helping families discover, secure, and distribute financial assets after a death. Sunset operates as the only provider of fully automated executor software, positioning itself to simplify the complex and emotionally challenging process of estate settlement.

The company's mission centers on making the estate process easier for families during difficult times by offering intuitive, user-friendly solutions that guide users through every step with confidence. Sunset has gained significant traction, working directly with dozens of funeral homes and indirectly with hundreds through software partnerships, while serving thousands of families nationwide.

Service

Sunset provides a comprehensive suite of automated estate settlement services designed to replace the traditional manual process of managing a deceased person's financial affairs. The core service offering includes four main components that work together to create a seamless estate settlement experience.

The Asset Discovery service uses automated search tools to find all financial assets, including bank accounts, retirement accounts (401k, IRA), investment accounts, life insurance policies, real estate, vehicles, cryptocurrency, business interests, and debts. The system connects with banks, credit unions, lenders, investment accounts, and insurance companies to uncover assets that families may not even know exist. Most families discover 100% of assets within one week of using the service.

Probate Document Generation allows users to create county-specific probate documents for all 50 states and over 3,000 counties, often eliminating the need for expensive legal fees. The system generates the required paperwork in minutes and provides online notarization services where needed.

The Estate Bank Account service helps families establish FDIC-insured estate accounts where all discovered funds are consolidated. Users maintain full control over these accounts and can use physical and virtual debit cards to pay estate-related expenses, including funeral costs, legal fees, and property maintenance.

Asset Transfer and Distribution services handle the closure of individual accounts and consolidation of funds into the estate account, followed by final distribution to beneficiaries according to wills, trusts, or state law. Sunset also manages the notification process for government entities, financial institutions, credit bureaus, and service providers.

Additionally, Sunset provides power of attorney services for specified estates, authorizing the company to act on behalf of the estate in legal and financial matters, particularly for account discovery and closure.

Customer Profiles

Primary Customer: Family Members as Estate Executors

Sunset's primary customers are family members who have recently lost a loved one and find themselves responsible for managing the deceased person's estate. These individuals, often referred to as estate executives, administrators, or trustees, are typically dealing with grief while simultaneously facing the overwhelming task of locating and managing their loved one's financial affairs.

Key Pain Points:

• Emotional overwhelm during an already difficult time of grief

• Lack of knowledge about where the deceased kept financial accounts

• Fear of missing important assets or accounts

• Anxiety about legal requirements and probate processes

• Concerns about fraud and identity theft during the settlement process

• Time constraints and the burden of managing hundreds of hours of administrative work

• High costs associated with traditional estate attorney services

• Stress from dealing with multiple financial institutions individually

• Uncertainty about proper procedures for closing accounts and transferring assets

Customer Goals:

• Find all of the deceased person's assets quickly and comprehensively

• Ensure nothing is overlooked or forgotten

• Minimize time spent on administrative tasks

• Avoid expensive legal fees where possible

• Maintain control over the process and timing

• Protect against fraud and identity theft

• Distribute assets fairly to beneficiaries according to legal requirements

• Complete the settlement process efficiently so they can focus on grieving and family

Key Marketing Messages:

• "We make the hard parts less scary" - emphasizing emotional support during difficult times

• "Nothing moves forward without your approval" - highlighting customer control and peace of mind

• "Always 100% free to users" - addressing cost concerns during financially stressful times

• "Find what they left behind" - focusing on comprehensive asset discovery

• "Step by step guidance" - providing structure during overwhelming circumstances

• "Automation, not complication" - simplifying complex processes

Secondary Customer: Funeral Directors

Funeral directors serve as a secondary customer segment through Sunset's referral partnership program. These professionals seek additional tools to help families during aftercare and can earn commissions by referring families to Sunset's services.

Pain Points for Funeral Directors:

• Families asking for help with estate settlement beyond funeral services

• Limited resources to provide comprehensive aftercare support

• Desire to add value for families during difficult times

Goals for Funeral Directors:

• Provide additional valuable services to families

• Generate additional revenue through referral commissions

• Strengthen relationships with families through comprehensive support

Secondary Customer: Financial Professionals & Lawyers

Financial advisors, wealth managers, estate attorneys, and related professionals serve as a key secondary customer segment through Sunset’s referral partnership program. These professionals are often the first point of contact for families navigating complex estate issues and can extend their value by connecting clients to Sunset’s services.

Pain Points for Financial Professionals & Lawyers:

• Clients asking for comprehensive estate settlement support beyond their professional scope

• Limited tools to efficiently locate and transfer assets across multiple institutions

• Time-consuming manual processes that detract from higher-value advisory or legal work

• Desire to protect client relationships while ensuring families receive complete support

Goals for Financial Professionals & Lawyers:

• Deliver more holistic support to clients dealing with estate matters

• Enhance client satisfaction and retention by offering trusted solutions

• Streamline workflows by offloading operational settlement tasks to Sunset

• Generate additional revenue through referral commissions while maintaining fiduciary focus

Non-Target Customers

Sunset explicitly does not serve individuals seeking estate planning services before death occurs. The company focuses exclusively on post-death estate settlement and does not generate wills or trusts. Additionally, the service works best for deaths that occurred within the past three years, with older cases requiring special consultation.

Competitors / Alternative Solutions

Traditional Estate Attorneys

The primary alternative to Sunset's services is hiring traditional estate attorneys to handle the settlement process. These professionals typically charge high fees and may take months or years to complete the settlement process. However, Sunset notes that 98% of estates don't actually require a probate lawyer.

Manual DIY Approach

Many families attempt to handle estate settlement independently, which involves manually searching through mail, contacting financial institutions individually, and navigating complex legal requirements without guidance. This approach often takes hundreds of hours and carries significant risk of missing assets or making procedural errors.

Other Estate Settlement Services

While the search results don't identify specific competing estate settlement companies, they indicate that Sunset positions itself as "the only provider of fully automated executor software", suggesting limited direct competition in the automated estate settlement space.

Unique Differentiators

Zero Cost to Families

Sunset's most significant differentiator is its revenue model - the service is completely free to families with no upfront fees, subscriptions, or percentage deductions from inheritance. Instead, Sunset earns revenue from interest generated on funds held in estate bank accounts, creating alignment between the company's financial interests and quick, efficient service delivery.

Comprehensive Automation

Unlike traditional estate settlement approaches that require extensive manual work, Sunset provides fully automated asset discovery using proprietary connections to banks, credit unions, investment firms, and government databases. The system can locate assets across all 50 states and thousands of financial institutions.

Power of Attorney Authority

Through its terms of service, Sunset receives power of attorney for specified estates, enabling the company to act directly on behalf of estates in legal and financial matters. This authority allows Sunset to streamline account closure and asset transfer processes that would otherwise require extensive documentation and delays.

End-to-End Service Integration

Sunset provides a complete solution from initial asset discovery through final distribution to beneficiaries, including probate document generation, estate bank account setup, and ongoing financial management. This comprehensive approach eliminates the need for families to coordinate with multiple service providers.

Advanced Security and Compliance

The company maintains SOC 2 Type II certification and implements robust fraud prevention measures, including authentication processes for both deceased individuals and executors. All employee background checks and financial account connections comply with industry standards including ISO 27001 and ISO 27701.

Speed and Efficiency

Most families discover 100% of assets within one week of signup, with some bank account confirmations taking up to two weeks. The automated approach significantly reduces the typical estate settlement timeline from years to weeks.

How to talk about Sunset

When introducing Sunset to potential customers, focus on these key messaging points:

• Lead with empathy: Acknowledge that losing a loved one is difficult enough without the added stress of managing complex financial affairs

• Emphasize the "completely free" value proposition: Stress that there are no upfront costs, fees, or deductions from inheritance - this addresses immediate financial concerns during an expensive time

• Highlight comprehensive automation: Explain that Sunset finds assets automatically that families didn't even know existed, removing the guesswork and manual searching

• Address control and timing concerns: Reassure that customers maintain full control and nothing happens without their approval - they can move at their own pace

• Focus on peace of mind: Position Sunset as providing security, organization, and fraud protection during a vulnerable time

• Quantify the time savings: Mention that the service eliminates hundreds of hours of administrative work and can complete in weeks what traditionally takes months or years

• Use customer testimonials: Reference specific quotes about feeling "guided," "cared for," and finding the process "manageable" and "stress-free"

• Differentiate from estate attorneys: Clarify that 98% of estates don't need expensive legal representation and Sunset can handle probate document generation for all counties nationwide