One of the greatest tricks up the proverbial sleeves of rich families wanting to preserve generational wealth is their ability to pass along their assets to their heirs in perpetuity. They’re able to do this free from the grip of creditors, the IRS, state and local tax authorities, litigators, ex-spouses, and, perhaps most importantly, estate and gift taxes. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Using a straightforward estate planning technique—the dynasty trust, could create a substantial reduction in taxes.

Today’s busy dentists are likely to delegate administrative tasks when possible, and, at first glance, an employee handbook might seem like it’s the responsibility of the office manager or person responsible for HR issues but think again.

This document establishes written guidelines for every aspect of the employer/employee relationship, such as policies regarding vacation, sick leave, jury duty (as well as other instances where an employee would be away from work for an extended period), office rules, expectations, and procedures.

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, perhaps the same could be said about many of today’s 401K plans.  Employers craft benefit packages with the best of intentions, yet, there’s a good chance you may be administering or participating in a retirement plan not in compliance with new Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) regulations.  Last year nearly 75% of plans audited by the Department of Labor (DOL) were either fined, received penalties or had to make reimbursements for errors. 

There are three reasons to establish a Family Bank – to keep assets within the family, to support a legacy of enduring values, and, to bring thoughtful stewardship to the family’s endowment.

The “Family Bank” isn’t a place, rather, an on-paper business structure, often with specific conditions attached to its loans outside of interest rate, payment schedules and other standard loan features.

Wall Street’s evocative dynamic landscape simultaneously encompasses our greatest hopes and our deepest fears.

“Truth is stranger than fiction,” Mark Twain wrote, “because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t.”

Were Twain alive today, in his estimation, the daily activities of financiers like Carl Icahn, Jamie Dimon, and Steve Cohen would rival that of fictional characters like Gordon Gekko and “master of the universe” Sherman McCoy. Yet, works of fiction persist to color how the general investor tends to view Wall Street.

There is newly updated information about 401(k) compliance that’s of the utmost concern to medical practices — particularly small businesses (defined by The Department of Labor (DOL) as an organization of 100 employees or less).

If your medical practice’s 401(k) plan hasn’t been audited by the government yet, you may not have to wait long — the DOL brought on nearly 1,000 new hires whose role is to enforce ERISA rules by serving as watchdogs and issuing government fines (or worse) to offending employers.

When a physician has worked hard and invested well over the course of a lifetime, it is no surprise for a sizable nest egg to be the fruits of this intelligent labor. However, insidious financial abuses can all too easily put large cracks in the egg. Often silent and unreported – or widely underreported with no easy or immediate solutions – elder financial abuse can affect even the savviest physicians.  

You’ve finished medical school, gone through the rigors of a tough residency, landed a plum job in your specialty. Now what?
Aside from working long hours, the demands of your office or hospital group, malpractice insurance, the EMR, Obamacare, business or school debt—and whatever future surprises will be thrown at the medical profession—your career is a stable one. But is it recession-proof? Do you understand physician investing and financial planning?

For years, affluent families have passed the wisdom, experience, and core values acquired over centuries to subsequent generations. The Rockefellers’ tradition of charitable giving is ingrained in their family legacy – and is well-known throughout the world. Their industriousness, philanthropy, and education have been essential to preserving (and growing!) their vast family wealth.

Practicing medicine may have financial rewards – but reaping financial freedom for retirement and subsequent generations is not a guarantee. Consider these seven actions.

The demands of the 21st century, nationalized health care, the EMR, and other expected changes in the practice and business of medicine may at first seem to indicate physicians will invariably be working more and receiving less. This is likely to be true, especially if a physician fails to plan ahead.