The federal government sets a lifetime estate tax exemption amount that can be gifted during life or at death free of taxes. If the value of your gross estate exceeds the exemption amount in the year you pass away, your estate may be subject to estate taxes. Amounts above the exemption will be subject to a 40% tax (as of current law).

When you’ve grown significant wealth over the years and you want to use it to make a positive impact on the world, there are much more effective ways to do that than simple “checkbook giving” to your favorite charities. Each method of charitable giving has its own benefits and setbacks, rules and regulations, so it’s important you see all your options and understand why it’s worth considering one over another.

A SLAT is an irrevocable trust where one spouse (aka “Donor Spouse”) makes a gift into the trust that: Benefits the other spouse (aka “Non-Donor Spouse”), and Removes those gifted assets from their combined estates

Strategic buyers are companies interested in buying your business that already operates in your industry. By buying your company, they have hopes to grow their footprint and take market share more quickly. They tend to be larger, well-capitalized firms that aren’t as concerned with generating cash flow right away. A great example of a strategic buy is T-Mobile’s acquisition of rival Sprint in 2020.

Breaking up is never easy, even if the person you’re trying to “break up” with is your financial advisor (FA). Perhaps your current FA is an old college friend who means well but doesn’t specialize in the services you need.

Fiduciary refers to a person or organization that acts on behalf of others to manage assets responsibly, by placing a client’s best interest over their own. But it’s a whole lot more than that. At its core, the word means trust, to act in good faith, to conduct yourself ethically and with integrity. In the finance industry, that’s rarer than you think.

Transformational gifts got their name for a good reason—they have the ability to positively support or redirect the trajectory of a program, project, or even organization. Transformational gifts can take many forms, from endowing a scholarship fund to supporting the construction of a new building, creating or expanding a community support program, and more. A transformational gift doesn’t necessarily mean a huge donation amount.

We find the topic of behavioral finance to be at the heart of why we exist as a firm. Investing is hard. However, when you add the complex and unpredictable nature of human beings, investing becomes harder still. After all, our own behavior determines our success more than any other factor, in every area of our lives—including our wealth. Life is complex. There are lots of moving parts and it takes a lot more than just tallying up numbers to figure it out.