Look at That Sky, Life’s Begun – Talking to Parents About Their ‘Golden Years’ of Retirement
I’m a ‘70’s guy. So when I hear ‘golden years’, my mind strays momentarily from retirement planning to David Bowie. The album that...
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Judge Not and All That – Justifying a Higher Estate Tax
Is paying taxes a moral issue? I’m not so sure, but then I’m commonly the odd man out. The Biden administration has proposed a raft...
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SECURE Act 2.0 – Are There Angels in the Details?
Once in a great while – we’re talking about the government now – things work out fine. Legislation colloquially known as SECURE Act...
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Fatal Inflation – If Inheritance Taxes Rise, Life Insurance Can Soften the Blow on Heirs
Our word for today is a delightful curiosity: the ancient Greek ‘oikos’. It kicks up a dickens of trouble for translators, variably...
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The Domestic Expatriates – The Tax Implications of Working in One State While Residing in Another
I bolted awake the other night, a sharp thought slicing my cloudy mind like a hot whip: where the heck am I? Expatriates of all...
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Bullish in a China Shop? – Private Equity Firms Buying Up Insurance Companies
Working our stimulating jobs day by day, surrounded by amenable teammates, we feel contented and secure; all is well and in order...
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Minefield, Mapped Out – Avoiding Common Succession Planning Missteps
Succession planning isn’t rocket science: if my launch booster is chosen over your design, you’re unlikely to alter the thrust...
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For Want of a Will – Prince’s Chaotic Legacy
I was standing on the shore of Lake Minnetonka, when the gender-neutral naiad of the artist formerly known as Prince, who watches...
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I Will Survive – Succession Planning Keeps Businesses Alive
Two times, Apple survived the loss of its visionary founder, Steve Jobs. In both cases, the company not only survived, it thrived...
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Moths Always Find a Flame – The Appeal and Clear Drawbacks of Earnouts
A gal I once knew said it true: there’s an inverse proportion between quality and popularity. She was talking about music, the...
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Success is a System – The Secrets of Fruitful Family Business Governance
Our word for today is Muditā – that’s Sanskrit, I’ll have you know, and it means the feeling of joy one experiences over another...
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No Country for Rich Executives – Final Regs Issued on ATEO Executive Compensation Tax
You caught me listening to the Moody Blues. Writing about taxes brings a man so very low. It’s a Tuesday afternoon, so I sought out...
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High Noonish – Biden’s Capital Gains Death Tax Proposals Take Shape
Misinformation, disinformation, phony news, anonymous sources – there’s a Spanish battlefleet right off our coast! If William...
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Biden’s Plan to 86 the 1031 – Will It Send Real Estate Reeling?
In times of confusion and discomfiting change, we look to great minds for direction and comfort. As an old Concord boy, my go-to is...
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It’s a Family Affair – Split-Dollar Life Users Should Take Heed of Court’s Ruling
Oh, how I enjoy a dysfunctional family story. My parents are gone now and it’s been years since we’ve all gotten together, brother...
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Will the Ship Go Down If You Do? Succession Planning Back in Focus
Succession planning, long term and short, for companies of all sizes: everywhere, the pandemic has sounded the warning. This plague...
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