You’ve worked hard, you’ve saved your nest-egg, and now you’ve ended the accumulation stage of finance. It’s finally time to preserve what you have and distribute it to yourself in the most efficient and safe way possible. This process is arguably the most important stage in your retirement since it will determine when and how much income you will receive. Preparing for income strategies is not just for the super wealthy. All soon-to-be retirees need to build an effective method that accounts for their lifestyle, future wishes, and endeavors.

Recognizing that no investor wants to have to pay more a cent more in taxes than necessary, we can analyze how certain financial products may make sense for your financial planning in order to minimize your tax burden. Certain strategies offer tax deferral so that you only pay taxes when you actually take a withdrawal. Other products, such as life insurance, also offer the opportunity to utilize income-tax-free income when structured properly.

It would be an understatement to say that family businesses are the backbone of the American economy. Some 90 percent of all businesses in this country are either family-owned or family-controlled. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors, representing all sectors of our economy. From agriculture to services, technology and manufacturing, family businesses generate an estimated one-half of the U.S. Gross National Product and pay half of all wages earned in this country.
Not all family businesses are traditional small businesses either. In fact, about one-third of all businesses included in the Fortune 500 are family businesses. But not all of the family business statistics are rosy.

Family businesses tend not to outlive their founders. At any given moment, 40 percent of family businesses are in the process of transferring their ownership. Unfortunately, two-thirds of all initial transfers fail. Of the one-third that survives an initial transfer, only one-half will survive a second transfer.