Client strategies

If the court ends up making this choice, intended family members may lose out — all for want of filling out a one-page form.

“Clients have gotten a good scare,” says Dave Welling, CEO of Mercer Advisors.

The initiative is intended to help advisors manage increasingly large and complex teams.

New opportunities and wise practices can maximize the value of your clients’ — or your own — company.

As anxious as they may be to take advantage of the opportunity, there are pitfalls and hidden costs, advisors warn.

Tax-rate arbitrage is one approach, but it’s far from the only one, according to contributor Michael Kitces.

“Astute RIA leaders recognize that now is an opportunity for growth,” says one advisor.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created opportunity zones as an economic development tool to stimulate investments in distressed communities.

“They’re now realizing: Let’s actually get the contingency plan in place,” said Dominic Volek, head of sales at Henley & Partners, the world’s biggest citizenship and residency advisory firm.