Tag: Estate Planning

Premium Financing Strategies for Estate Liquidity and Legacy Planning with Jacob Brigati (Ep. 66)

Premium Financing Strategies for Estate Liquidity and Legacy Planning with Jacob Brigati (Ep. 66)

Building wealth is one thing. Creating enough liquidity to protect that wealth for future generations can be an entirely different challenge.

How can business owners, real estate investors, and high-net-worth families address estate taxes, business succession concerns, and outstanding loans without disrupting the assets they’ve spent years building?

In this episode, Greg DuPont welcomes Jacob Brigati, Premium Financing Consultant at Simplicity UFC, to discuss how premium financing can help create estate liquidity, support business succession plans, and address leveraged asset concerns. Jacob explains how financing life insurance through bank leverage may help high-net-worth families manage estate planning challenges while preserving valuable assets. 

He also shares real-world examples, discusses underwriting requirements, and explains the importance of conservative planning, ongoing policy management, and creating flexible strategies that can evolve over time.

Jacob discusses:

  • How premium financing helps create estate liquidity while reducing upfront out-of-pocket costs
  • Why leveraged real estate owners often use insurance planning to address outstanding loan obligations
  • How business owners can create liquidity to balance inheritances among children fairly
  • The importance of conservative projections and ongoing policy reviews over many years
  • Financial and medical underwriting factors that determine premium financing eligibility
  • And more!

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Connect With Jacob Brigati:

About Our Guest:

Jacob Brigati is a Premium Financing Consultant with Simplicity UFC, specializing in helping high-net-worth families, business owners, real estate investors, and advisors use premium financing strategies to address estate planning, business succession, and liquidity needs. He works closely with attorneys, financial advisors, CPAs, and family offices to design life insurance solutions that can help create liquidity for estate taxes, outstanding obligations, asset equalization among heirs, and legacy planning goals. Jacob’s focus includes structuring and managing premium-financed life insurance strategies, coordinating with insurance carriers and lenders, and providing ongoing policy reviews to help clients monitor performance over time.

The Biggest Retirement Mistakes Most Families Never See Coming (Ep. 63)

The Biggest Retirement Mistakes Most Families Never See Coming (Ep. 63)

What if the biggest retirement risks aren’t market crashes, but the quiet mistakes most people never see coming?

In this episode of March to a Million, Greg DuPont unpacks the inspiration behind his new book, The Twenty-Five Biggest Retirement Mistakes, and why so many families enter retirement feeling uncertain despite “doing everything right.” Greg explains why retirement is not simply an extension of the accumulation years, but an entirely different financial phase that requires a different strategy, mindset, and level of coordination.

Greg discusses:

  • Why accumulation and distribution require completely different financial strategies
  • The hidden tax traps tied to IRAs, 401(k)s, and required minimum distributions
  • Why claiming Social Security too early can create long-term financial consequences
  • Estate planning mistakes families often discover too late
  • How having a coordinated “financial quarterback” strategy may help reduce uncertainty in retirement
  • And more!

Resources: 

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Supporting Families with Special Needs Planning with Mary Anne Ehlert (Ep. 61)

Supporting Families with Special Needs Planning with Mary Anne Ehlert (Ep. 61)

Caring for a family member with a disability touches every part of life, from daily routines to long-term financial survival. What happens to the people who depend on you completely when you are no longer here to protect them?

In this episode, Greg DuPont interviews Mary Anne Ehlert, CFP®, Founder of Protected Tomorrows, about her 38-year mission helping families plan for loved ones with disabilities. She shares how her personal experience as a sister, mother, and caregiver shaped her conviction that families cannot navigate this alone, and why the professionals they turn to are rarely equipped to help. 

Mary Anne walks through the critical role of special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, and proper estate documents, and explains why a social worker and financial professional working together changes everything for these families.

Key takeaways:

  • Turning personal caregiving experiences into a mission to support families facing similar challenges
  • Recognizing gaps in financial and legal guidance for families with loved ones with disabilities
  • Building structured plans that include trusts, benefits, and long-term care considerations
  • Supporting caregivers by prioritizing their well-being alongside their loved ones
  • Creating systems that document personal details to maintain continuity of care
  • And more!

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Connect With Mary Anne Ehlert:

About Our Guest:

Mary Anne Ehlert is a nationally recognized expert in special needs planning. As a Partner of Simplicity Group and Founder of Protected Tomorrows, a Simplicity Group commitment, she leads the organization in providing advocacy, education, and planning support to families with loved ones who have disabilities.

Mary Anne founded Protected Tomorrows more than 35 years ago after her family’s personal journey with special needs planning for her sister Marcia’s future revealed a lack of available resources. She has since dedicated her life to building those resources for others.

Prior to founding the company, Mary Anne spent over two decades in corporate financial services. Today, she speaks at national conferences, hosts educational webinars, and leads virtual training programs for families and caregivers of people with special needs and disabilities.

Mary Anne has served on the boards of several disability-focused organizations, including the National Disability Institute, Special Olympics Illinois, a SEDOL Foundation and Gateway to Learning. She currently serves on the boards of the Special Olympics Illinois Foundation, Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation, Integrative Touch, and the Tails for Life Advisory Board.

Mary Anne resides in Barrington, Illinois with her life partner and her three pups. She is a proud mother of three stepsons, one who lives independently and shares his life experiences with his peers with disabilities.

How We’re Redefining Financial Advocacy for Families (Ep. 54)

How We’re Redefining Financial Advocacy for Families (Ep. 54)

What if one moment could redefine your life’s mission?

Greg DuPont shares the story behind his new book, March to a Million, a vision born from his own near-death experience as a “blue baby” and a lifetime of seeing families lose control over their finances because of fragmented advice.

Together with co-host Matt Halloran, Greg explores how the Wealth Solutions Network (WSN) is training attorneys to step beyond traditional legal roles and become true financial advocates. They discuss the 4D Estate Plan, a proprietary system that helps families document, defend, and deliver their legacy while avoiding costly tax and probate mistakes.

What to expect:

  • The origin of Greg’s “March to a Million” mission
  • The dangers of financial fragmentation
  • How to make longevity a blessing, not a curse
  • Why “Wealth Under Alignment” replaces “Assets Under Management”
  • And so much more!

Resources:

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The Attorney–Advisor Advantage (Mini Series Ep. 5)

The Attorney–Advisor Advantage (Mini Series Ep. 5)

What happens when attorneys stop working next to financial advisors and start working with them?

Greg DuPont dives into the next evolution of the Wealth Solutions Network: regional attorney-advisor teams trained in the Financial Advocate model. He exposes the tension that’s long plagued professional estate planners who feel sidelined, advisors who feel unsupported, and reveals a better path forward built on mutual trust, shared responsibility, and aligned outcomes.

Greg also breaks down the real reason collaboration often fails (hint: it’s not about revenue splits), and explains how letting go of control can actually increase influence, effectiveness, and income. He shares a live client case that proves how powerful it is when legal and financial minds row in the same direction with the 4D Estate Plan as their compass.

What to expect:

  • The hidden insecurity behind control-seeking professionals
  • How family office thinking can transform small firms
  • The advisor’s mindset vs. the attorney’s wiring
  • A case study showing the 4D Plan in action with seven kids, charitable intent, and major tax savings
  • And more!

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Unlocking the Retirement Tax Trap: Strategies for Preserving Wealth (Ep. 47)

Unlocking the Retirement Tax Trap: Strategies for Preserving Wealth (Ep. 47)

Is Your Retirement Hiding a Tax Trap?

In this episode, Greg DuPont discusses his latest venture: the “Retirement Tax Trap.” Discover how this new development is set to revolutionize client interactions for Wealth Solutions Network (WSN) members, offering a unique lead generation tool through comprehensive estate planning strategies.

Greg shares insights on:

  • The development and purpose of “The Retirement Tax Trap” [01:09]
  • Creating alignment within law practices [03:16]
  • The importance of focus in targeting the right market [04:02]
  • Utilizing the book within a lead generation system [07:30]
  • Optimizing consumer outreach through webinars and marketing [12:08]

Resources:

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Mastering Real Estate Valuations: Insights from Taylor Vick, CFA (Ep. 44)

Mastering Real Estate Valuations: Insights from Taylor Vick, CFA (Ep. 44)

Is real estate still a good investment for your portfolio? 

Join Greg DuPont as he chats with Taylor Vick, Director of the Commercial Real Estate division of Foothills and Blue Ridge Asset Management about the smart ways real estate can diversify your investments and provide significant returns. Get the scoop on valuing your assets and how ongoing valuations can play a game-changing role for your financial future!

Tune in to discover:

  • [00:01:29] Introduction to Taylor Vick and Blue Ridge Asset Management
  • [00:03:01] Exploring property management and real estate syndication
  • [00:05:54] Understanding business valuation and its cross-industry relevance
  • [00:09:56] The importance of defensible valuations for estate planning
  • [00:17:22] How exit strategies in real estate can maximize value
  • [00:23:21] Alternative investments: Real estate syndicates explained

This episode is jam-packed with actionable insights tailored for anyone navigating real estate investments and comprehensive financial strategies. 

Resources:

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Connect with Taylor Vick:

About Our Guest: 

Taylor is the Director of the Commercial Real Estate division of Foothills and Blue Ridge Asset Management. Currently managing over $100 million in assets, Taylor leads Blue Ridge to create custom portfolios for investors to achieve their lifestyle goals.

Blue Ridge oversees financing, due diligence, pro forma analysis, acquisition, property management, accounting, value add and disposition for client portfolios.

 When Taylor is not helping his clients with their commercial needs, he can be found on the golf course or spending time with his wife Rachel and two children.

Navigating Long-Term Care with John Broyles (Ep. 41)

Navigating Long-Term Care with John Broyles (Ep. 41)

What does it take to redefine financial security in today’s world?

In this episode of “March to a Million,” Greg DuPont chats with John Broyles from OneAmerica Financial to explore the evolving landscape of long-term care (LTC) insurance and its impact on financial planning. Greg and John dive into the complexities of long-term care options, addressing common misconceptions and highlighting innovative solutions like hybrid LTC insurance. They share personal stories to underscore the real-life effects of financial planning and discuss strategies that offer greater protection and peace of mind, like unlimited LTC benefits and strategic use of qualified funds.

John discusses: 

  • (04:53) The importance of addressing long-term care planning proactively
  • (08:34) The evolution from traditional to hybrid LTC insurance
  • (19:26) How OneAmerica Financial creates personalized solutions for clients
  • (21:10) Tax advantages for business owners investing in LTC policies 
  • And more

Resources: 

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Connect With John Broyles:

About Our Guest:

John Broyles, CFP® serves as a Concierge Specialist for OneAmerica Financial. John brings a range of experiences garnered through living abroad, working with mutual fund and insurance companies, and as a financial advisor.

Estate Planning Essentials: Learn About the Latest Changes in Buy-Sell Agreements with David Foster (Ep. 37)

Estate Planning Essentials: Learn About the Latest Changes in Buy-Sell Agreements with David Foster (Ep. 37)

What happens when business owners overlook the vital details of their buy-sell agreements?

In this episode, Greg DuPont sits down with David Foster, Director of Advanced Planning for Simplicity Group, to unravel the complexities of business succession planning and how recent legal changes can impact entrepreneurs. Discover why many business owners need to rethink their buy-sell agreements and protect their wealth from unforeseen tax implications like those highlighted in the recent Conley case.

Greg and David discuss: 

  • (04:14) The importance of regular review and updates to buy-sell agreements
  • (05:51) How the Conley case could change estate tax valuations and why business owners should care
  • (09:59) Practical steps advisors can take to safeguard their clients’ interests
  • (14:06) Various complex solutions available for high-net-worth individuals and business succession planning
  • (21:07) Common mistakes for small business owners trying to minimize taxes and how to avoid aggressive tax strategies
  • And more

Tune in to gain clarity on essential financial strategies and learn how attorneys can better serve their clientele with advanced planning techniques. Don’t miss out on these critical insights that could save you and your clients from potential financial buy-sell oversights.

Connect with Greg DuPont:

Connect With David Foster:

About Our Guest:

David Foster is the Director of Advanced Planning for Simplicity Group. David focuses on wealth transfer, business succession planning, charitable planning, and executive compensation planning.

Understanding How to Plan for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) (Ep. 34)

Understanding How to Plan for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) (Ep. 34)

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) are a crucial and essential aspect of retirement planning, yet how they work is an often misunderstood concept.

How do RMDs impact your financial strategy, and what can you do to manage them effectively? Are there ways that attorneys can better serve their clients by understanding the nuances of RMDs?

In this episode, host Greg DuPont defines and explains the concept of RMDs, their significance, and strategies for managing them effectively to benefit your financial plan. He emphasizes the importance of proactive planning in order to take these payments into account and not be surprised later down the line. He also unpacks the important role of attorneys in educating and in guiding their clients through these financial decisions.

Greg discusses: 

  • Definition and Importance: What RMDs are and why they matter in retirement planning
  • Tax Implications: How RMDs affect taxable income and the potential for higher tax brackets in retirement
  • Strategies for Management: Options like Roth conversions and other methods to minimize tax impact
  • Role of Attorneys: How estate planning attorneys can help clients navigate RMDs and improve their financial outcomes
  • And more!

 

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