Wealth and Law

Brent chats with Ryan Halvorson about how to make smart moves with equity compensation. They talk about different kinds of equity compensation, from RSUs, stock options, to deferred compensation. They then explain what issues to watch out for and how to make smart decisions from a financial planning perspective. Ryan Halvorson is an advisor at TCI Wealth Advisors. With more than a decade of wealth...

Brent chats with Paul Hood about what the world looks like for buy sell agreements after the US Supreme Court’s decision in Connelly. They discuss how, if at all, the decision changes existing law, what business owners should think about for business succession planning, and where the case leaves us going forward. Paul Hood obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State Univ...

Brent chats with Toni Ann Kruse about what it means from a practical and tax perspective to expatriate from the United States. They explain the difference in residency, covered expatriates, and significant tax considerations. They also talk about some of the day-to-day challenges of leaving the United States. Toni Ann Kruse is a Partner at McDermott Will & Emery who has a broad-based estate an...

Brent chats with Geoff Grenert about how to help client understand complicated ideas as part of their planning. They discuss the challenge of explaining things simply, helping people overcome their own fears, and ultimately helping people make wise decisions. They also talk about their processes for creating and delivering the message their clients need to hear. Geoff, Cypress Strategies founder,...

Brent explains some of the challenges of planning when there is a non-US citizen spouse. He dives into the estate tax marital deduction, the gift tax marital deduction, Form 3520, income tax recognition events, and expatriation. He also explains how these issues arise at various generational levels of a family. This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the...

Brent chats with Matt Hochstetler about the basics of irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs). They explain what these trusts are, why they are useful, Crummey provisions, and creative planning with life insurance. Matt Hochstetler is a trusts-and-estates attorney practicing in Naples, Florida and Canton, Ohio. His practice serves wealthy families, family offices, and private trust companies acr...

Brent chats about how to think about the US elections, reminds you the CTA beneficial owner reports are due by December 31, 2024, suggests planning based on the laws as they are not as we wish they would be, and spotting important red flags when there are non-Americans in the family tree. This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date...

Brent chats about the basics of Remainder Purchase Marital Trusts (RPMTs). He explains how they work within the gift tax marital deduction rules. Then he compares them to QTIP Trusts and IDGTs (see our prior episodes about those). Finally, Brent walks through the mechanics of RPMTs and how they can be effective wealth transfer tools. This material is for informational purposes only. The views expr...

Brent chats with Steve Gorin about the Beneficiary Deemed Inheritor’s Trust (BDITs). They talk about the structure of these irrevocable trusts, their potential benefits in estate planning, and risks involved in these trusts. they give practical ideas about analyzing whether to use BDITs. Steve Gorin in a Partner at Thompson Coburn LLP. Steve crafts estate plans for individuals, keeping in mi...

Brent chats with Cody Cassidy about the importance of holding family meetings. They discuss why a meeting can set the tone for a family’s financial success. They also share tips and best practices for planning, holding, and following up on those meetings. Cody Cassidy, CFP ® , is an advisor and a Shareholder at TCI Wealth Advisors. He works with multiple teams to deliver research/analys...

Brent chats with Justin Miller about Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs). They explain what these trusts are, how they can be used to save estate taxes, and when to consider one. They also dive into some of the planning challenges and how to select good assets for SLATs. Justin Miller is a partner and the national director of wealth planning at Evercore Wealth Management, counseling advisors an...

Brent discusses the US Supreme Court’s Loper Bright case. In the case the Supreme Court overturned its own legal doctrine called Chevron deference. Brent talks about the case, what the justices said, and what the case might mean for tax regulation and planning in the future. This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted an...

Brent chats with Naomita Yadav about all the ways S corporations are problematic. They commiserate about the shareholder limitations, trusts as shareholders, generational wealth planning, and real estate, among other things. They also offer insights and solutions to some of these common issues. Naomita Yadav is a partner in the private client and tax team of Withersworldwide. She has a divers...

Brent chats with Chris Siegle about Beneficiary Deemed Owner Trusts (BDOTs). They explain how these trusts work and what opportunities they present for planning. They also discuss the potential for future changes in the tax laws, what you might do to plan for those changes, and how BDOTs might fit into that picture. Chris Siegle is a Managing Director and Senior Wealth Advisor in the Scottsdale, A...

Brent chats with Toni Ann Kruse about qualified personal residence trusts (QPRTs). These trusts are popular in high-interest environments to transfer personal residences among family members. Brent and Toni explain how they work, the income and transfer tax rules, and give planning tips. Toni Ann Kruse is a Partner at McDermott Will & Emery who has a broad-based estate and wealth transfer plan...

Brent chats about the many non-probate transfers. He explains the ownership rights, tax treatment, what happens at death, and issues during lifetime. He also explains pitfalls to plan for. In the episode, he describes joint accounts, joint tenancy with right of survivorship, beneficiary deeds, transferable on death, payable on death, and beneficiary designations. This material is for informational...

This is Episode 200!! Thank you to all the listeners, subscribers, guests, and friends who have made the podcast what it is! In this episode, Brent talks about the importance of good writing. He offers tips on how to write well, and, in particular, how to edit well. He shares the importance of audience, levels of editing, and using lists. He then gives you a checklist to use in formal writing. Goo...

Brent chats with Naomita Yadav about the basics of qualified terminable interest property trusts (QTIP Trusts). They explain the key features, how to use them in planning, and some important foot faults to avoid. Naomita also explains the difference between a QTIP Trust and a SLAT. This is a continuation of our series about the alphabet soup of different irrevocable trusts that may be very importa...

Brent chats with Chris Siegle about how to make non-grantor trusts income tax efficient. They talk about normal QTIP and Bypass Trusts, how those trusts might be made grantor trusts, what powers and authority to think about, and other planning tips. Chris Siegle is a Managing Director and Senior Wealth Advisor in the Scottsdale, Arizona office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank. With his strong lega...

This is the first in a series of episodes about the alphabet soup of irrevocable trusts that will be critical pre-2026 TCJA Sunset. In this episode, Brent introduces you to Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs). He explains the transfer tax context, how the trust is formed, its special income tax treatment, and the planning uses for IDGTs. This material is for informational purposes only....

Brent chats with Griffin Bridgers about how non-residents of Colorado can plan when they own real estate there. They discuss the income and capital gains treatment of the property. They also talk about how to do proper estate planning in that context. Finally, they describe the relevant federal tax issues. Griffin is a Wealth Strategist for Mosaic. Griffin uses his 13 years of experience as a tax...

Brent chats about the many different Charitable Remainder Trusts, from CRATs, CRUTs, NICRUTs, NIMCRUTs, to Flip CRUTs. He explains the taxation, typical ways they are used, and how they function. He also explains some of their technical requirements so you understand what they can and cannot do. This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of th...

Brent chats about the challenge of large IRAs, especially for wealthy individuals. He discusses how to plan for estate tax on those accounts, the Secure Act changes, and the tax costs to understand. He then explains Roth conversions, when they make sense, and how traditional and Roth accounts might be stretched through a Charitable Remainder Trust. This material is for informational purposes only....

Brent chats about the top things he is discussing with clients and projects he is working on currently. He discusses the Corporate Transparency Act, reviewing older trust documents and updating them, and reviewing older family entity documents. He talks about the merits of addressing those issues now. Then he shares projects he is working on currently, including the podcast, an Article being publi...

Brent chats with Alicyn McLeod about all the bad tax advice circulating on social media. They talk about why it is appealing, though ultimately wrong, and what tax professionals can do to counter it. Alicyn McLeod is a CPA, CFP® with 20+ years of tax experience. She is the co-founder and CFO of Agate CPA. She is a Georgia native and a graduate of Augusta University where she earned a Bachelors in...