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Planning

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Inheritance or Legacy?
6 minutes read

Inheritance or Legacy?

It takes no planning to leave an inheritance, you just have to pass away owning something. However, most wealthy families are more interested in leaving a legacy, which does require significant thought and planning. The Dilemma John has worked his entire life to achieve success in both his personal and professional life. He wanted nothing more than to create the best life for his loved ones, and worked…
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Choosing Investment Options When Focusing on Estate Planning and Passing Down Invested Assets
9 minutes read

Choosing Investment Options When Focusing on Estate Planning and Passing Down Invested Assets

Contributed by: Tom Kelley, MBA Estate planning is a critical element of wealth management, particularly for individuals and families aiming to preserve and transfer wealth across generations. Selecting the right investment options plays a pivotal role in supporting the preservation of financial legacies while mitigating tax liabilities and legal complexities. When aligned with a comprehensive estate…
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2025 Estate and Gift Tax Updates You Need to Know
3 minutes read

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 tax limit will rise to $19,000 per individual up…
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Understanding Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) for Oil & Gas Executives 
5 minutes read

Understanding Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) for Oil & Gas Executives 

Contributed by: Tom Kelley, MBA As an executive in the oil and gas industry, particularly for leading companies like ConocoPhillips, Exxon, or BP, strategic financial planning is essential to managing your wealth effectively. One powerful tool that may be available to you is Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA), a tax strategy that could significantly enhance your retirement distribution plans. In this…
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Tax Efficient Wealth Strategies for High-Net-Worth Individuals
3 minutes read

Tax Efficient Wealth Strategies for High-Net-Worth Individuals

Contributed by: Austin Manning, CFP For high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), effective wealth management requires more than just growing investments. Preserving wealth often hinges on minimizing tax liabilities, ensuring that more of your assets can be allocated toward personal goals, family needs, and legacy planning. With increasing complexity in the tax code, proactively adopting tax-efficient strategies…
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Summer Strategies: Financial Planning Tips for a Season of Smart Spending
5 minutes read

Summer Strategies: Financial Planning Tips for a Season of Smart Spending

Contributed by: Pijus Bulvinas, CFP As summer approaches, so does a subtle shift in mindset. For many families, business owners, and executives, the season offers a temporary pause – a time for travel, leisure, and reflection. Yet this shift in pace also presents a unique opportunity to recalibrate your financial plan. While the warm months invite relaxation, they also reward those who remain intentional…
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Investments

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Choosing Investment Options When Focusing on Estate Planning and Passing Down Invested Assets
9 minutes read

Choosing Investment Options When Focusing on Estate Planning and Passing Down Invested Assets

Contributed by: Tom Kelley, MBA Estate planning is a critical element of wealth management, particularly for individuals and families aiming to preserve and transfer wealth across generations. Selecting the right investment options plays a pivotal role in supporting the preservation of financial legacies while mitigating tax liabilities and legal complexities. When aligned with a comprehensive estate…
Read Article
Understanding Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) for Oil & Gas Executives 
5 minutes read

Understanding Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) for Oil & Gas Executives 

Contributed by: Tom Kelley, MBA As an executive in the oil and gas industry, particularly for leading companies like ConocoPhillips, Exxon, or BP, strategic financial planning is essential to managing your wealth effectively. One powerful tool that may be available to you is Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA), a tax strategy that could significantly enhance your retirement distribution plans. In this…
Read Article
The Power of a Holistic Approach to Public and Private Equity Markets for Accredited Investors
3 minutes read

The Power of a Holistic Approach to Public and Private Equity Markets for Accredited Investors

The Power of a Holistic Approach to Public and Private Equity Markets for Accredited Investors When it comes to growing and preserving wealth, accredited investors have a unique advantage in harnessing the often-underestimated synergy between public and private equity markets. By utilizing a comprehensive strategy that integrates both markets, investors can optimize their returns and build a robust…
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Balancing Growth and Preservation in a Portfolio
6 minutes read

Balancing Growth and Preservation in a Portfolio

Contributed by: Austin Manning, CFP In today’s shifting economic environment, successful wealth management requires more than simply choosing investments that “perform.” It demands an intentional balancing act — between growing assets to meet future goals and preserving the wealth already built through years of effort, risk, and success. For affluent families, corporate executives, and business owners,…
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The Bumpy Road to the Market’s Long-Term Average
3 minutes read

The Bumpy Road to the Market’s Long-Term Average

Since 1926, the U.S. stock market has served as a powerful engine of wealth creation, delivering an average annualized return of approximately 10%. While this long-term performance is encouraging, it's important for investors to understand that these returns are not delivered in a straight line. In fact, they mask a wide range of outcomes that investors have experienced from year to year. The Reality…
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The Role of Asset Allocation During Volatile Markets
4 minutes read

The Role of Asset Allocation During Volatile Markets

Contributed By: Pijus Bulvinas, CFP Periods of market volatility often generate unease for even the most seasoned investors. News cycles filled with uncertainty and swiftly changing market conditions can trigger emotional decision making, leading to actions that may harm long-term financial outcomes. During these times, one principle has consistently proven its importance: disciplined asset allocation. Asset…
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Insurance

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Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Self Insurance
3 minutes read

Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Self Insurance

Contributed by: Caleb Christian, CFP, CLU, ChFC For successful individuals and business owners, self insurance can seem like an appealing alternative to traditional insurance. By taking on the financial responsibility of covering potential losses rather than transferring risk to an insurance provider, self insurance may offer greater control and cost savings—but it also comes with significant risks.…
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Understanding Life Settlement: Recognizing the market value of your life insurance
4 minutes read

Understanding Life Settlement: Recognizing the market value of your life insurance

Many people think of life insurance in rather uninspired terms. They generally consider it a liability and an expense that shows up in cash flow projections, not a true asset. This is sometimes why investors will surrender a policy or let one lapse. But before doing either of those things, policyholders should consider a life settlement. When used strategically as part of a comprehensive financial…
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How Annuities Can Transform Your RMD Strategy
4 minutes read

How Annuities Can Transform Your RMD Strategy

Authored by: Tom Kelley, MBA The SECURE 2.0 Act, signed into law in December 2022, introduced significant updates to retirement planning rules, including changes to required minimum distributions (RMDs). These adjustments offer retirees more flexibility to manage their savings effectively while opening new opportunities for incorporating annuities into retirement plans. Among these, annuities stand…
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The Importance of Life Insurance in Retirement Planning During the Great Wealth Transfer
7 minutes read

The Importance of Life Insurance in Retirement Planning During the Great Wealth Transfer

The “Great Wealth Transfer” refers to the monumental shift of wealth from the Baby Boomer generation to its heirs. Over the next few decades, an estimated $84 trillion will be transferred to younger generations. This unprecedented movement of assets presents opportunities, but also challenges, for families seeking to secure their financial futures through the seamless transfer of wealth from one generation…
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Using Life Insurance to Transfer Wealth

Using Life Insurance to Transfer Wealth

Using Life Insurance to Transfer Wealth Life insurance can be a useful tool to accomplish many different planning goals. Specifically, if you are investing for a purpose that extends beyond your lifetime, like preserving wealth for generations to come, then life insurance can be a very attractive investment vehicle. Download our infographic to see how a well-designed life insurance strategy can be a tax-efficient way to transfer wealth and protect your legacy.
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Unraveling the Secrets of Cash Value Life Insurance
3 minutes read

Unraveling the Secrets of Cash Value Life Insurance

Cash Value Life Insurance, also known as permanent life insurance, combines a death benefit with an investment component called the cash value. In a cash value life insurance policy, part of each premium you pay is allocated towards insuring your life, while the remaining portion is dedicated to building up a cash value. The cash value portion of your policy grows tax-deferred, and if structured properly,…
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