Succession Plans for Privately Held Businesses – Part 1
The Operational Side of Succession Planning As an owner of a private business, you know that nothing lasts forever. And that includes you, your management team, and other key players in your business eco system. I’d like to start the conversation as if the majority, if not all, of this privately owned business is…
Busting Myths of Financial Service Firm Independence
Most financial services firms tout their independence and how they are always looking to do what is in the best interests of their clients. But the truth, of course, isn’t so simple. Let’s start by busting a few myths about adviser independence. First may be the myth that because someone practices as a fee-only adviser…
Making Cents: How do you know when it is Time to Sell your Business
If there’s one big mistake that business owners make, it’s failing to exit their business on their terms and within a proper time frame. Simply put, too many owners stay in the saddle too long and miss the opportunities to time their exit well. They miss it for a myriad of reasons. Some don’t make…
Making Cents: Family Business Succession – Enhancing the Odds of Success
The odds of successfully transitioning a business from one generation to the next are extremely low. In fact, as each generation grows to the point of needing a successor, it is even less likely that a transition to the next generation can be successfully accomplished. Succession is something that should always be on the minds…
MAKING CENTS: Clever Terms to Investigate
Financial services marketers are quite clever at getting you to see their point of view. In their creative genius, they use words that sound quite appealing to most people and utilize those words to fit your situation making what they’ve got to sell sound like your only solution. The first such word is guaranteed. You…
MAKING CENTS: Gifts that keep on Giving for those you Love Most
Many folks have begun making progress with their year-end and holiday gifting. Just in case you’re typically one of those last-minute shoppers with no idea what to get for your closest family members, consider helping them get some financial things done that are frequently unattended. For young children, consider a 529 college savings plan. Most…
How Competent Is Your Advisory Team?
Most people have a cadre of professionals that surround them. These professionals typically include an accountant, attorney, investment person, insurance person, banker and whomever else is needed to service your personal financial issues. What continues to shock me is the tolerance that people have for professionals who are either incompetent or lackadaisical about serving their…
Making Cents: Household Employees May Cause Tax and Liability Problems
A household employee is someone that you pay to perform duties in or around your home. A household employee is considered an employee for tax and liability purposes if you control when, where, how or by whom the work should be performed. This list of people commonly includes nannies, medical caregivers, housekeepers, chefs, personal assistants,…
Year End Tax Moves To Consider
In a famous tax court case from 1934, Judge Learned Hand spouted what is now a famous quote amongst us tax nerds. Justice Hand said that “anyone may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury;…
Making Cents: Year End Gifting Unwrapped
We always get a lot of questions surrounding gifts. Most of the questions are about either charitable giving or family gifts. Starting with gifts to family, the tax code permits annual gifts to be excluded from gift taxes if it’s less than $17,000 per donor and donee. That means you can give up to $17K…