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Family offices and their affiliated businesses have gone through a number of transformative changes due to the disruptive nature of COVID-19. Many will qualify for COVID-19 liquidity programs. In this discussion, the RSM team focuses on the program specifics and family office considerations, including compensation options and lending provisions.

The IRS is coming out of its silos. Between July 15 and September, the IRS will audit several hundred high-income individuals and one or more related entities, typically one or more pass-throughs. This action will require a coordinated and appropriate response by the taxpayer and his or her advisors and the advisors of the related partnerships, trusts, corporations, and foundations.

While recent years brought concrete wealth planning changes with the latest tax legislation, 2020 sees families and their advisors preparing for the unknown. U.S. presidential and congressional elections will unfold against a backdrop of equally impactful societal changes—including rising healthcare costs, evolving technology, increasingly global citizenship, and mass wealth transfer. This year's outlook explores ways to optimize your wealth planning for changes on the near horizon.

Grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs) have been a popular and effective wealth transfer strategy for U.S. families in recent decades. This has been true across various market conditions because their potential upside is so high and downside so low—and GRATs are even more compelling at a time of market volatility. Yet despite their advantages, GRATs cannot achieve their full potential without careful analysis of multiple factors, including structuring and investment considerations.

A private family trust company (PFTC) provides families with intergenerational governance over family assets and a private forum for decision-making. Without proper management, however, a PFTC can be exposed to costly litigation and the potential for significant liability. By developing and implementing policies that take into account the expertise and capacity of staff and external vendors, a PFTC can ensure it stays compliant and is able to safeguard the family’s assets well into the future.

Traditional benchmarks don’t work for taxable investors seeking to put their after-tax performance in perspective. The solution are customized benchmarks, which means knowing how to calculate your own personal index. It’s not a simple task, but it’s essential for any manager who wants to look credible in the tax-management space, and it’s now more feasible with skillful deployment of technology.

One question that is often asked when working with family offices is “What are families like mine doing”? The interest in the answers is even greater during periods of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the world’s best investors and wealth stewards share their thoughts and insights into the unique challenges facing family offices, including investment management and opportunities, tax and estate planning, responsible investing and philanthropy, and governance and operations.

A side effect of the new normal created by social distancing due to the Coronavirus pandemic is the inability for clients and advisers to come together in the same room to discuss, plan, and execute on their estate planning objectives. However through modern technology, these discussions can still occur in virtual spaces, and pursuant to an executive order signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, notaries can also work digitally. We review the provisions of the order and alternative ways to continue estate planning under shelter-in-place orders.

Although the population and life expectancies of U.S. retirees are increasing, portfolio yields remain at historically low levels. As defined benefit income becomes less commonly available, the need for informed retirement portfolio spending strategies is more critical. Because every investor's financial situation is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.