Could Your Next Business Loan Get “Ratio’d”?

Could your next business loan get “ratio’d”? We live and work in an era of big data. Banks are active participants, keeping a keen eye on metrics that help them accurately estimate risk of default. As you look for a loan, try to find out how each bank will evaluate your default probability. Many do […]Continue reading

Don’t Overlook Securities Laws When Planning Your Estate

For a variety of estate planning and asset management purposes, many affluent families hold their assets in trusts, family investment vehicles or charitable foundations. If assets held in this manner include interests in hedge funds, private equity funds or other “unregistered” securities, it’s important to ensure that the entity is qualified to hold such investments. […]Continue reading

Contesting a Will in Louisiana

Contesting a Will in Louisiana BY THEUS LAW OFFICES Joe Crown was a drunk. And a mean one at that. He was also cheap. So cheap that he drafted his own will. Bad idea. Just to be mean, he left his only child, Tommy Crown, a bucket of pennies. He left the rest of his estate to [...]Continue reading

Home vs. Away: The Company Retreat Conundrum

When a business decides to hold a retreat for its employees, the first question to be answered usually isn’t “What’s our agenda?” or “Whom should we invite as a guest speaker?” Rather, the first item on the table is, “Where should we have it?” Many employees, and some business owners, might assume a company retreat, […]Continue reading

Power of Attorney Abuse: What You Can Do About It

Power of Attorney Abuse: What You Can Do About It BY THEUS LAW OFFICES A financial power of attorney — sometimes called a “power of attorney for property” or a “general power of attorney” — can be a valuable estate planning tool. The main disadvantage is that it’s susceptible to abuse by scam artists, dishonest caretakers [...]Continue reading

Building a Sale Prospect Pipeline for Your Business

An old business adage says, “Sales is a numbers game.” In other words, the more potential buyers you face, the better your chances of making sales. This isn’t completely true, of course; success also depends on execution. Nonetheless, when a company builds a pipeline to funnel prospects to its sales team, it will increase the […]Continue reading

7 Ways to Prepare Your Business for Sale

For some business owners, succession planning is a complex and delicate matter involving family members and a long, gradual transition out of the company. Others simply sell the business and move on. There are many variations in between, of course, but if you’re leaning toward a business sale, here are seven ways to prepare: Develop […]Continue reading

Keeping a Trust a Secret Could Violate State Law

If your estate plan includes one or more trusts, you may have a good reason for wanting to keep them a secret. For example, you may be concerned that, if your children or other beneficiaries knew about the trust, they might spend recklessly or neglect educational or career pursuits. Despite your good intentions, however, the […]Continue reading

It’s Time to Get More Creative With Retirement Benefits Communications

Employees tend not to fully appreciate or use their retirement benefits unless their employer communicates with them about the plan clearly and regularly. But workers may miss or ignore your messaging if it all looks and “sounds” the same. That’s why you might want to consider getting more creative. Consider these ideas: Brighter, more dynamic […]Continue reading

A Joint Home Purchase Can Ease Estate Tax Liability

If you’re planning on buying a home that you one day wish to pass on to your adult children, a joint purchase can reduce estate tax liability, provided the children have sufficient funds to finance their portion of the purchase. With the gift and estate tax exemption now set at an inflation-adjusted $10 million thanks to […]Continue reading

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