Episode 37: Qualified Opportunity Zones, IDGTs, and Modern Estate Management

December 29th, 2025  |  38 mins 25 secs

business exit strategy, business sale planning, estate management, estate planning, family business, high-net-worth home management, inheritance planning, intentionally defective grantor trust, liquidity event, qualified opportunity zones, real estate investing, tax planning, trust strategies

Evaluating Qualified Opportunity Zone investments after a large business sale requires balancing tax incentives with risk and liquidity.

IDGTs can help transfer future business growth, but they introduce meaningful cash flow and complexity considerations.

In our From the Field conversation, Peter Hansen explains what modern estate management looks like and how staffing and systems help homes run smoothly.

Episode 35: AI IPO Scenarios, IRA and Roth Timing, and Digital Legacy Preservation

December 15th, 2025  |  26 mins 2 secs

concentration risk, digital legacy planning, estate planning, financial literacy, ipo planning, ira contribution deadlines, iso amt planning, liquidity event, photo and story preservation, roth conversion rules, rsu taxation, stock option exercise, tax planning, trust strategies

This week:
How to approach RSUs, ISOs, and tax planning when your AI startup hints at an IPO.
Why IRA contributions follow one deadline while Roth conversions follow another.
Practical steps for building and preserving a meaningful digital legacy with guest Robyn Sechler.

Episode 31: Bridge Loan Tradeoffs, Private Market 401(k)s, and 1031 Exchange Strategies

November 17th, 2025  |  29 mins 27 secs

estate planning, executive compensation, financial independence, financial literacy, liquidity event, portfolio rebalancing, real estate investing, tax planning, trust strategies

This week, we break down when it makes sense to sell investments versus borrow for a new home, what to know about private market options in 401(k)s, and how 1031 exchanges can reshape long-term real estate planning with guest Julie Baird of First American Exchange Company.

Episode 29: CRUT Strategies, Contingency Fee Windfalls, and Protecting Valuable Collections

November 3rd, 2025  |  29 mins 31 secs

art insurance, asset protection, charitable giving, charitable remainder trusts, contingency attorneys, cruts, donor-advised funds, financial literacy, fine art protection, legal windfalls, liquidity event, liquidity management, real estate investing, real estate sales, risk management, tax planning, trust strategies, uneven income planning, valuable collections

This episode examines three sides of wealth protection: how to use a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) when selling appreciated real estate, how contingency attorneys should plan after a major payout, and how to safeguard valuable art and collectibles with Anne Rappa of Marsh McLennan Agency.

Episode 28: Historic Home Incentives, Valuation Discounts, and the Luxury Yacht Market

October 27th, 2025  |  28 mins 32 secs

construction budgeting, estate planning, estate tax efficiency, family llc planning, family office investing, family wealth transfer, financial independence, financial literacy, gifting strategies, historic property renovation, home restoration costs, independent appraisal, irs valuation scrutiny, lack of marketability discount, luxury asset management, minority interest discount, national register of historic places, preservation incentives, real estate investing, tax credits, tax planning, trust strategies, valuation discounts, virginia historic tax credit, yacht ownership

We discuss restoring historic properties, gifting family LLC interests, and the financial realities of yacht ownership. Topics include federal and state tax credits for historic renovations, how valuation discounts create tax-efficient transfers, and insights from Steve Myers of YATCO on the evolving role of family offices in the global yacht market.

Episode 27: Triple Net Leases, Trust Gifting, and Lessons from SEC Whistleblower Cases

October 20th, 2025  |  39 mins 47 secs

alternative investments, commercial real estate, concentration risk, estate planning, family wealth, fiduciary vs suitability, gifting strategies, income strategy, irrevocable trust, legacy planning, leveraged real estate strategy, lifetime gift exemption, liquidity planning, multigenerational wealth transfer, portfolio diversification, private investment fraud, real estate investing, sec whistleblower, tax planning, triple net lease, trust strategies

This week, Stephan answers two listener questions — how to evaluate triple net lease opportunities with a $5 million budget, and how high-net-worth families should begin transferring wealth to their children through irrevocable trusts. Then, in our From the Field segment, Scott Silver and David Chase share insights from their work as SEC whistleblower attorneys and discuss how investors can protect themselves from fraud in private markets.

Episode 23: SLAT Adjustments, Family Philanthropy, and Spotting Ponzi Schemes

September 22nd, 2025  |  33 mins 57 secs

alternative investment risks, asset protection, balancing family giving priorities, charitable giving, cost-of-living trust adjustments, donor-advised fund strategy, due diligence for private investments, estate planning, family foundation governance, financial literacy, gifting strategies, heirs financial literacy, hems trust provisions, inflation planning, irrevocable trust modification, legacy planning strategies, next-gen philanthropy, ponzi scheme red flags, ponzi schemes, real estate syndication fraud, slat distribution flexibility, spotting investment fraud, trust strategies

Two complex questions for high-net-worth families: 1) How much flexibility should couples build into SLAT distributions as living costs rise? 2) How can families balance decades-long charitable commitments with next-generation priorities? Plus, a From the Field interview with attorney Daniel Gielchinsky, who shares the red flags he’s seen in Ponzi schemes and fraudulent investment pitches.

Episode 22: Trusts vs Wills, Senior Living REITs, and a Physician Bonus Playbook

September 15th, 2025  |  22 mins 38 secs

backdoor roth, donor-advised fund considerations, emergency fund strategy, estate complexity, estate planning, fee transparency, financial literacy, inheritance planning, liquidity constraints, manager quality assessment, physician finance, physician taxable account, private reit due diligence, probate avoidance, real estate investing, senior living investment, signing bonus allocation, tax planning, taxable investing, trust strategies, will vs trust

A $5 million estate. A private senior living REIT. A physician’s $75,000 signing bonus. In this Q&A episode, Stephan unpacks three listener questions with clear, practical guidance for high-net-worth families.

Episode 20: Learning Capital for Kids, Tax Loss Harvesting with Direct Indexing, and Hiring a Private Chef

September 1st, 2025  |  22 mins 44 secs

charitable giving, concentration risk, crypto investing, dafs, direct indexing, estate planning, financial independence, financial literacy, gifting strategies, inheritance planning, learning capital, market timing, portfolio rebalancing, qsbs, tax planning, trust strategies

In this episode, we answer listener questions about setting boundaries around “learning capital” when a child wants to invest trust assets in crypto, weighing the benefits of direct indexing for tax loss harvesting in a $6 million taxable portfolio, and handling the financial logistics of hiring a private chef for a family-owned summer residence. Plus, our Term of the Day segment breaks down QSBS — Qualified Small Business Stock — and why it can be such a powerful tax planning opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Episode 11: Estate Planning in Motion: Trust Strategies, IPO Tax Prep, and Smarter Umbrella Insurance

June 30th, 2025  |  23 mins 3 secs

estate planning, estate tax sunset, family limited partnership, ipo planning, ipo tax planning, irrevocable trust, trust strategies, umbrella insurance

This week, we’re answering client questions about big-picture estate planning, preparing for future tax exposure, and protecting family wealth. We’ll cover trust strategies ahead of the 2026 estate tax sunset, key tax considerations for pre-IPO stockholders, and what to expect when shopping for umbrella insurance coverage.