Estate Planning and Retirement Planning: Integrated, Not Separate

Investment Management

Advanced Tax Planning

Generational Wealth

Building our "Expertise About Experts" improves our ability to serve clients.

We exist to help people.

Our approach almost always is:

1. Understand the client situation and its unique combination of complex factors.

2. Bring together the relevant experts and expertise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Business Owner Financial Planning

• What are the best planning options when I have concentrated wealth in a business or in equity compensation? 

Plans for concentrated wealth need to blend three key solution areas: 1. Preserve future appreciation while limiting downside risk-but without “diworsification” 2. Reduce income & cap. gains taxes via optimal use of entities & charitable structures 3. Incorporate estate planning with asset protection

• Are there financial planning opportunities I can utilize inside my business?

A business owner-thanks to the tax code-may have tremendous opportunities to reduce taxes and build wealth. These can include entity planning, tax credits, deductions, deferred comp, ESOPs, QSBS & more. Custom built teams of financial advisors, CPAs & case-relevant specialists can maximize results

• I want to learn more about ESOPs and other business succession strategies. 

When an ESOP makes sense, the benefits for business owners can include robust sale prices, new low-basis equity in the successor entity, and long term capital gains tax deferral-even zero tax if held until death. A “Team of Experts” can work especially well for ESOPs—& for business exits generally.

Estate Planning and Retirement Planning: Integrated, Not Separate

• What assets (and investment strategies) should be chosen for inside and outside our estate?

Too often, estate planning and investing are treated as separate areas. That can mean needless taxes and risk. Collaborative, integrated planning can maximize both the wealth that can be enjoyed during your lifetime and your capacity to transfer wealth tax-efficiently to loved ones and charities.

• Are my estate planning and retirement planning really harmonized?

Financial success means big tax challenges in estate and retirement planning that should be tackled together using all the necessary experts.
Challenges such as: Tax “time bombs” in multi-million dollar and growing IRAs and 401ks, Elimination of “Stretch” IRAs as a wealth transfer tool, 
Effective use of charitable strategies, trust design, and tax deductions for efficient retirement income and wealth transfer to family.

• How do I use my financial success to be significant on behalf of others?

Good planning liberates time for what’s most important. Based on an in-depth analysis of a your situation and objectives, a custom-built team of independent experts can mitigate both risks and taxes, while helping to design and implement optimal charitable and family wealth structures.

Investment Management

• Why might a Buffett/Munger style be desirable when I’ve accumulated significant wealth?

The Buffett/Munger thesis: Lower risk by investing in top quality businesses with proven long term profitability-when available at a fair price. It sees compounding wealth as THE goal, and the planner favorite of portfolio rebalancing as wealth-destroying. When your assets are substantial, we think this long term+higher reward+lower risk discipline is an excellent core investment strategy.

• How should I approach investment diversification and risk when my business continues to be highly profitable?

A strong business often earns much higher returns on invested capital than a portfolio of stocks. It’s a golden goose! We help owners fortify concentrated wealth, and prefer tools like advanced tax & financial planning, risk reduction, and limited, hyper-targeted diversification as ways to do that.

• How should we design an investment strategy when our time horizon is two or more generations?

Multi-generation planning exposes the big risk of conventional asset allocation: Too much fixed income, allowing the erosion of wealth by inflation. Aiming to preserve and grow wealth for 40 years or more? Maximize investing in the stocks of consistently profitable companies, the engines of growth.

Advanced Tax Planning

• I want my CPAs, attorneys, and other advisors to work together effectively, but how?

The focus of experts usually is narrow and deep-& isolated! Be intentional about building a genuine “Team of Experts", specifically aligned to your situation. Or work with us and we’ll create a collaborative team and process that’s tailor-made to address your unique goals, risks, and opportunities.

• I received a large inheritance or divorce settlement. What NOW?!

Big lump sums are life changing events. And sometimes missed opportunities. Rigorous tax and financial planning are the first priority, using this chance to enhance life, family, and charitable goals. This is followed by creating an investment strategy well-matched to the new financial objectives.

• What tax planning strategies can I use to reduce or defer capital gains taxes?

US tax law provides huge and varied opportunities to reduce or defer capital gains taxes. Engaging specialized CPAs, attorneys, & other experts early and proactively is critical. The best tax planning often happens in advance of a gain being realized, and sometimes before the gain is even created.

Generational Wealth

• What’s better for me: a family office or a virtual family office of independent specialists?

Both virtual and actual family offices need to serve all aspects of your unique financial success. Many firms are built around investments, which, while critical, means that the key test is how well they bring tax, estate, & every other expert planning area critical to you-into their service model.

• What strategies can we use to achieve generational wealth transfer to charity and my family while maintaining control?

Taxes and death are certain. And taxes after death. And risk to assets from identity theft and cyber threats and accidents on your property. And being underinsured. And… Asset protection and risk management benefit from the collaboration of financial, legal and other situation-relevant professionals.

• We need to review asset protection and risk management.

Wealth transfer strategies that maintain control are as unique as  client families. Design of trusts, family limited entities, and insurance structures are key elements. So are business succession and next-generation education in financial stewardship. Team-based planning aligns wealth with purpose.