Co-Signing Liability
On occasion, you or someone you know might be asked to co-sign a financial obligation for the purchase of a car or a house or the lease of an apartment…
Selling the Family Business to Children
Parents that have built a successful business and have raised capable children might find the proposition of selling the family business to the children compelling. As with so many decisions…
beautiful young family hand in hand walking in park
How Do Blended Families Structure Their Wills?
When people come together and vow to spend the rest of their lives together in wedded bliss, they sometimes bring to the relationship a child or children from a previous…
Remove Beneficiary Designations on Non-Retirement Accounts
Non-retirement investment accounts are often set up with wealth management firms. When the account is set up, there is an option to put a beneficiary designation on the account and…
Securities Laws Exposure for Business Financing
Finding a source of capital for a new or existing business is often a challenge. Consider the following scenario: Diana has a great idea for a new business and she…
Reasons to Reconsider the Roth IRA
In the old days, the decision to fund a retirement account with pre-tax dollars (Traditional IRA) or fund it with after-tax dollars (Roth IRA) often hinged on when a person…
Fractional Ownership of Family Property
In most families, the parents dream of leaving a legacy to their children. Of course, the parents want to create a legacy in terms of intrinsic family values and ethics…
Moving Out of State to Avoid the Washington Estate Tax
Washington state estate tax got you thinking of moving away? Maybe other things have you thinking of relocating and the estate tax is just the straw that broke the camel’s…
Non-Compete Agreements
Several years ago, this author previously wrote a piece for the Journal of Business on non-compete agreements. Much has changed since that article and it’s time for employers to reconsider…
Give the Gift of Appreciated Stock
With the holiday season upon us and tidings of good cheer in the air, our collective instincts for generosity often peak. It’s worth considering perhaps a better way to give…
