#succession--ownership

#succession--ownership

The decision to transfer the family farm was based on the son's long-standing interest and commitment to the land, which made the parents believe they were making the right choice.

The family is faced with the challenge of appointing a decision-making representative for their mother, who has dementia, without a prior power of attorney in place.

Most employer 401(k) plans allow mid-year changes to the deferral election percentage. Before the bonus pay period, raise the deferral rate high enough to funnel as much of the bonus as possible into the 401(k), up to the annual limit.

It's great because honestly it fits perfectly into this relationship. It's obviously a three-co-founder relationship. He's also the one that brings sanity to the conversation and can draw the line sometimes. As Rivio has grown, they have two main takeaways: First, co-founders should have clearly defined lanes. Second, it's a good idea to bring in a third co-founder as a tie-breaker.

Many farming and business families still assume the enterprise will pass tax‑free but under the new cap, that won't always be true. Where shareholder or partnership agreements transfer the business to a co‑owner on death, the estate may carry the IHT bill even though the family doesn't inherit the asset. That's the classic 'dry' tax scenario - risks are avoidable with the right planning.

'The cousin is slipping mentally and I think they were put under pressure by other relatives who stand to benefit' Query: Dear Mary Frances, I'm in a very difficult situation with my wider family and don't know what to do. An elderly cousin of mine, a farmer, has been in a nursing home for quite some time. Their farm is rented out and I was put in charge of their finances, managing the rent of the farm to a neighbour, who has taken good care of it.

'Is it possible to have the family home taken into account under the Fair Deal scheme so it contributes toward nursing home costs?' Query: Dear Mary Frances, I'm writing to you because I'm really struggling with a family situation and don't know where to turn. My parents are getting older, and it looks like one of them may soon need to move into a nursing home.

When my grandmother passed away three years ago, I watched my family transform into people I barely recognized. The woman who'd been my biggest supporter left behind more than just her handwritten letters that I still keep. She left a family suddenly wrestling over who got her wedding china, her favorite armchair, and even who deserved to keep the voicemail messages she'd left on their phones. The money part? That was straightforward.

"We are still in the early days of the so-called great wealth transfer," says the lawyer Pierre Valentin, the joint head of art law at Fieldfisher. "The wave started in the US with the sale of collections such as those of Sydell Miller, Mica Ertegun and more recently, Leonard Lauder. The wave is coming to Europe, for example with the auction of the collection of Pauline Karpidas [last] September. I expect that there will be many more of those 'white glove' sales in the next 10 to 15 years because younger collectors collect differently from their parents and grandparents."

My wealthy uncle, whose two sons produced no grandchildren, "adopted" my children as his own grandchildren. As such, he promised to pay for their college educations-completely. He put some of the money into their bank accounts and assured me that he had instructed his younger son to dole out the rest of the promised money when the time came. As far as I know, the only written record of this promise was an email I had sent to him, expressing my gratitude.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. Having a financially irresponsible parent creates real anxiety, and you deserve clarity so you can plan your own future. Here's the good news: You are not responsible for your father's debts when he dies. Period. Debts die with the debtor unless you've co-signed loans, have joint credit cards, or are a joint account holder. Don't do any of those things.

New analysis published today (6 February 2026) reveals a structural issue that is eroding valuations, limiting exits, and trapping founders in their businesses, with around 80% of UK private companies failing to sell. The White Paper, The Owner Dependence Problem in UK SME Businesses, published by Exit Factor, highlights how excessive reliance on founders is undermining business value across the UK SME sector. The White Paper analyses businesses with annual revenues between £3m and £30m and demonstrates how owner dependence materially restricts strategic options for owners.

U.S. worker engagement has stagnated for decades, with more than two-thirds of workers feeling detached or disengaged. To reverse the trend, many executives have strived to build an "ownership culture," hoping personal responsibility will drive productivity. Yet most omit the most vital ingredient, actual ownership. We spent the past four years studying companies that committed to this missing piece, extending equity to all employees.