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At Granite Harbor Advisors, we value the educational process, giving our clients the knowledge to move forward with confidence.

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Planning

Articles:

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Is my money safe? Understanding the impact of a bank collapse
6 minutes read

Is my money safe? Understanding the impact of a bank collapse

The recent collapses of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank (Signature) resulted in two of the three biggest bank collapses in U.S. history, behind the 2008 collapse of Washington Mutual. This has created uncertainty over the stability and liquidity of all banks, especially for those with...
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Inheritance or Legacy?
5 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 p...
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Tax-Efficient Strategies When Selling a Business
5 minutes read

Tax-Efficient Strategies When Selling a Business

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 oth...
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Now Is the Time to Review Estate
4 minutes read

Now Is the Time to Review Estate

Wealthy individuals who’ve completed their estate plans may consider the job done. But estate planning is a journey, not a destination. So many factors — personal, financial, and political — can change over time and challenge the effectiveness of even the best-constructed estate plan. That’s why it’...
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How to Create Liquidity by Selling a Business to an ESOP
5 minutes read

How to Create Liquidity by Selling a Business to an ESOP

Selling a closely held business can be an incredibly complex process that requires a lot of thoughtful planning. For business owners, two challenges often come to the forefront: finding a buyer and creating a liquidity event for the business owner. Selling a business to an employee stock ownership p...
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Income Tax Planning in Early Retirement: Strategies for HNWIs
5 minutes read

Income Tax Planning in Early Retirement: Strategies for HNWIs

Anyone entering retirement must manage the tax implications that come with shifting their primary income source from their employer to other income streams like social security. But for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) with robust portfolios, income tax planning can be particularly complex. Retiri...
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How grantor trusts (and alternatives) aid estate planning
5 minutes read

How grantor trusts (and alternatives) aid estate planning

Grantor trusts have long been a valuable estate planning tool because they allow affluent individuals to separate assets for estate and income tax purposes. But a recent legislative proposal would have radically changed how these trusts could be used, effectively eliminating their tax shelter benefi...
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Don’t Let Age Guide Your Retirement Planning
4 minutes read

Don’t Let Age Guide Your Retirement Planning

There are many rules of thumb in the world of personal financial planning, particularly when it comes to retirement planning. Some common “rules” are to be more conservative with your money as you get older, or that the percentage of bonds in your portfolio should be equal to your age. These rules m...
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Insurance Insights: Using life insurance to transfer wealth
6 minutes read

Insurance Insights: Using life insurance to transfer wealth

Good estate planning answers three key questions: Where does your stuff go? Who is in charge? And what are the rules? Life insurance can be one of the most tax-efficient ways to answer these questions because it can limit tax exposure while protecting and facilitating generational wealth. Here’s a l...
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10 Interview Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor
4 minutes read

10 Interview Questions to Ask Your Financial Advisor

Ask the Right Questions Not all financial advisors are the same. Asking the right questions can help you find the right advisor for your specific goals. However, you may not be aware of what questions to ask or even what a good answer would be. You may find this concise s...
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Opening the back door to tax-free earnings
2 minutes read

Opening the back door to tax-free earnings

As covered in our 401(k) – Super Roth article, a Roth IRA offers an attractive tax benefit. But, what do you do if you do not have a 401(k) or your 401(k) does not allow post-tax contributions? The answer is the BackBack-Door Rothdoor Roth which is the conversion from a Traditional to a Roth IRA. B...
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What Do I Do Now?
3 minutes read

What Do I Do Now?

Mostly gone are the days where someone spends their entire career working for one company. Talented executives have become “free agents” and can transition between companies as needed. When planned, these job transitions can be an exciting time. Sometimes factors beyond our control force us to end...
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Do I Need a Financial Advisor?
2 minutes read

Do I Need a Financial Advisor?

In the 21st century, endless information is accessible in the palm of our hands. With a few clicks, we can find the basic information we need to make financial decisions quickly and easily. But for some of us, basic information is not enough. Additionally, we tend to have limited amounts of time f...
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Super Fund your Roth IRA for Tax-Free Earnings
2 minutes read

Super Fund your Roth IRA for Tax-Free Earnings

United States Army veteran William Victor Roth will forever be remembered for creating one of the most utilized tax-savings tools available. During his 30-year career as a US Senator, he pioneered a new retirement savings vehicle, the Roth Individual Retirement Account (Roth IRA), as part of the Tax...
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Keys to Effectively Setting and Reaching Goals
3 minutes read

Keys to Effectively Setting and Reaching Goals

Have you heard the saying, “you can do anything if you set your mind to it”? Well, there is a lot of truth to that statement. The real question is, how do we “set our mind to it” effectively? The answer is in effective goal setting. This short article will outline an efficient process for setting an...
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Is This Risk Worth Taking?
1 minute read

Is This Risk Worth Taking?

Have you ever been faced with a difficult decision? Not sure which way to go because you didn’t fully understand the risks involved? Much like playing cards, there are times where we need to fold, and move on, and there are times where we should stay in the game based on anticipated risks and reward...
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From the Outside Looking In
2 minutes read

From the Outside Looking In

Have you ever wondered why you look different in pictures than you do in the mirror? How about why doctors go to see another doctor for their regular check-up? Why do schools request our own children be evaluated for gifted and talented classes by a professional? The answer to all of these questions...
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Off the Mark
2 minutes read

Off the Mark

If you walk into your bathroom and step on a scale, you generally have a number in mind that you expect the scale to read. If the number is higher than expected, you know that you are skipping dessert for the next week. If the number is lower, then you are one step closer to cinnamon rolls for break...
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Videos:

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Taxes in Retirement

Taxes in Retirement

Taxes will most likely be your largest strain on cash flow as you enter retirement. Having a clear understanding of your current tax situation is half the battle. Being…
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The Biden Tax Proposal

The Biden Tax Proposal

Join Managing Partner, Brian Sak as he unpacks the potential tax legislation that is slated as part of the Biden Tax Proposal. While time will only tell which of these…
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