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Estate Planning & Tax Strategies

Maximize Your Legacy with Expert Guidance and Efficient Tax Solutions

Secure Your Legacy for Multi-Generational Wealth

Helping You Define Your “Why?”

Estate planning is a responsibility that extends across multiple generations, ensuring the longevity and protection of your assets. Rather than simply helping you answer the question of “Where do I want my stuff to go?”, we delve into the deeper and more complex concerns regarding the transfer of wealth. Our approach encompasses not only the distribution of your assets but also the preservation and growth of your wealth for future generations.

We work with you to create a comprehensive estate plan that addresses your unique goals and circumstances, considering aspects such as tax implications, legal requirements, and family dynamics. By focusing on the long-term impact of your decisions, we help you create a lasting legacy that provides financial security and stability for your loved ones. Our expertise in estate planning ensures that your wealth is transferred efficiently and in accordance with your wishes, giving you peace of mind and confidence in your financial future.

Our Philosophy

Commitment to Excellence

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At Granite Harbor Advisors, we focus on creating and preserving multi-generational wealth by understanding your family's unique goals. We believe wealth is more than just financial; it encompasses the values, traditions, and aspirations passed down through generations.

Our role is to be a vital link for families, ensuring the true purpose of your wealth is effectively transferred from one generation to the next. This involves managing finances and fostering communication about your family's legacy.

Collaborating with your estate attorney and tax professionals, we provide tailored estate and tax planning strategies to protect and preserve your wealth for the future.

Ultimately, we aim to help you leave a meaningful legacy that reflects your family’s values and aspirations, ensuring your wealth serves a greater purpose for generations to come.

Our Process to Estate & Tax Planning Strategies

Tailored Solutions for Long-Term Financial Security and Efficiency

Estate Planning

After thoroughly understanding the goals and objectives of your family, we engage in a collaborative process with all stakeholders to develop a robust "multi-generational" wealth plan. This involves conducting a comprehensive review of your existing strategies and documents, such as wills and trusts, to identify any inconsistencies with your stated goals. Working closely with trusted advisors, we help update or establish necessary strategies for gifting, sales, and asset coordination, including liquid investments, life insurance, and entity structures. Our dedicated team takes on the responsibility of coordinating these financial instruments designed to ensure seamless execution of your wealth plan.

Tax Planning

Our experienced advisors are dedicated to seeking solutions that safeguard your investments and estate by minimizing the impact of taxes and preventing potentially devastating losses to your financial plan. At Granite Harbor Advisors, we employ a comprehensive planning approach that leverages advantageous tax laws, working closely with your tax advisors to optimize wealth creation and minimize tax liabilities. With our network of support, we craft customized tax reduction strategies that prioritize your long-term financial well-being and help create a lasting legacy.

Our Commitment

Your Path to Financial Success: What to Expect Next

Once a plan has been established and implemented, it must be periodically maintained. We establish an appropriate review schedule to determine if updates are necessary based on legislative impacts, circumstantial changes, or administrative updates.

We will include a comprehensive review and management strategy of the financial instruments involved. We review the strength of those instruments to ensure a consistent alignment is kept with your family’s goals and objectives.

Comprehensive estate planning extends beyond any single generation. At Granite Harbor Advisors, our business succession and continuity plan will help ensure each generation to follow continues to have the same thoughtful experience. You worked hard for your wealth, and it is our commitment to protect and preserve that wealth for generations to come.

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Benefits of Estate & Tax Planning

Securing Your Legacy and Maximizing Financial Efficiency

Minimize Taxes for Maximum Wealth Retention

We help to mitigate all types of tax exposure including income tax, capital gains tax, estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping tax.

Custom Planning to You

Every family is different, so should their estate planning.

Flexible Long-Term Planning

Ensuring strategies have the necessary flexibility to adapt to long-term uncertainty provides stability and resilience over time.

Future Generational Support

We help to address concerns regarding education, medical needs, and potential financial difficulties for future generations.

Provide for Philanthropic Goals

Assets can only go to three places in the end: to family, to charity, or to the IRS. When charity is a priority, we help to maximize those aspirations.

Preserve Family Privacy

Effective estate planning can help preserve the privacy of your family's financial information by avoiding the public probate process.

Resources for Estate Planning

A Selection of Granite Harbor Resources Focusing on Estate Planning

The Trade Off Between Basis Adjustment and Estate Taxation
6 minutes read

The Trade Off Between Basis Adjustment and Estate Taxation

Contributed by: Brian W. Sak, CFP, CLU, ChFC For high-net-worth individuals, preserving family wealth across generations often involves balancing two competing priorities: minimizing estate taxes and maximizing the capital gains tax benefits through a basis adjustment. These two objectives frequently intersect, particularly when deciding whether to leave assets in an estate or transfer them into a…
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You've Made Gifts to Trust. Now What?
6 minutes read

You've Made Gifts to Trust. Now What?

Contributed By: Brian Sak CFP®, CLU®, ChFC® Congratulations! By making gifts to a trust, you’ve taken a significant step towards optimizing your financial future and taking advantage of the current tax environment prior to the potential TCJA (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) sunset. This proactive move helps protect your wealth, ensuring that it benefits your family and future generations. However, this is only…
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(eCLAT): Combining Philanthropy with Wealth Transfer Strategies
6 minutes read

(eCLAT): Combining Philanthropy with Wealth Transfer Strategies

Contributed by: Brian W. Sak, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC® For high-net-worth individuals seeking to balance charitable giving with strategic wealth transfer, the Enhanced Charitable Lead Annuity Trust (eCLAT) is a powerful tool. This sophisticated strategy enables donors to make substantial contributions to charity while preserving and growing wealth for their families. By incorporating life insurance into a…
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New Year, New Limits: The 2025 Estate and Gift Tax Updates You Need to Know
3 minutes read

New Year, New Limits: The 2025 Estate and Gift Tax Updates You Need to Know

Authored by: Brian W. Sak, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC® In a significant update for estate planning and wealth management, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced an increase in the estate and gift tax exemption for 2025. The exemption amount will rise to $13.99 million per person, up from $13.61 million in 2024. Additionally, the annual exclusion gift limit will rise to $19,000 per individual up from…
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Generation Skipping Tax (GST) Simplified: Pitfalls and Planning Opportunities
9 minutes read

Generation Skipping Tax (GST) Simplified: Pitfalls and Planning Opportunities

Contributed by: Brian Sak CFP®, CLU®, ChFC® Navigating the seemingly endless tax regulations can feel daunting, especially for high-net-worth families and business owners striving to preserve and protect generational wealth. According to the book "Preparing Heirs: Five Steps to a Successful Transition of Family Wealth and Values", 90% of family wealth is dissipated by the third generation. Ineffective…
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Supreme Court's Decision in Connelly v. United States: Implications for Business Owners with Buy/Sell Agreements
4 minutes read

Supreme Court's Decision in Connelly v. United States: Implications for Business Owners with Buy/Sell Agreements

On June 13, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered its decision in Connelly v. United States, a landmark case that has significant implications for business owners with entity redemption buy/sell agreements. This ruling has reshaped the landscape of estate tax calculations and necessitates careful consideration of alternative structures for buy/sell agreements and life insurance policy ownership. Below…
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