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4 reasons why avoiding probate is a smart estate planning move
When planning your estate, one of the smartest strategies you can adopt is to minimize or avoid probate. Probate is a legal procedure in which a court establishes the validity of your will, determines the value of your estate, resolves creditors’ claims, provides for the payment of taxes and other debts, and transfers assets to…
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A family business owner needs both an estate plan and a succession plan
For family business owners, an estate plan and a succession plan often work in tandem, ensuring that both personal and business affairs transition smoothly. Your estate plan can help ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and provide contingencies in the event of your death or disability before retirement. Your succession plan…
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2 options for creating a charitable legacy: Lifetime gifts and charitable bequests at death
Incorporating charitable giving into your estate plan can be a thoughtful and strategic way to support causes you care about while also achieving estate planning objectives. Whether you’re driven by philanthropic goals, legacy planning or financial considerations, planned giving can be an effective tool if you’re seeking to make a lasting impact. You generally have…
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Businesses can still choose to address sustainability
For many years, businesses of all shapes and sizes have at least considered sustainability when running their operations. Many people — including customers, investors, employees and job candidates — care about how a company impacts the environment. And reducing energy use, water consumption and waste generally lowers operational costs. However, the current “environment regarding the…
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5 ways your business can build a stronger annual budget
As summer gives way to fall, many businesses begin their budget-setting processes for the upcoming year. This annual rite of passage can be stressful, contentious and, perhaps worst of all, disappointing if your budgets often fail to achieve their objectives. The good news is that there are many ways to enhance your company’s budgeting process…
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A tax guide to choosing the right business entity
One of the most critical decisions entrepreneurs make when starting or restructuring a business is choosing the right entity type. This choice directly impacts how the business is taxed, the level of administrative complexity and regulatory compliance obligations. While legal liability considerations also matter, we will focus on tax implications. For liability advice, consult a…
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Boost your tax savings by donating appreciated stock instead of cash
Saving taxes probably isn’t your primary reason for supporting your favorite charities. But tax deductions can be a valuable added benefit. If you donate long-term appreciated stock, you potentially can save even more. Not just a deduction Appreciated publicly traded stock you’ve held more than one year is long-term capital gains property. If you donate…
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5 ways businesses can assess health care benefits spending
If your business sponsors health care benefits for its employees, you know the costs of doing so are hardly stable. And unfortunately, the numbers tend to rise much more often than they fall. According to global consultancy Mercer’s Survey on Health & Benefit Strategies for 2026, 51% of large organizations surveyed said they’re likely to…
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Act soon: The OBBBA ends clean energy tax breaks
The newly enacted One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) represents a major move by President Trump and congressional Republicans to roll back a number of clean energy tax incentives originally introduced or expanded under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Below is a summary of the key individual tax credits that will soon be scaled back…
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Beneficial ownership information reporting requirements suspended for domestic reporting companies
The twisty journey of the Corporate Transparency Act’s (CTA’s) beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements has taken yet another turn. Following a February 18, 2025, ruling by a federal district court (Smith v. U.S. Department of the Treasury), the requirements are technically back in effect for covered companies. But a short time later, the U.S. Department…
