Just as every business needs a succession plan if it is to survive the death or incapacity of its founder, every family should plan for the successor management of the family's finances. Failure to attend to this issue can lead to serious consequences for the surviving spouse and other family members.
A business transition plan should provide a good fit: for the business, for family members and for the owner. A transition road map also should provide clear instructions in the event of the owner's incapacitation or death – a sound reason to establish a plan sooner rather than later.
Family dynamics often play a critical role in the long-term success of family businesses, and women's relational and interpersonal skills tend to make them well-equipped to manage these issues. Effective leadership within the family business is, now more than ever, dependent on the inherent relational skills that a woman can bring to the busine...
A search for identity and independence in a personal journey separate from the family, a challenging of assumptions, a wrestling with questions. These are the 20-something years – critical, testing and thrilling, for both young adults and their parents.
Learning early on how to assist family members to understand the conceptual and practical aspects of their social connections is a central concern of the family. Using a confidentiality/non-disclosure agreement provides a structure and begins a process that sets the framework for this work.
Families that successfully manage generational planning actively foster communication and trust within the family, identify shared values that define the family, take time to establish a thoughtful family governance system and give younger members the opportunity to have an impact through active participation in family affairs.
The financial risks associated with unplanned health care events need to be part of the financial planning process to guard against negative impacts to an investment portfolio or retirement income plan in the event of a catastrophe.
Private split dollar can help freeze an estate, minimize gift taxes, provide access to cash values, and finance needed or desired insurance for family members. Properly structured, death benefits may be excluded from the insured's taxable estate and even passed to many successive generations if a dynasty-type trust is used.
Parents who are concerned about family harmony after their deaths are wise to address the issues of estate equalization as a key element of their estate and business planning. Most of the problems that would create disharmony among their children can be handled with careful thought and with wills, trusts and business agreements that clearly dictate...
Like the ancient Greeks, modern families need family governance to meet the challenge of preserving and transferring wealth across generations. A successful plan needs to look beyond financial capital to consider family assets, such as talent, education, experience, faith and values.
The FTC is seeking input on this report, which proposes safeguards for data gathered online and offline from consumers. The three main areas addressed are privacy by design in all business practices, simplified privacy choice for consumers and greater transparency related to company data policies.
Directors and officers at private companies have reason to be concerned about potential U.S. securities exposures, leading savvy private firms to adjust their internal compliance and governance structures to more closely resemble those of their public counterparts. They also are taking a closer look at their D&O liability insurance programs.
Frontier markets are considered to be low-liquidity outsiders beyond developed and emerging markets. They offer the potential for strong long-term returns and diversification benefits at a reasonable level of volatility. However, they come with significant risks that need to be factored into an investment strategy.
This paper addresses the options families have for investment education and offers basic direction for getting a true junior investment club off the ground. Contents include: --Five questions for families considering a junior investment club --Developmental options for investment education --Alternatives to true investment clubs --What is a jun...
The holidays are a time for relaxing with family and friends. Unfortunately, criminals use this time to shift into high gear. Crime statistics from October indicate this year will be no exception to the historical trend, but you can take steps to help avoid becoming a victim of burglary or theft.