Private wealth services

Grant Thornton's wealth planning and business succession services help business owners and corporate executives enhance and preserve their wealth.

Our planning professionals provide comprehensive tax and wealth retention advice to business owners, entrepreneurs, executives and high net worth families. We offer income tax planning, personal financial planning, and retirement and estate planning, among other services.

• Planning for corporate executives
• Planning for business owners
• Planning for individuals and family groups
• Service delivery process

Estate tax repeal in 2010 raises transfer tax issues
This drastic and temporary change in transfer tax rules raises many issues for taxpayers with carefully crafted estate plans. Opportunities and concerns are magnified by the scheduled return to 2000 transfer tax rules beginning in 2011. The outlook is also complicated by the prospect of congressional action to change the 2010 rules — action that could be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2010, and extended into 2011 and beyond. Before making any decisions, taxpayers should understand the current rules and political outlook. Read more in Tax Insights from our National Tax Office.

What does the future hold for privately owned institutions? Even in the best of times, creating a succession plan or planning for a business transition can be daunting. According to Family Business Review editor Dr. Joseph Astrachan, only 30 percent of businesses survive to the second generation, just 12 percent make it to the third generation, and a mere three percent reach the fourth generation. Of the institutions that do not make it to the next generation, many are sold, go public or are simply liquidated. Without proper planning, privately owned and family-owned institutions risk not only their longevity, but also their bottom lines. Read Robert Stover, Jr.'s article in the latest issue of our Financial Institutions newsletter, Currency.

For more information about our private wealth services, download our services matrix. Please see our list of team members  for a contact in your area. In addition, visit our website for privately held businesses for information on our private equity services, relevant publications and more.