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Often, families execute wealth transfer planning strategies without fully considering what wealth and family legacy means to them—particularly the importance of defining and sharing their associated social, economic, and philanthropic values. In this interview, two advisors examine the value of family education and the critical role advisors play in the process.

A grantor retained annuity trust (“GRAT”) is an estate planning instrument that may be used to transfer wealth from the trust grantors to the trust beneficiaries. In this overview of GRATs, learn how annuity payment analysis works and the considerations the valuation analysts should keep in mind when it is time to estimate the fair market value of the underlying GRAT assets.

S corporation shareholder agreements should be carefully crafted by legal counsel in order to avoid certain events that can imperil the company’s S election. One important consideration is the language in the shareholder agreement related to nonvoting stock transfer restrictions. Learn how to address this issue—and avoid costly pitfalls—before it arises in the course of estate planning or a private company sale. See how nonvoting shares are needed.

S corporations have become the most common business taxation structure in the United States since its creation in 1958, allowing businesses to achieve the advantages of the corporate characteristics of limited liability, combined with the pass-through income attributes of a partnership. Under this structure, it is important for the valuation analyst to consider various issues, including the so-called dividend income tax avoidance valuation adjustment model that was applied in the Estate of Jones U.S. Tax Court judicial decision.

Couples nearing marriage often confront challenging questions and must make difficult decisions around complex, emotionally charged issues. Somewhere in the process of sorting out financial and estate planning decisions, the question on whether to have a prenuptial agreement may emerge. Here are steps that you and your families may find helpful in making the prenup experience more successful, and potentially avoid some fatal flaws.

Wyoming is one of two states that permits both chartered, or regulated, and unchartered, or unregulated, private family trust companies (PTCs). This guide reviews important considerations and processes related to Wyoming chartered PTCs—including common reasons that families choose a chartered PTC and the procedure for establishing a Wyoming chartered entity.

Lawmakers have passed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) to help in the ongoing fight against fraud, corruption, terrorism financing, and money laundering. The CTA contains significant new federal reporting obligations, and it may have an especially onerous impact on estate planning for those who accomplish their planning goals through the use of one or more business entities.