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 […]
The Inheritance Dilemma: How to Pass Down Wealth Without Destroying Ambition
As posted by Kiplinger Parents planning to leave substantial wealth to their children fear one thing: Will the money make their character or break it? There are some surprisingly practical ways to find out. The transition of wealth carries a quiet, universally recognized paradox: The very resources designed to provide security and boundless opportunity can […]
2026 Mid Year Economic and Investment Outlook Webinar
Tune in as Chief Economist Jeanette Garretty and Chief Investment Officer Stuart Katz break down what happened in the first half of the year and provide their outlook for the rest of the year. They share insights on today’s investment landscape and how we’re positioning portfolios to help clients navigate changing market conditions with confidence.
Trump Accounts: The Basics
An Overview for Households Trump Accounts are a new savings vehicle for children, created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Below is a quick reference on how they work. Background Account Setup *Charitable and government contributions to Trump Accounts must benefit an entire “qualified class” of children, such as all kids in a given […]
Location, Location, Taxation: Where You Hold Your Investments Matters as Much as What You Own
When it comes to portfolio construction, we understandably spend a lot of time on asset allocation – deciding how much to carve out for equities, bonds, real estate, and alternatives. It’s a driver of your long-term returns. But there is a second, quieter decision that can quietly boost your portfolio’s bottom line without requiring you […]
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 […]