We know how much time, effort, and dedication it takes to create a successful business.  At the end of the day, you want to know how to maximize the value of your business in order to meet your personal financial goals.  It’s never too early to begin thinking about exit and the ways you can increase how much your business is worth. Here

The best financial advice always originates from good questions. Conversely, missed opportunities and poor advice often stems from conversations that never happened because the right questions were never asked. We’ve developed a new tool for business owners called the Buyout Barometer™ that is intended to prompt the types of questions that are crucial to consider, but might otherwise get overlooked. The tool addresses

This is the latest in a continuing series of posts where we feature a member of our team using a Q&A format so you can get to know them a little better – both personally and professionally.  This week we’ll be interviewing Danielle Berz, who joined Brown and Company in April 2013 as a Client Relationship Manager. She began her career in July

To avert another government shutdown, Congress just agreed on a new spending bill. There’s been extensive news coverage of the spending bill, but a lesser known aspect of it is a piece of legislation called the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act. The SECURE Act is one of the most significant retirement reforms in years and brings big changes to

We’ve talked about different ways to transition a business, but now we want to consider how you can structure the sale of a business.  An installment sale is a transaction in which you sell your business to another party and the purchase price is spread over two or more years.  To qualify for installment sales treatment, you must receive at least one payment

On average, a new lawsuit is filed every two seconds in the United States. But few of us seriously consider the possibility of a lawsuit or other legal action against us in our daily lives. The vast majority of lawsuit defendants never thought it would happen to them. Developing an asset protection plan is a critical way to minimize risks due to litigation.

This is the latest in a continuing series of posts where we feature a member of our team using a Q&A format so you can get to know them a little better – both personally and professionally. This week we’ll be interviewing Ryan Csrnko, who joined Brown and Company in June of 2017 as a Client Relationship Manager. Ryan works with the team

As wealth advisors, one of the most valuable things we do for our clients is prompt questions that they are not already thinking about. We are all aware of the concept of FAQs or Frequently Asked Questions, but we would emphasize the importance of “Infrequently Asked Questions” as well. It’s often the things you don’t know to ask that can cause real problems

As we approach the end of the year, it is always beneficial to establish and review financial goals to determine whether any additional actions should be taken. Any ideas we’ve included here take place subsequent to legislative changes that occurred two years ago with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). It was largest change in the tax law in

This is the latest in a continuing series of posts where we feature a member of our team using a Q&A format so you can get to know them a little better – both personally and professionally. This week we’ll be interviewing Mary Radke, who joined Brown and Company in April of 2019 as a Staff Accountant. Mary is responsible for budgeting, cash

Goal setting is at the heart of financial planning and, yet, frequently one of those goals has the potential to undermine another one. Consider a few common examples: I want to retire as soon as possible, and I want to pre-fund my children’s college education costs. I want to gift appreciated stock for tax purposes, and I need to grow my net worth to become financially

One of the most common questions we get from clients is whether they should pay off their mortgage as they near retirement. Like so many questions, the answer is “it depends.” But that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult to determine the right answer. We believe in using a simple methodology we call the Debt Decision Meter™ in order to evaluate this decision.

One of the most prominent areas of concern for those nearing retirement is the cost of health care.  For those who are age 65 or older, Medicare can play a crucial role in addressing this issue.  However, the system is quite complex and can feel overwhelming to figure out all its various aspects. We’ll look at the following three common misconceptions about Medicare

This is part of a new series of posts where we feature a member of our team using a Q&A format so you can get to know them a little better – both personally and professionally. This week we’ll be interviewing Erin Buis, who joined Brown and Company in February of 2017 as Director of Operations and Compliance. Erin is responsible for the

Often the focus of estate planning begins and ends with the execution of proper documents and the titling of assets. However, a proper estate plan should not be limited to those who have passed away and the avoidance of a death tax. Instead, its most important goal should be to provide “A Legacy for the Living.” This requires a multi-generational plan that not

This is the first in a new series of posts where we feature a member of our team using a Q&A format so you can get to know them a little better – both personally and professionally. We have added three new team members this year, and one of those is Chad Hamilton, who joined Brown and Company in January as Director of

If you own a closely-held business, it is crucial to have an exit strategy worked out in advance to help ensure that you meet the personal financial and business objectives you’re hoping to achieve.  Below is a visual that shows the four primary exit routes for business owners: To understand which option is most appropriate for you, we suggest that you work through

One of the wisest sayings is “The more I learn, the less I know.” In 1817, the poet John Keats wrote, in a letter to his brother, about how the world is far more complex than we could ever imagine. Due to our limited experience and perceptive abilities, we only glimpse a small portion of reality. Seeking First to Understand Keats was actually explaining his