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For high-net-worth individuals, the art of wealth transfer extends beyond merely providing financial assistance to future generations; it’s about strategically positioning the next generation for personal success and knowing how to navigate a complex landscape of income, gift, and estate taxes. And when it comes to providing assistance to help loved ones achieve home ownership or favorable living arrangements, determining the best approach will require consideration of several factors that also include the tax implications and consequences.

Though being (or becoming) “rich" would seem to be a universal quest, the mixed experiences of those born into, married into, or suddenly rich undermine the fantasy that “rich equals “happy.” Sometimes the guilt, shame, and the complexity of growing up with abundance can create unwanted family dynamics that strain family relationships. In this special educational webinar, Joline Godfrey (author of Raising Financially Fit Kids) joins Robin Petty at Hawthorn and dives deeper into the topic.

Disagreements and discord can arise when it comes to your family vacation home, a unique asset that symbolizes important memories and family connections. For this reason, you should specifically address the vacation home in your estate plan to avoid hard feelings and even disputes. With thoughtful and proactive planning, a family can avoid many of the pitfalls that happen as a treasured asset moves from one generation to the next.

Succession is not just about money or property. It means confronting family relationships and taking the time to make sure that the drivers for succession planning connect personal motivations, the purpose of wealth, and specific family issues. It requires an emotional commitment to a process that once started must run its course, including having conversations about fairness, equity, choices about who is in “the family,” and their capabilities for current and future roles.

Over the past decade, matriarchs and patriarchs of successful families have been shifting their focus from their children to a broader group of individuals, such as grandchildren, siblings, and nieces. Often, they choose to create family banks, which are typically trusts that are funded to help individuals pursue entrepreneurial opportunities, venture philanthropy, and knowledge in a structured and more-likely-to-succeed manner. Family banks can be customized to fit a family’s agenda, and the risks inherent in family banks can be thoughtfully managed.

Parents often find it difficult to discuss their wealth with their children, especially when it comes to what will happen to their wealth when they die. But when parents do not clearly detail their intentions or prepare their children to receive the family’s wealth, they risk outcomes that will meaningfully erode the value of their estate. Fortunately for every family there are key steps—from opening the lines of communication early to considering the value of an impartial trustee—that can help with successfully transferring the family wealth from generation to generation.