Detroit—“I hear you loud and clear about socializing with clients and centers of influence during the holidays,” Linda said in a tone oozing of skepticism. “But how do you initiate a business conversation without coming across as salesy?” “Very...
Global geopolitical concerns have contributed to an unstable economy and increasingly volatile markets. Excessive volatility adds even more complexity for fiduciaries and their investment advisors particularly those who rely on historical...
The first bankruptcy case involving an Alaska asset protection trust (APT), In re Mortensen,1 has been decided. This case (we'll refer to it as Mortensen II, as it was the second of three related rulings) revolved around the February 2005...
Over the past several years, a number of state law changes have caused the issue of trust modification/reformation1 to garner more and more attention from the Internal Revenue Service. First, many states and Washington, D.C. have adopted the...
A client's lack of sophistication and guidance regarding trust-owned life insurance (TOLI) can put estate-planning lawyers in the hot seat. Most states have now enacted the Uniform Prudent Investor Act (UPIA), which imposes a higher standard...
Financial advisors want to be heroes to their clients. Fantastic performance creates fantastic word of mouth, which leads to more clients and more assets under management. Scam artists know that you want to be a hero to your clients. That's why s...
After finishing Walter Isaacson's wonderful must-read biography, Steve Jobs, I reflected on my business heroes. Although Jobs was a genius whose vision and drive in many ways changed the world, I found myself thinking about Sam Walton.
As we ent...
