Blog

One of the biggest concerns for family business owners is succession planning — transferring ownership and control of the company to the next generation. Often, the best time tax-wise to start transferring ownership is long before the owner is ready to give up control of the business. A family limited partnership (FLP) can help owners enjoy the tax benefits of gradually transferring ownership yet allow them to retain control of...

Read more
August 12, 2018

Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA can provide tax-free growth and tax-free withdrawals in retirement. But what if you convert your traditional IRA — subject to income taxes on all earnings and deductible contributions — and then discover you would have been better off if you hadn’t converted it? Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), you could undo a Roth IRA conversion using a “recharacterization.” Effective...

Read more
August 12, 2018

Do you need a trust protector? Maybe, if you aren’t completely confident the trustee will carry out your wishes. A trustee manages the trust on a day-to-day basis, while the protector oversees the trustee and weighs in on critical decisions, such as investment transactions involving large dollar amounts. Although it’s tempting to provide a protector with a broad range of powers, this can hamper the original trustee’s ability to manage...

Read more
August 12, 2018

If you have a child or other family member with a disabling condition that requires long-term care or prevents (or will prevent) him or her from being able to support him- or herself, consider establishing a special needs trust (SNT). Also known as a supplemental needs trust, an SNT allows you to enhance a family member’s quality of life without jeopardizing his or her eligibility for government benefits, such as...

Read more
August 12, 2018