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Getting Started with Private Markets as part of a Comprehensive Investment Strategy for Accredited Investors. Private Market Investing has become increasingly popular over the years as investors seek higher returns in a low-interest-rate environment and an alternative to the daily volatility of the public markets1. Private Markets can be a profitable venture for the right investor. While investing…

Contributed by: Sam Gagne As 2025 draws to a close, many successful business owners are turning their attention to year-end financials; finalizing tax positions, assessing profitability, and preparing reports for key stakeholders. Amidst the routine financial housekeeping, there lies a more strategic and often overlooked priority: business succession planning. Succession planning is not a once in a…

Contributed by: Dale Shaw, CFP®, RICP® As the final quarter of 2025 draws to a close, households with significant income face a familiar but often underused opportunity: proactive year-end tax planning. While the demands of business, family, and holiday schedules can understandably take center stage, those in higher tax brackets often stand to benefit the most from timely financial decisions made before…

Contributed by: Austin Manning, CFP® Why Early Year-End Planning Matters for High-Net-Worth Families The most effective year-end planning does not begin in December. It starts weeks earlier, when families still have the space to evaluate their financial picture in a thoughtful and coordinated way. Affluent families, business owners, and corporate executives understand that their financial lives are…

Contributed by: Timothy B. Smith, CFP® For many affluent families, philanthropy is not simply an act of generosity; it is a reflection of purpose, legacy, and responsibility. As wealth grows and financial priorities evolve, traditional charitable giving alone often feels insufficient. Increasingly, investors are turning toward impact investing — the pursuit of measurable social and environmental outcomes…

Contributed by: Pijus Bulvinas, CFP® Every few years, the headlines return with a familiar sense of urgency: “Government Shutdown Looms.” For many Americans, this signals little more than a political standoff. But for others such as federal employees, contractors, and business owners with government clients, it can mean something far more personal: income disruption, operational uncertainty, and financial…

Authored by: Brian W. Sak, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC® For successful business owners and wealthy families, few tools offer the combination of control, tax efficiency, and estate planning flexibility that a Family Limited Partnership (FLP) can provide. But with that power comes complexity—and more than a few misconceptions. Used properly, FLPs enable families to retain control over significant assets, compress…

Contributed by: Dale Shaw, CFP®, RICP® Introduction: The Illusion of Liquidity Wealth is not always synonymous with flexibility. For many high-net-worth families—particularly those with significant holdings in private equity, real estate, or closely held businesses—net worth often includes assets that are valuable on paper but illiquid in practice. When markets are calm and capital is abundant, this…

For business owners who may have worked for decades to build up their companies, deciding to sell the business can be an emotional process. But it’s also a practical one where savvy business owners need to find ways to minimize the tax implications of selling a business to benefit themselves and other stakeholders. There are a number of strategies, particularly during the planning stage and the sales…