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In nearly every discussion about estate planning, important questions and issues arise. If couples arrive in their attorney’s office having already thought about these issues—including assessing the level of financial management skills their beneficiaries should possess, how to communicate to their children about their hopes and expectations about ...

The Board of Directors plays a pivotal role in the effective governance of any organization, including the private family trust company. Board members fulfill their roles and responsibilities, in part, by holding regular meetings that utilize a comprehensive agenda. One vital tool for an effective Board meeting is the meeting agenda. Here, ten sugg...

The number and scope of women-owned businesses have risen at an unprecedented rate. In an era of new opportunities, this paper profiles eight courageous and resilient women who share their personal stories and the lessons they learned building successful businesses. One theme that emerged from these women’s stories was the critical role of mentorsh...

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...

Originating in English common law, trusts have been used for centuries to manage holdings of the wealthy. Even though trusts are quite common, many people may find them hard to understand. Having an introduction to the trust basics is a good place to begin and learn how trusts are used in wealth management plans to help provide financial support fo...

The 2018 U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth® study asked nearly one thousand high-net-worth individuals about their approach to building wealth and the extent to which they are using it to achieve their goals and support the causes they care about most. The study found that while wealth provides the freedom to do more, it also brings increased...

A Dynasty Trust is often referred to as a family bank since it serves as a primary resource for the funding of the needs of a family's beneficiaries in successive generations. Given the unsteady economic times and tax uncertainty, there is no better time than now for wealthy families to establish a Dynasty Trust to achieve optimum results...

Despite the leadership and great influence of the women who have shaped their family legacies, including the silent legacy of Louise Carnegie, their contributions have been missing or minimized in the family stories and historical records. With more women taking control of more wealth and the decisions around that wealth, their voices and positions...

A solid governance structure is critical to any private trust company’s long-term success. Through a thoughtful review that includes useful diagrams and outlines, learn the common elements of the PTC structure; the Board role and responsibilities; the Board attributes, composition, selection process, and succession planning; and addi...

Once the private trust company’s (PTC) governance structure is designed, the foundational operations and administration elements will be central to bringing the PTC to life. Three key elements toward that end include reducing PTC complexity through documentation and recordkeeping; maintaining the PTC through communications and compliance;...

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 u...

Despite the challenging economic headwinds and shockwaves of 2022 continuing to reverberate, there are silver linings for those who focus on planning for the long term. In looking ahead, we examine wealth planning strategies through the power of resilience from four different lenses: multigenerational families, business owners, women, and philanthr...

There are various laws and issues to take into account when considering a state in which to form a Private Trust Company, including requirements around annual reporting, residency of personnel, and capital requirements. This report provides a side-by-side comparison of state PTC laws across key states: Ohio, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.

Emerging from the shadows is the increasing number of women in the workforce, and it marks one of the most significant changes in economies throughout the world in the last 40 years. This report—the second in a series of four on family business succession—takes an up-close look at the demographic shifts that are changing the role of women in f...

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.