Before Your Client Funds a Trump Account, Ask Them ‘Why’
Before funding a Trump Account, families should evaluate their broader gifting goals. Learn how Trump Accounts compare with 529 plans, custodial accounts, and brokerage strategies.
Choosing a Corporate Trustee: Why Separation of Duties Can Protect Your Family
One of the more important decisions when setting up a trust is deciding who will actually administer it. Sometimes a family member is well suited to the role, but if not, there are reasons to consider a corporate trustee instead: no relative able or willing to take it on, complex assets that call for professional management, concern about future incapacity, or a blended family where a neutral party can help reduce friction. A corporate trustee is simply an institution, not an individual, that takes on the legal responsibility of managing a trust’s assets and carrying out its terms.
Is Your Equity Comp Getting a Fair Look?
More and more workers are benefiting from equity compensation, and it’s not just limited to the C-suite and senior executives. Mid-level employees often accumulate meaningful positions in their company’s stock. Many of these employees rarely receive guidance on what to do with this compensation, including potential concentration risks and tax implications. Those with options often […]
An Estate Planning Blueprint by Life Stage: Is Yours Out of Date?
Life moves quickly, but estate plans often stand still. Treating estate planning as a one-off event – a heavy binder locked in a safe – is a common mistake. An effective plan is a living blueprint that should evolve alongside every stage of life. For example, what protects a young adult starting out is different […]
Passing Down the Family Home Without Passing Down a Fight
A vacation home may outlive the mortgage, the renovations, and often the parents who bought it. Whether it’s a waterfront property, a cabin in the mountains, or an apartment in charming city, a second home can accumulate decades of family history long before anyone thinks about what happens to it next. So when estate planning […]
Mega IRAs: Is It Time to Reposition Large Growth Assets?
More than 11,000 Americans now hold IRAs or 401(k)s worth $10 million or more, with over 1,000 above $25 million, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. These balances don’t usually come from routine index fund contributions. They typically trace back to startup founders, venture capitalists, and corporate insiders who placed low-cost early-stage equity into […]
How Do “Trump Accounts” Stack Up Against Other Child Savings Vehicles?
On July 4, 2026, the long-anticipated “Trump Accounts,” created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, officially went live. Many households are asking the same question: should we open one of these for our children or grandchildren? The idea of starting early on retirement savings has real appeal, giving an asset six decades to compound […]
The Second-Home Decision: Balancing Aspirations with a Long-Term Plan
Whether it is a ski home in Aspen, a beachfront escape in Miami, or a metropolitan pied-à-terre, many affluent families aspire to purchase a second home. Yet as the luxury real estate market continues to break records, one thing holds true: buying a second home is rarely just a real estate transaction. It carries the […]
How Much Umbrella Insurance Do You Really Need?
Last week we mapped out the seven pillars of wealth preservation, the layered defense built to keep your assets where they belong: with your family. This week we turn to your first line of defense, personal umbrella insurance. Ask a standard property and casualty broker how much coverage you need and you will usually hear […]
The New Question Wealthy Families Are Asking
A significant amount of new wealth has been created over the last few years, and that trend is likely to continue. Some of it will come from business sales, some from stock compensation, and some from liquidity events that transform years of accumulated paper wealth into real wealth. When that happens, most families instinctively focus […]
Is Social Security Running Out?
Social Security’s trustees moved up their projection again this year: the trust fund that pays retirement benefits is now expected to run dry in late 2032, a full year earlier than last year’s estimate. On a combined basis with the disability fund, insolvency arrives in 2034. This sounds like a countdown to zero, but it isn’t. Here is […]
Inheritance: Preserving Both Wealth and Ambition
Wealth carries a quiet paradox. The inheritance meant to open every door can just as easily close the one that matters most – the drive to build something of your own. Parents and grandparents often worry that an unearned windfall will leave their children and grandchildren with less drive. Warren Buffett framed the goal as […]