Wisdom for Your
Financial Journey

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 whether you're building a lifestyle business or planning an exit, which directly impacts future decisions.

The U.S. economy faces shifting dynamics as the dollar weakens, the Federal Reserve adjusts policy toward labor market concerns, and new Treasury demand emerges from dollar-backed stablecoins. This quarterly review examines dollar reserve currency status, foreign Treasury demand resilience despite trade tensions, and the Fed's evolving focus from inflation to employment risks.

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 sponsorship of Groundwire —a ministry that is close to my heart and shares the gospel with young people across the world.

For nearly 15 years, Blue Trust has had the privilege of walking alongside Lora and Mark Batterson in their financial stewardship journey. The couple founded and leads National Community Church in Washington, D.C., and Mark is a speaker and New York Times bestselling author. Together, they have built their lives around four core family values: gratitude, humility, generosity, and courage.

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 million per person—roughly $30 million for a married couple—and will continue to be indexed for inflation.

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 assume that if they're under that threshold, they're safe.

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 why advanced trust strategies—particularly SLATs, GRATs, and CRATs—remain essential tools for shifting appreciation out of your estate while maintaining income, access, or philanthropic benefits.

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 (sale, IPO, etc.), gifting business interests to family or trusts before the value spikes can lock in substantial estate tax savings.

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 you as the owner for income tax purposes, but not for estate tax.

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 future appreciation out of your estate.

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: You own a high-value primary or vacation home.

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 could become one of your largest heirs.