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Art collections are unique and very personal assets. Planning to build and maintain a collection, and ensuring its future, requires balancing special rules applied to collectibles and the personal and financial realities of individuals or families. When collectors, their families, and their trusted advisors engage in purposeful planning for art collections, they will be in the best position to preserve their collections and provide for a seamless, workable ownership succession.

Hiring domestic staff such as nannies, personal assistants, and housekeepers can expose you to liability issues and danger from unscrupulous employees. It is important to understand your areas of vulnerability and take steps to protect your family and your finances. Whether you hire your own employees or the family office hires them, three often overlooked areas which can create liability for high-net-worth families are insurance coverage, background checks, and employment documentation.

When you’ve made the decision to protect a collection through insurance, you want to be sure that coverage amounts measure up to the value of your items. Determining proper values can be tricky, as so many variables impact a piece’s worth. Given the ever-changing market, values are in constant flux. That’s why professional appraisals are critical, and it is important to make an informed decision when choosing an appraiser.

Works of art are at great risk of being damaged during handling and transportation. To reduce the likelihood of loss, it is important to adhere to a stringent set of guidelines for every transit. Arrangements will differ in each situation, but following the recommended steps—including selecting a fine art specialty shipping company and reviewing your insurance policy regarding any limits on transit coverage—are components of every good transit protocol.

Flying privately has become increasingly popular for a variety of reasons, including convenience, security, and lifestyle, but there are several considerations in determining what usage and ownership structure is right for you. Like making a real estate investment, owning or leasing a plane poses many financial, tax, and regulatory issues, as well as the technical aspects of evaluating and operating a highly sophisticated, multimillion-dollar piece of equipment.

For all the risks that tend to step up as you age, there are also far more opportunities to live life the way you want to, and probably longer and in reasonable health. What will help smooth the transition through the stages of aging will be a proactive approach to managing potential roadblocks on the way. As you begin this journey, the more aware you are of the heightened risks and liabilities that emerge as you age, the better able you will be to enjoy this phase of your life to the fullest extent possible. Learn how to address those concerns so you, too, can enjoy aging in comfort.

A beautiful summer home on the beach or keeping a home of your grandparents for all family branches to gather, relax, and enjoy sounds ideal. What happens when your cousin comes with her five kids and three large dogs for a month? Or the taxes and maintenance are being split equally and you barely use the property? Or what if some family members leave the property in disarray? Unfortunately, sometimes a good idea intended to bring the family closer together can, if not managed properly, create more tension and conflict.

We have all been the new person at some point or another—the new person on the block, the freshman at the big university, a manager in a new office. In such hard-to-navigate situations, training and communications are integral parts of the on-boarding process. When both employee and employer are informed about one another’s needs, personalities, and expectations, everyone gets one step closer to success.

Whether your collection of paintings are decorative pieces or appreciative investments (or both), they can hold a tremendous amount of meaning and value. As to the decision regarding how and where to display your fine works of art, it’s important to identify and consider the many factors that could lead to a loss. All paintings—including oils, acrylics, pastels and other mediums atop canvas, wood, board or paper—require special care and consideration.

A chimney fire can be a significant event, in both monetary damages and trauma. The risk is heightened by the fact that chimney fires often begin out of sight, meaning they may not be noticed in time to prevent the flames from spreading to the home or causing serious structural damage. Luckily, a few simple measures can help reduce the damage from chimney fires—or prevent one altogether.