Transformative life events have a mysterious way about them. We can’t anticipate them, can’t plan for their arrival, and certainly can’t summon them at will. It can often seem when we most ardently strive to initiate change, it can elude us, slipping through our fingers just when we think we’ve gotten a hold of it. […]
How I Uncovered Nature’s Secret to Family Business Success in Alaska Read More »
Most people realize that building a small business is challenging, but few understand the difficulties of building a business around the intricacies of family dynamics. In the best situations, the family offers a foundation of loyalty, trust, and dedication – traits on which most businesses need to thrive. In the worst cases, challenging family relationships,
Using a Facilitator to Overcome Family Business Challenges Read More »
When it comes to passing down intergenerational wealth, many families tend to mistakenly narrow their focus on the logistics—how they will transfer their assets with strategies like trusts, gifts, life insurance, etc… But there is so much more to it than just the “how.” What about the “why”? Transferring generational wealth involves more than just
Safeguarding Family Values While Managing Generational Wealth Read More »
When you think about transitioning out of your family business, what do you envision? Is it the day you hand over the keys to your successor? Or maybe it’s the retirement party your loved ones will throw you, where you’re surrounded by friends and family. While we tend to associate the idea of “succession” with
In 2019, Congress passed the SECURE Act, which raised the beginning age for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from 70 1/2 to 72 and effectively killed the “stretch” IRA, among other things. And perhaps in another few years, we will have a SECURE Act 3.0 to decipher, but for now let’s take a moment to cover
Whether you’re the founder or inheritor of your family’s business, you know the challenges involved with communicating across multiple generations of family members. Even if all parties generally get along, messages can get lost in translation or interpreted improperly often. Unfortunately, family enterprises rely on clear communication and the alignment of goals amongst generations. The
How to Communicate with All Members of Your Family Enterprise Read More »
by Agatha Johnson, featured in Family Business Magazine Oct 2022
Walking the Tightrope of the Family Business Transition Read More »
4 Benefits of Delegating Management of Your Held Away Accounts with Will-Kate Do you have a 401(k)? 403(b)? HSA? Or even a 529 education savings plan or variable annuity? Do you know how the investments within those held away accounts are performing? How about how the investments within those accounts are allocated? For many individuals,
Is Your Portfolio on Track? Read More »
Just recently, I had the sincere pleasure of being interviewed by The Prairie Family Business Association (PFBA) about lessons I learned growing up on a multigenerational family farm and how they helped shape what WillKate is today. Spoiler alert: It all goes back to my great-grandfather, Edward Kappenman, who immigrated from Germany and purchased farmland in north-central
Agatha Johnson Interviewed by Prairie Family Business Association Read More »
From their double-digit highs in the 1980s, interest rates have been on a long and steady decline, reaching historic lows the last couple of years. This has been great news for anyone purchasing a home or taking out a loan, but especially for investors holding bonds. This is because bond values have an inverse relationship
How Rising Interest Rates Could Affect Your Portfolio Allocation in Retirement Read More »