The COVID-19 pandemic has created, what is hopefully, a short-term opportunity to take advantage of resulting lower equity values to maximize the benefit of significant gifting transactions. Take advantage of the opportunity while it is here. When it is too late, it will be too late.
I spent a few minutes over the weekend reflecting on how I have tried (or wish I had!) to maintain physical and mental health during these pandemic times. Here are a dozen ideas to consider.
In recent weeks, I’ve written about what I’ve called a Personal Step Challenge that began on December 15, 2019. My goal is to get 10,000 steps per day at a minimum, and also 5.0 miles at a minimum. I added the five mile part because at 10,000 steps I’m a tad short that. The broader […]
Walking 10,000 steps per day is good for our physical and mental health. If you don’t believe me, Google “10,000 steps a day” and read around a bit. This post chronicles my personal challenge over the last 80 days and discusses a few of the lessons I have learned from it.
Valuation may look at the past as a guide, but it is based on expectations. When boiled down to its essence, the value of any business is based on expectations about three critical factors. Learn what they are and why they are so important in this short Valuation Video.
60 days in a row. That’s where I stand on my goal of reaching 10,000+ steps each day and 5 miles or more as recorded on my handy Fitbit Versa 2, my fancy pedometer of choice. Interestingly, I did not set out with any goal for consecutive days in mind when I started this string on […]
If you even occasionally sign a Form 8283 for a donor/client who has made a gift of closely held business interests, it is probably a good idea to know what you are signing. This post provides an overview of the “rules” of the charitable gifting game from an appraiser’s perspective.
This Valuation Video recounts two recent disputes over gift/estate tax appraisals with the Internal Revenue Service. In one case, Mercer prepared the original appraisal, which was challenged. In the second matter, Mercer was called to prepare an appraisal for Tax Court because of the unavailability of the original appraiser. You won’t read about either of them anywhere else because they settled quietly and favorably for the taxpayers.
There is a great deal of discussion about the benefits of walking 10,000 steps per day. This post focuses on my recent experience of reaching that level of movement for 50 consecutive days. It discusses a few lessons learned from the process, and talks about what to do if life gets in your way of that specific objective. It is still critical for all of us to MOVE!
In this post, I discuss a very important breakfast I had some time ago with a client and friend of many years who is second generation chairman, CEO, and lead family member of a very successful, third-generation family business. That breakfast served as a turning point for him and his business and the family.
