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Entries by Perry Daniels
The Wisdom of Proverbs: Wealth, Wisdom, and the Heart
Written by Dr. Ken Boa, President of Reflections Ministries The book of Proverbs is filled with timeless wisdom about life, and one of its recurring themes is money. Proverbs offers guidance on both the value and the limitations of wealth, revealing that money is a powerful tool but also a dangerous idol if it takes […]
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Understanding Private Credit: Dispelling the Doom and Gloom
Executive Summary The rapid expansion of the $1.7 trillion private credit market has prompted heightened scrutiny from the media, with recent defaults fueling speculation about systemic risk. However, a closer examination of the data and underlying structures reveals a more measured reality. Default rates remain modest, averaging below 3% across private credit and leveraged loans. […]
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“Wisdom for Wealth. For Life.” Episode 49: A Million Little Miracles: Rediscovering Wonder in Everyday Life
Key Takeaways: We experience countless miracles daily, from the innumerable biochemical reactions in our bodies to the intricate ecosystems all around us. There are three essential truths about God: He’s bigger than we think, closer than we realize, and better than we imagine. God’s original intent was blessing, not judgment. Understanding this changes how […]
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Preparing Today to Protect Tomorrow: Planning for Long-Term Care
Key Takeaways: Roughly 70% of adults over age 65 will need some form of long-term care, and traditional health insurance or Medicare often covers very little of the cost. Long-term care insurance can help protect retirement savings, preserve independence, and reduce the caregiving burden on family members. The best time to consider purchasing coverage is […]
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“Wisdom for Wealth. For Life.” Episode 48: Sometimes It’s Personal, Sometimes It’s Business: How to Separate Family Money from Business Money
Key Takeaways: Without clear, documented objectives, it’s impossible to make strategic decisions about how resources should flow between business and personal finances. Creating intentional boundaries between business money and family money can help owners ensure each dollar has a defined purpose aligned with their overall financial strategy. Knowing how much is enough helps determine […]
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A Week of Eternal Impact: Blue Trust’s Sponsorship with Groundwire
Written by Brian Shepler, CEO of Blue Trust One of the greatest joys of my role as CEO of Blue Trust is seeing how God works through our efforts and resources to make an impact far beyond ourselves. Recently, I had the privilege of watching this happen in a very tangible way through our weeklong […]
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Estate Planning in a New Landscape: Opportunities for Families Near or Above the $30 Million Threshold
Written by Ryan Anderson, Sr. Partner and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mike Bleck, Partner and Sr. Estate Planning Advisor The estate tax landscape has just shifted in a way we haven’t seen in decades. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), the federal estate tax exemption is now permanently set at $15 […]
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The Power of ILITs: Protecting Liquidity and Preserving Legacy in the $30 Million Exemption Era
Written by Ryan Anderson, Sr. Partner and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mike Bleck, Partner and Sr. Estate Planning Advisor For ultra-high-net-worth families, the estate tax is rarely a “surprise”—but it can still be a disruptive force. With the permanent $15M per person exemption now in place (about $30M for a married couple, indexed for inflation), many families […]
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SLATs, GRATs, and CRATs: Flexible Trust Strategies for Families Near or Above the $30 Million Threshold
Written by Ryan Anderson, Sr. Partner and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mike Bleck, Partner and Sr. Estate Planning Advisor The permanent $15M per person estate tax exemption has given wealthy families breathing room. But if your estate is at or above $30M, every dollar over the exemption is still subject to a 40% estate tax. That’s […]
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Gifting Early-Stage Business Interests: Locking in Tax Savings Before Growth or Liquidity Events
Written by Ryan Anderson, Sr. Partner and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mike Bleck, Partner and Sr. Estate Planning Advisor For many ultra-high-net-worth families, the most valuable asset isn’t a portfolio of marketable securities—it’s an operating business. If you’re an owner in the early or mid-growth stages, or on the path toward a major liquidity event […]
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Freezing Estate Value: How IDGTs Move Growth to the Next Generation Tax-Free
Written by Ryan Anderson, Sr. Partner and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mike Bleck, Partner and Sr. Estate Planning Advisor An Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT) is one of the most effective ways to move appreciating assets out of your estate without triggering immediate gift tax. The “defective” part refers to income tax; the IRS treats […]
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FLPs: Combining Control, Discounting, and Tax Efficiency
Written by Ryan Anderson, Sr. Partner and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mike Bleck, Partner and Sr. Estate Planning Advisor A Family Limited Partnership (FLP) is both a management structure and a tax strategy. It allows you to: Consolidate family business or investment holdings. Transfer limited partnership interests to family members at discounted values. Retain control while moving […]
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QPRTs: Passing Your Home to Heirs While Living in it for Years
Written by Ryan Anderson, Sr. Partner and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mike Bleck, Partner and Sr. Estate Planning Advisor A Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT) allows you to transfer your home to heirs at a reduced gift tax value, while retaining the right to live there for a set number of years. This approach works well when: […]
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From Strategy to Legacy: Building a Comprehensive Estate Plan in the $30M Exemption Era
Written by Ryan Anderson, Sr. Partner and Private Wealth Advisor, and Mike Bleck, Partner and Sr. Estate Planning Advisor The permanent $15M per person federal estate tax exemption changes the estate planning landscape—but for families at or above $30M, the stakes remain high. Every dollar over the exemption faces a 40% tax, and without planning, the IRS […]
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Federal Reserve Independence: Myth or Reality?
“The President Shoves the Federal Reserve Chairman and Yells at Him for Not Lowering Rates” Did you miss this headline? These events happened…but not recently. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson and Federal Reserve Chairman Bill Martin engaged in a heated exchange over Martin’s decision to raise interest rates to counter inflation fears. Instead, Johnson wanted […]
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One Big Beautiful Bill: The Latest on Trump’s Flagship Legislation
In May, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), President Trump’s flagship tax and spending legislation. The bill now awaits Senate review, with the goal of reaching the president’s desk by July 4. The OBBBA is moving through a process known as budget reconciliation. Unlike most Senate legislation, which […]
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Is the U.S. Headed Toward Recession?
Entering 2025, the U.S. economy and market optimism were running high. However, President Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs on April 2 jolted expectations. In the wake of the news, U.S. stocks plunged 12% as recession fears surged. Then, on April 9, after Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs―for every country except […]
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