Wealth Actually

Frazer Rice
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Aug 13, 2023 • 56min

EP-138 “VENTURE CAPITAL” AND DISRUPTION with JULIE FREDRICKSON

"Venture Capital" is a small subset of private equity surrounded in mystique and fable. In reality, the world of start-ups is filled with the highs and lows of hard work, loneliness, crushing disappointment and, sometimes, unbelievable success. The bold founders usually have a vision to disrupt the status quo and build a new world around that idea. The VC community is a unique culture that understands the founders' motivations. It provides the resources, support and discipline to help them prove their idea, grow, survive, adapt and thrive in the face of the longest odds. They say "it takes a village." In "Venture Capital", the hope is that these mavericks are surrounded by an ecosystem of investors that understand the disruption they feed and have the patience to let them manifest their vision. JULIE FREDRICKSON is the Managing Partner of CHAOTIC CAPITAL. She will help us understand what it takes to survive and thrive in this space and skewer some sacred cows along the way. Julie's Background "I’m a founder with experience in retail and e-com businesses across all stages. I’ve raised from venture, PE, and crazy people. for everything from cosmetics to online advertising. A couple of my companies even exited and are still around. My first company was Coutorture Media, a luxury affiliate publishing and e-commerce network acquired by Sugar Inc. I then founded playAPI, a developer tool kit and SaaS platform for digital brand marketers. Most recently I went physical with Stowaway Cosmetics a direct to consumer cosmetics brand, which is now part of WIN Brands Group." Venture Capital Generally- What does success of individual investment look like?What does success of portfolio look like? Differentiation 1. Underwriting Businesses: Asset-Light & Equity-Efficient: "We focus on ventures fitting the VC mold, prioritizing scalable, asset-light companies that require minimal equity financing. Two of our most successful seed investments raised
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Aug 2, 2023 • 32min

EP-137 COST SEGREGATION and REAL ESTATE with MITCHELL BALDRIDGE, CPA

Real Estate investing is seen as the holy grail of passive income and wealth independence. One of the popular facets of real estate investing is the tax advantage that much of the IRS code provides to the owner/operator. High on the list of cocktail party chatter topics is the concept of COST SEGREGATION. It is a way to deconstruct the components of real estate developments, depreciate them faster than the normal life of a building and net the deductions against other income. To explain this concept, MITCHELL BALDRIDGE joins the podcast. The Texas-based CPA and CFP will take us through the ins and outs of Cost Segregation Studies and discuss the importance of solid bookkeeping and delegation for entrepreneurs and other business operators Cost Segregation -Describing the concept - accelerated depreciation and deductions-Potential benefits in numbers-Types of projects where it works (Who is it for?)-Process- getting study, dotting i's, building in documentation now and forward-Traps for the unwary- Sloppiness, Passive vs Active income, Full-Time Real Estate Occupation, -Recapture- what it is and how to manage it Bookkeeping and Bulletproofing your Business for Future Sale -Importance of dotting i's-Looking for tax savings-Delegating intensive work-Coordinating with advisors https://www.betterbookkeeping.com/ How do we find you? https://twitter.com/baldridgecpa Links https://www.recostseg.com/ https://baldridgefinancial.com/services/cost-segregation/ https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/
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Jul 14, 2023 • 53min

EP-136 “THE IRS AUDITS YOU- WHAT NEXT?” with KELLEY MILLER from REED SMITH

One of America's best (and most quotable) judges, Learned Hand said, "Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes." What happens when the IRS disagrees with the way you’ve arranged your affairs? What do you do when you receive “fan mail” from the IRS (or the State Taxing authority) KELLEY C. MILLER, ACTEC Fellow and Partner at Reed Smith in Washington DC. helps us understand the process of an IRS audit, good practices in dealing with an audit, and inside knowledge of how the process works at the agency. This episode is full of good information on an uncomfortable, but vital, topic for families that are pursuing complicated planning that may catch the attention of the taxman. Background and Good Conduct Rules of Thumb Be Honest Be Prompt Be Complete Be Clear/Organized Be Consistent and coordinated with other tax and gov’t authorities Be Quick to Alert the IRS if issues come up What is the IRS / State looking for? In a word, UNDERPAYMENT . . . or "more revenue." Listed Transactions (ex. syndicated conservation easements) Unreported income Mischaracterization of gain vs income Filing status (ex. Domicile / Residence - esp. at state level) and Dependents Itemized deductions (Business vs Personal) Eligibility for credits / treatment Sources of “referrals”: Data (Demographics, Internal Data, HNW, UHNW patterns, Social Media, AI in the future?) News, Spouses, Other Agencies (Corporate Transparency Act Implications) Past conduct How is the IRS to deal with? Other states? They are professional and sophisticated but under-resourced Whom are they looking for? Improvements? Potential new staffing and technological investments Is not incorporating your advice team ever a good idea? Civil vs. Criminal vs Collections Departments Process 1) Open the Letter!  (Not a good time to stick your head in the sand) Is it an audit or a request for additional information? What person or entity is being audited? What is the focus of the audit? What documentation is being requested? What kind of audit? Correspondence Audit: The IRS requests additional information regarding a part of your tax return, such as receipts or canceled checks. Office Audit: The IRS requests that you bring specific documentation into your local IRS office- the audit happens there. Field Audit: An IRS agent shows up at your place of business to conduct a face-to-face audit. Taxpayer Compliance Measurement Program Audit: The mother of all audits- one that requires full documentation down to birth certificates to test the Agency's scoring systems. 2) Notify the team and decide on the response strategy Who is quarterbacking the response and the interaction? Accountant / Attorney / Wealth Manager / COO When should the tax preparer run things vs an attorney? Do you need other expertise? Should you have Attorney / Client Privilege? Very likely. Who is compiling the information? 3) Responding to the request You should respond to the IRS/State within 30 days of receipt How should that occur? Call / letter? Crafting the response letter Supplying the requested information 4) No Action or additional payment? If it’s determined I owe more, what is the process of appeal? What if I don’t have it? Payment plans? 5) Closing the file Documenting the outcome Post-mortem – What practices were audited? Should we do anything different in tax planning Any other storm clouds on the horizon? Lessons Learned- Updating documentation and administration process going forward How Do We Stay In Touch with Kelley? KELLEY MILLER at REED SMITH KELLEY MILLER on LINKEDIN https://www.amazon.
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Jul 4, 2023 • 39min

EP-135 THE CONFIDENCE MAP and BEHAVIORAL FINANCE with PETER ATWATER

"Behavioral Finance" is all the rage. BeFi (as the not-so-cool kids in the financial world call it) is the next phase in guiding individuals, teams, boards, companies, and leaders to better decision-making. There is plenty of material telling us where people get it wrong. Even the best brains get deceived by a litany of behavioral biases. These biases cause people to fall off the track of economic rationality. However, even with all of these labels, there is little guidance on how to identify and use this context. Until now . . . PETER ATWATER argues in his new book "THE CONFIDENCE MAP" that there is a straight forward mental model. https://www.amazon.com/Confidence-Map-Charting-Chaos-Clarity/dp/0593539559/ It can diagnose an individual's emotion and confidence, its directionality and its relationship to group and social mood. Further, Peter asserts that people (and their advisors) can use this information to pull decision-makers out of the own limitations of their own silos. People will be able to recognize what is occurring in their surroundings, mitigate risk and maximize opportunity.  We'll discuss Peter's findings, the mental model he's developed and, finally, the process of writing the book.  Outline Quick background- The Confidence Map- central tenet of the book The context of one's place on the confidence map has as much to do with the decision making process as data and logic. Rationale behind the book - what was the problem that you were seeing? What was your research showing? Examples Johnson and Johnson Tylenol Case Boeing 737 Dreamliner Bud Light Defining the axis- Toggling between "Certainty and Control" Toggling between "Confidence and vulnerability" (not price!  Are humans innumerate?) Mapping human confidence (and using it in a forward looking manner) Individuals and recognizing their own position in the chart Leaders looking at group confidence and mood "at scale" to mark strategic shifts Collective mood vs individual mood Defining the group (which group is the individual following) Recognizing where one is on the map personally vs the group vs the masses Augmenting "behavioral finance" Behavioral economics tries to give us the tools and bias catalogues of where human beings fall off the train of rationality How do we think about the confidence map to help people predict (and avoid) their own frailties - especially around big decisions? What is the "equipment" you need to use these tools effectively to help me to understand their decision contexts and make better decisions (potentially in times of maximum stress)?  Is there a danger that this is giving a loaded gun to the financial services industrial complex? What was the book writing process like? Turning a box of ornaments into a Christmas Tree Using a Coach What were the struggles? How do we stay in touch? https://peteratwater.com/ Linkedin: Peter AtwaterTwitter: @peter_atwater Amazon: THE CONFIDENCE MAP https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/
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Jun 13, 2023 • 45min

EP-134 THE CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT and ESTATE PLANNING with STEPHEN LISS

The Corporate Transparency Act is legislation that is going to touch all high net worth clients in 2024.  This is like KYC procedures on steroids and investors need to be aware of it. Attorney, STEPHEN LISS helps us understand the scope of the developing new regime. The financial reporting system currently makes it cumbersome for regulators and law enforcement to track the asset ownership and cash flows.  Lessons learned from the Panama Papers and Pandora Papers disclosures signaled the need for a change.  Congress passed the CTA legislation in 2022 to combat money laundering, tax evasion and other illegalities.  After public input, final rules were recently promulgated. There are significant reporting responsibilities and criminal and financial penalties for non-compliance. The impact of these initiatives takes hold in 2024- It’s becoming a point of emphasis for the legal, accounting and financial services communities. It will be significant part of the estate planning process for HNW clients going forward. With the expected “2026 avalanche of estate planning. Clients are in a for a surprising change in the standard procedures around standard techniques. The concept of “Putting it in an LLC” or “putting it in a trust” is about to become more expensive, complicated and time-consuming- particularly in dealing with the law firms and especially financial institutions. STEPHEN LISS is a partner at Dungey and Dougherty and is on the forefront of this legislation and its impact on clients. We’re going to talk about the scope of the CTA, it’s impact and why it’s important for HNW clients to start early and get ahead of these requirements when the planning avalanche comes. Background Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) under the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act on January 1, 2021. The requirements of the CTA are being implemented “to help prevent and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, corruption, tax fraud, and other illicit activity, while minimizing the burden on reporting entities.” That said, even FinCEN acknowledges the enormous reporting burden imposed by the CTA, which it most recently estimated to be over 118 million hours in 2024, with an annual burden of over 18 million hours thereafter. The CTA added 31 USC §5336 to the Bank Secrecy Act with the title, “Beneficial ownership information reporting requirements”. The CTA has three core elements: Reports to FinCEN The CTA requires certain entities (each a “reporting company”) to identify itself, its primary owners and officers (each a “beneficial owner”), and certain professionals who helped to form or register the reporting company (each a “company applicant”). The reporting company must then report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) information sufficient to identify the reporting company, its beneficial owners, and any company applicants (“beneficial owner information” or “BOI”). Control Access to Information FinCEN will provide BOI to government regulatory and investigatory bodies, but it will not be made available to the general public. In addition, there are specific procedural requirements for government actors to access this information, along with civil and criminal penalties for improperly accessing or using such information. Revised Due Diligence Requirements The Secretary of the Treasury is required to revise Customer Due Diligence requirements for financial institutions to conform to the CTA, and account for the ability of financial institutions to access beneficial ownership information. Outline What is the Corporate Transparency Act? The purpose of the Act is to Set a clear federal standard for incorporation practices Protect U.S. national security and commerce Enhance national security, intelligence, and law enforcement efforts to combat money laundering, terrorism financing, and other illicit activities Bring the U.
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May 30, 2023 • 22min

EP-133 NEW YORK’S ESTATE TAX CLIFF with GEORGE BISCHOF, ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY

State Estate Taxes - State Estate taxes can be a nasty surprise- especially with the disconnect between State and Federal Exclusions. Currently, the Federal Exemption stands at $12.92mm per person. 17 states have and estate or inheritance tax and it's often uncoupled from the Federal exemptions. In New York, the state estate tax exclusion stands at $6.58mm per person- and that exclusion isn't portable with a spouse. With state estate tax rates reaching 16%, this could lead to a potentially big number. However, planning around this tax can be complicated. Estate Planning Attorney, GEORGE BISCHOF is here to define the problem and the clients it affects, provide some context for planning and give us some ideas on how to deal with it. George is an Estate Planning Attorney here in New York City at the WILLS AND TRUSTS FIRM (https://thewillsfirm.com/). He focuses on clients between $4 and $20mm in net worth. Estate Tax Federal ($12,920,000 per person) vs NYS ($6,580,000 per person) More New Yorkers can be caught in this than they think Real Estate can be a big issue Linkage to Gift Tax (NYS has no gift tax) Rates (40% Federal vs 16% State) NYS Cliff - Established in 2014 105% Estate Tax Exclusion is where the cliff kicks in. Graduated Tax Calculation Goes back to dollar zero and can be a $250K+ mistake Calculated on NYS property NYS has floated a longer phase-out range, no progress yet Being a City vs State Resident is irrelevant (as opposed to an income tax situation) Portability – Federal: Yes, NYS: NO!!! (but, Credit Shelter Trusts can be a solution) Ways to Reduce / Minimize This Tax Using Charity and a drafting Santa Clause (a conditional formula bequest that leaves money to your preferred charity (or one chosen by your executor or trustee), but only if doing so will result in a higher after-tax estate for your beneficiaries). Changing your residence AND domicile (and cutting NY linkages!) - See an in depth discussion on this topic with attorney MARK KLEIN - (SNOWBIRD PLANNING EPISODE) Using Gifting to get "under the cliff amount" (but beware of 3 year look back). Moving wealth to non-NY jurisdiction Maximizing “portability” with Disclaimer or Credit Shelter Trust structures Disclaimer language in wills and/or trusts Make sure you have an independent co-trustee   BONUS: I wrote about this topic back in 2019 and it gives some context around the planning. (The numbers have not been updated): https://frazerrice.com/blog/the-return-of-the-nys-estate-tax-cliff/ https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/  "Frazer Rice is an employee of Next Capital Management, LLC. This podcast is not investment, legal, or tax advice, nor does it reflect the opinions of Next Capital Management. Any opinions represented in the show are Frazer’s individually and not an endorsement of the guest. This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes. It is neither investment, legal, nor tax advice and does not represent the opinions of any employers of the host or guest."
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May 11, 2023 • 30min

EP-132 “ULTRA HIGH NET WORTH” CRISIS MANAGEMENT with JANE MINTZ MA, LPC

Crisis Management in the Wealth Space Lawyers, Accountants, Wealth Advisers and other advisers – are used to dealing with difficult situations all at the heart of their specialty.  But often, the advice the clients need goes past the wealth arena . . . . How do you help them when you hear situations like this? My son shows no drive and won’t get up from bed- My daughter is cutting herself- My brother just got his second DUI this year and is running the business into the ground- The trustee of my trust has missed filing taxes and is making mistakes- What do you do when you are the first point of contact, but out of your expertise?  What happens when the family is in crisis and devastating wealth impacts are in view? What happens when it’s not in your business model or expertise to deal with this part of the family’s issues? How do you do the right thing by your client and yourself? JANE MINTZ is the person to help us deal with this gaping hole in the wealth management industry. Jane is an internationally respected pioneer who has spent 20 years working with individuals and families around crises related to addictive illness, mental health, and life concerns. Best known for her work as a concierge strategist guiding clinically complex individuals and their families through extraordinary challenges, she is also a noted thought leader, industry consultant, educator, and speaker who has garnered international recognition. Jane has extensive experience working with family businesses and private family wealth offices so that the dysfunctions of today do not destroy the legacies of tomorrow.   Jane is a Licensed Professional Counselor with multiple dimension training credentials in high acuity clinical clients. She is a Laurel School graduate (Cleveland, OH) with degrees from Washington University (St. Louis, MO) and John Carroll University (Cleveland, OH).  https://open.spotify.com/episode/6s4CX5W9qxMtXwRRbBOtUi?si=zvatryXoRUadZirFtJJO4w Outline Jane, in a couple of sentences, what do you do as Professional Counselor- How is your expertise applied to the wealth space? (Family Businesses and Wealth Offices/Trustees) Crisis What constitutes a crisis? What is the difference between a crisis and a mistake (or “growing pains”)? How does a financial advisor, coworker, wealth manager know when to intervene? What are we looking for signs and symptoms that someone needs help:   Misspending  Not showing up for appointments  Missed deadlines  Disruption in workplace  Missed work  Inability to participate in large planning matters  The Intersection of Being a "Fiduciary" and Getting a Client the Help They Need? What is a fiduciary relationship?  vs. Human Ethics? When do human ethics supersede fiduciary ethics?  How can a clinical strategist be a key collaborator in bridging the gap between the two?    What does a professional counselor do?   What happens when a client is introduced to to a Counselor?    What are reasonable expectations?  For the family? For the Adviser? What does progress look like?  How do you set up the structures for long term success? Where does the Adviser fit in that process? How do we stay in touch and how do listeners find you? JANEMINTZ.COM Books Mentioned . . . . https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319  "Frazer Rice is an employee of Next Capital Management, LLC. This podcast is not investment, legal, or tax advice, nor does it reflect the opinions of Next Capital Management. Any opinions represented in the show are Frazer’s individually and not an endorsement of the guest." https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/
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Apr 27, 2023 • 47min

EP-131 WEALTH & LAW PODCASTING with ACTEC LAWYER, BRENT NELSON

Why Do You Podcast? And How Does It Help in the Wealth/Law Space? Why do I do it? What’s involved?  How does it interact with your career? Should I do it? (YES- At least try it) How did you get started and how much does it cost? Do you make money on it? Is your ROI on the show different? Do you use it for research or marketing (or both)? Do you enjoy it? Two Advisor Podcast Experiences I thought I would have BRENT NELSON on the show, so we could trade our two podcasting experiences.  Brent is the host of the successful and entertaining Wealth and Law podcast and heavily involved in the wealth management space.  This is his second visit to the Wealth Actually Podcast. He is an ACTEC Fellow and a partner of the Tucson-based RIMON LAW FIRM and focuses on international and domestic estate planning. For those curious about the world of podcasting and where it can fit into your business or practice, this should be a useful listen from two people who have done it. I liked the idea of two people, who have demanding day jobs, describing their podcasting experiences and how they make it fit within a demanding schedule- Why we did it? Why do we continue to do it? What do you listen to and what did you take for inspiration? What's your process? What started off poorly and has gotten better? How much time / resources / workflow does it take? What functions do you keep / what do you delegate? How do you measure success? How do you "monetize?" Business model? Advertising? What do you wish you had? Struggles with audience building- Weird stuff like music / disclaimers? The Wealth and Law Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3bQK3jsLsacNqryQKQuSRG I am also adding this excellent primer on "HOW TO PODCAST" from my friend, Jason Cilo of Meeting House Productions- it goes into some depth on the "Who, What, Where, When, Why and How" of the process from a person who does an extremely professional job on his show. It is well researched and serves as an ode to his passions in the TV and Film world. Well worth the listen: FULL CAST AND CREW: HOW TO PODCAST https://open.spotify.com/show/1UTZzSo2oPXBxn94UrIjO1 Some of the Podcasts Mentioned: Errol Louis ("You Decide" NYS Political Podcast), Various Horror Podcasts, John Keim (Washington Commanders Beat Writer for ESPN), Full Cast and Crew, Infinite Loops, Penny Philips, Griffin Bridgers, Morgan Housel, Ritholtz Wealth's stable of podcasts, Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/ "This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes. It is neither investment, legal, nor tax advice and does not represent the opinions of the employers of the host or guest."
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Apr 13, 2023 • 13min

EP-130 MID-CAREER PIVOTS with FRAZER RICE

In this episode, I recount my experience in taking the plunge and jumping from a stable, large bank job to swim in some different waters. "Funding the Pivot" was written a few years ago as I was doing the post-mortem on my post-book experience. I think the lessons I learned can help a lot of people. This format a bit of an experiment for me in non-interview podcasting- let me know what you think of it. The transcript of the essay is below- thanks for listening! Follow me on TWITTER LINKEDIN YOUTUBE and INSTAGRAM, Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE/like/rate the show and feel free to send along to your friends. https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/ Funding The Pivot We live in a world where we are bombarded with advice to “follow your passion” and stories of people who wonder about the road not taken.  In fact, more people in their prime earning years are taking steps to fulfill their “dreams” before they reach the brass ring of retirement- a time normally associated with doing all of the things you didn’t have time to do. What happens when you aren’t close to retirement and want to make a career switch or start up a new business? What is realistic? How should you think about the risks so that you avoid a crippling financial decision? As clients and friends have come to me with this issue, I have taken my personal experience and some financial planning concepts to put structure around what can be a high risk, but high reward decision. The Assessment and the Plan Many of us daydream about a better tomorrow . . . better finances, more control of time, health and family happiness, a clearer path to professional or extracurricular achievement and establishing a legacy. These things don’t come without costs and the risk of failure. Therefore, you need a plan. The first step is to assess the situation at hand. Are you running from something or running to something? Do you have an idea that will change an industry (or the world)? Do you want to start a business (and the hell that being an entrepreneur can bring) or do you just want to enjoy the trappings of a well-oiled business machine (already put in place)?  For those making career decisions because of an unpleasant work environment, I would think twice about running headlong into entrepreneurism.  It is a long and lonely road.  You have to “really want it” and be prepared for sacrifice both personal and financial.  Can the same itches be scratched while being traditionally employed? If your current situation is dissatisfying, could the correct change be a move to a firm that is more in keeping with your goals and principles? I had a little of both in my life and used parts of the creative process, the entrepreneurial experience and a corporate situation to move my situation ahead. My situation at my previous employer was suffocating.  I enjoyed working with clients, solving problems, identifying opportunities and being relevant to successful people. However, while enjoying success, I was not participating in the equity or direction of the business and I was not developing.  My career trajectory was flattening and the principles by which I worked were shifted by new management priorities. It was time to go no matter what. I also had a nagging feeling that I had more to bring to my clients, my firm, the industry . . . and myself.  I became involved in podcasting and speaking- two things that I enjoyed.  On the strength of that and my extracurricular interest in writing screenplays and essays, I felt like I had a book in me. Change is good, right? Change brings growth. Generally speaking, that’s true, but change also occurs when you are laid off or when a company closes down. To that end, change is effective when you are the architect of the change. When you are driving new circumstances, you have more control over its effects. In my case, I spent a year writing the book,
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Apr 3, 2023 • 27min

EP-129 THE FAMILY OFFICE Q&A with DENTONS’ EDWARD MARSHALL

The FAMILY OFFICE – a term that is surrounded by mystique. It conjures notions of massive wealth, mahogany infused offices, private jets and money that has reached escape velocity. When one probes deeper, it connotes secrecy, exotic opportunities and risks, mixed with rigid control and discretion. But what is the reality behind the term “family office”?  At what level of wealth do families bring it all in house?  What functions do they actually perform?  How much do they cost? For families that are intrigued, what questions should they ask before going down that process and what should they focus on?  We’re going to speak with EDWARD MARSHALL, Head of the Global Family Office at Dentons, the international law firm.  Ed has deep experience in the space and is a terrific starting point for families looking to engage the process of developing their own structure. Ed and his white papers and research can be found at DENTONS' site here: ED MARSHALL and his twitter account is here: ED MARSHALL TWITTER. A link is here for his informative book (with Bill Woodson): FAMILY OFFICES: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR ADVISORS, PRACTITIONERS, AND STUDENTS Here are some of the areas we hit on: When a client comes to you looking for a family office, what problems are they trying to solve? What is your process for helping them define what they need? Why not outsource everything? How do you make this a digestible process? Build, Buy, or Partner? Cost Talent Confidentiality Regulation Scope Creep The Rule of 3: It's could take 3 years to build It could costs $3 Million You will probably want to shut it down 3 times before it's up and running Below is a brief summary of the question and answer process from Dentons to help families get their bearings around the family office process: Focus areas Getting started General Investing Investing and owning real estate Venture capital and private equity The Lender Management strategy (US-based family offices) Taxes Litigation Operations and governance Employment Impact investing and philanthropy Trusts, estates and wealth preservation Public policy Risks and threats Specialty areas Getting started What experience do you have working with family offices and family businesses? Is your experience local, national or global? What are the legal services that you typically provide to family offices that look like ours? Does your experience with different family offices provide you with best practices that you can share with us? What are the key legal issues to consider before, during and after a liquidity event? Are all of your legal services billed hourly or can you deliver work on a flat-fee-per-project basis? How would you build a team to handle the legal and non-legal matters relating to my family office? Do you (or your firm) have access to a network of family office general counsels? Are the business entities currently affiliated with our family office optimally structured across all areas that we should consider, such as income tax, estate tax, securities regulation, privacy, etc.? What legal considerations and potential pitfalls exist with respect to embedded family offices (i.e., where employees of the family business perform the same function as a single-family office)? If members of the family are investing together and/or separately, what legal structuring should we consider? Would our family office benefit from a holding-company structure? Should one or more trusts own the family office legal entity? What is a family office management company? Should we consider using a holding company for our investments? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a family limited liability company (FLLC) or a family limited partnership (FLP) in our family office or family business? How can we exercise optimal control of a family office or family busine...

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