When it comes to effectively transferring assets, the Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRAT) is a popular estate planning strategy that can reduce the tax liability. In this interview, three attorneys discuss the benefits of GRAT and the securities law case, Donoghue v. Smith, involving that strategy.
Investors have been looking for a recession amidst rising interest rates and expectations for slowing growth, but continued growth in much of the economy and resilient investment performance in 2023 has made for a very murky economic puzzle going forward. Exogenous factors such as geopolitical instability, deglobalization, and continuing risk of a U.S. government shutdown add complicating risk factors to the economic outlook.
Starting January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) will go into effect. All entities formed or registered to do business in the United States will need to either confirm they qualify for an exemption from the CTA’s reporting requirements or timely submit a beneficial ownership information report to the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Learn more about the regulatory compliance of the CTA in this high-level overview.
The cyber landscape is always evolving and requires proactive diligence, effective controls, and regular education to significantly reduce the risks. While the volume and complexity of threats continue to grow, experts agree that businesses can significantly reduce their exposure—and costs, if a breach occurs—by following some well-vetted best practices. This list of such practices begins with setting a strong governance framework and is underpinned by continual awareness and education.
Families with significant resources are increasingly turning to formalized family offices to creatively deploy and manage their capital. As leaders of family-owned businesses look to unlock generational wealth stemming from a liquidity event, they might wonder whether a family office is the right next step—and if so, how such an office might work in practice.
People are critical to a family office’s long-term success. However, recruiting top talent continues to be a great challenge when there’s a shortage of top talent in a tight labor market. Compounding the problem, many family offices lack robust training and development plans to prepare next-generation family members and existing employees to step into key roles. As capability needs evolve, updating role descriptions for employee recruitment is key. Intentional skill development, career pathing, and creative compensation can help retain top talent.
In "How To Talk With Your Family About Wealth," we discussed the importance of the family conversation when it comes to planning a legacy—and how quickly wealth can be lost when these conversations don’t take place. Yet despite their importance, these discussions can still be difficult, especially if your family doesn’t regularly talk about money.
Driven by events no one could have foreseen, leaders in recent years have pushed their companies and themselves beyond their comfort zone: out of the office to remote workplaces; into the cloud; along chains of supply that are almost completely digital. And with each new venture, there are new cyber risks.
With depression affecting as many as one in three adults, greater attention has been given to mental health in the workplace—including the impact poor mental health has on workplace morale, culture, and healthcare costs. Workplace culture initiatives that address and support employee mental health needs boost employee engagement, productivity, and retention. By following this checklist of six best practices, organizations can help build a strong framework for mental wellness both at home and in the workplace.
Consistently revisiting potential liquidity risk is important work for family investors, as many of these risks can lay silent for prolonged periods and become easy to overlook. In fact, unexpected liquidity demands can undo a lot of hard work and, in a worst-case scenario, force a fire sale of assets.