Articles Library

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…

Contributed By: Timothy Smith, CFP Charitable planning stands as a cornerstone in the realm of wealth management, offering affluent individuals and families a pathway to leave a lasting impact on society while simultaneously optimizing their tax strategy. A charitable approach can provide substantial benefits, including tax relief, income generation, and most importantly, legacy preservation. Some…

Contributed by: Dale Shaw, CFP®, RICP® Planning for retirement is an essential journey for everyone, regardless of career. Whether you’ve been a corporate executive, a small business owner, or an employee in any sector, you’ve likely spent years saving and preparing for this next chapter. While regular contributions to your 401(k) or other retirement plans have been crucial, transitioning into retirement…

Contributed by: Granite Harbor Advisors “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” This famous quote from Benjamin Franklin emphasizes an often-overlooked aspect of investing: tax diversification. While many investors focus on traditional diversification strategies—spreading their assets across various stocks, bonds, and asset classes—it’s equally important to consider ways to diversify…

Contributed by: Brian W. Sak, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC® In the complex world of estate planning, the Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) can be an attractive strategy for married, high-net-worth couples looking to manage taxes, preserve wealth, and transfer assets across generations. Understanding a SLAT's benefits is crucial for those aiming to secure their family's financial future. This knowledge is vital…

Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) presents a significant opportunity for investors seeking to minimize tax liabilities while supporting small businesses. Established under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code, QSBS offers unique tax incentives that can be highly beneficial for both entrepreneurs and investors. This article will provide an in-depth look at what QSBS is, how it functions, who…

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…

The 83(b) election is an essential tax planning strategy that can significantly impact the financial outcomes of business owners, C-suite executives, and founders. This article dives into the specifics of what an 83(b) election is, its tax implications, how it pertains to stock awards, when it should be considered, and the potential outcomes of making this election. What Is the 83(b) Election? Section…

The landscape of financial lending has witnessed a substantial transformation in recent years, with private debt emerging at the forefront of this evolution. This once-neglected segment of the capital markets has swiftly risen to prominence, garnering the focused attention of investors, borrowers, and financial institutions across the globe. One notable statistic is that private credit and direct lending…