Wealth and Law

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. Good writing is often a sign of good thinking. Learning this skill will help you in all types of communication. This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/

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 important in the lead up to 2026. Naomita Yadav is a partner in the private client and tax team of Withersworldwide. She has a diverse and well-rounded tax background, including experience in both income tax and estate and gift tax matters, which makes her particularly suited for families with existing complex trust structures. She also has experience with cross-border families as well as nuances of visa designations and the interplay with tax laws. Interestingly, her own family is situated in three continents. Naomita advises families with generational wealth in the context of changing circumstances and passage of time such as multi-generation wealth planning for family members who are beneficiaries of trusts settled by prior generations. This particular mix of experiences and knowledge enables Naomita to act as a proficient adviser for the globally mobile high net worth family. She also advises clients on tax, estate and succession planning related to cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Naomita received her bachelor’s degree from Yale, her MBA from the University of Michigan, and her juris doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School. Naomita can be found here Naomita Yadav | Private client and tax attorney | San Francisco | Withersworldwide This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/

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 legal and tax background, he and his team provide successful individuals, families and organizations with creative strategies for investing, tax and estate planning, and family business succession issues. His focus on family circumstances and grantor intent adds depth to every conversation. Chris’s advice on family dynamics, wealth preservation and individualized legal structures is sought throughout the West. He speaks and writes frequently on tax planning, charitable giving, investments and advanced estate planning strategies. He has presented to the Arizona State Bar Tax Section, the USC Tax Institute, the Maricopa County Bar Association, the Collier County Bar Association, Valley Estate Planners, Arizona Community Foundation, and he has appeared at numerous seminars and panels for professional groups. Chris joined J.P. Morgan in 2010 after practicing law in Arizona for more than 13 years, during which he focused in trusts and estates, employee benefits and corporate transactions. His legal experience as a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the Maricopa Country Bar Association helps him collaborate with his client’s tax and legal advisors. Chris earned his J.D. (with Honor), from the University of Tulsa College of Law, his M.S.S. from The United States Army War College, and an LL.M. from Villanova University School of Law. He received his A.B. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During his study at the University of Tulsa Law School, he was an articles editor for the Tulsa Law Journal. Active in his community and imbued with a strong sense of responsibility and leadership, Chris is a Captain (retired) in the U.S. Navy, having served from 1990-2020. He is a member of the Professional Advisory Boards of the Arizona Community Foundation and the Catholic Community Foundation in Phoenix. He also devotes time to the Maricopa County Bar Association, Central Arizona Estate Planning Council and other professional organizations. Chris can be found here Chris Siegle | J.P. Morgan Private Bank U.S. (jpmorgan.com) This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/

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. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/

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 and estate planning attorney at small, medium, and large firms to advise and educate Mosaic’s clients and advisors on the technical and interpersonal aspects of estate planning, tax planning, and business planning. This includes simplifying complex legal structures and documents, navigating the dynamics of the team which manages a family’s wealth, analyzing the interplay between complex trusts and business entities, and implementing both cutting-edge and traditional tax and wealth transfer strategies. Griffin is also a member of the law firm Hutchins & Associates in Denver Colorado. His practice encompasses all areas of private wealth and family business. In addition to estate planning and estate administration, Griffin has specialized experience in taxation, asset protection, executive compensation, employee benefits, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, nonprofit organizations, mergers and acquisitions, business transactions, franchising, and commercial contracts. Griffin joined Mosaic in 2022. He holds a BB.A. from the University of Memphis, a J.D. from Samford University, Cumberland School of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Griffin has a sub-stack that can be found here State of Estates | Griffin Bridgers | Substack Griffin can also be found here Griffin H. Bridgers – Hutchins Law Brent and Griffin wrote an article for the Colorado Lawyer in this topic that can be found here Tax and Estate Planning for Nonresident Real Estate Owners | Colorado Lawyer (cobar.org) This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/

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 the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/

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. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/

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 published in April in the Colorado Lawyer, and other articles and speaking engagement he is preparing. This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/

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 Business Administration in Accounting and a Masters of Business Administration. Alicyn resides in the metro Atlanta area and is an active member of her local community and the financial services community through local and national groups. Alicyn can be found on Twitter @atlantatax She can also be found here: About – Agate (agatecpa.com) and here Alicyn McLeod CPA, CFP® | Atlanta Tax

Brent chats with Shauna A. Wekherlien (the Tax Goddess) about how to do income tax planning with the possible sunset of the Trump tax cuts in 2026. They discuss their thinking on the possibility of the sunset happening, how to view changing laws, and ways to try to have your cake and eat it too. They talk about the constant need to vigilance in tax planning and the frequency of change that makes it complex. Shauna A. Wekherlien, CPA, MTax, CTC, CTS, Tax Goddess is a highly sought-after Certified Public Accountant and founder of Tax Goddess Business Services, PC, established in 2004. Tax Goddess is a global team of 65+ specialists that uses plain language (not tax code) to help business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs create plans of action to increase the business owner’s bottom line, reduce costs, significantly reduce taxes, increase cash flow, and perform what-if scenario options so that owners know what decisions to make and which paths are best suited to their particular situation. Shauna is a Certified Public Accountant (AZ) with a master’s degree in Taxation. She is ranked in the top 1% of Tax Strategists in the entire country (per AICTC). Before starting her own company, Shauna had garnered experience and sharpened her skills working with different leading corporations such as KPMG and American Express. With over 24+ years of experience in implementing innovative tax solutions, Shauna has continued to actively create tax strategies that, so far, have saved businesses and individuals to the tune of over $523 million. Shauna can be found here: https://taxgoddess.com/tax-goddess-team/ This material is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the speaker as of the date noted and not necessarily of the speaker’s firm or its affiliates. If you are enjoying the podcast please SUBSCRIBE and leave a REVIEW, and if you want to learn more about Brent go to https://wealthandlaw.com/team/. Legal Disclaimer: https://wealthandlaw.com/legal-disclaimer/