Judy Martel, CFP®, is a vice president at Asset Management Advisors (AMA), a leading multifamily office and subsidiary of SunTrust Banks, Inc. Martel has twenty years of experience in journalism and public relations. She was a newspaper journalist for eleven years, and she has written extensively on wealth issues and family dynamics for such publications as Robb Report Worth, Town & Country, and Vive magazine where she writes a regular column. She is a certified financial planner.
The book’s foreword is by James E. Hughes Jr., author of Family Wealth: Keeping It in the Family (Bloomberg Press). His foreword offers the perspective of a respected longtime family counselor and a preeminent expert in the field of family governance and wealth transfer.
Foreword.
Introduction.
About the Contributors.
Part One: Transitions and Letting Go.
Introduction.
1 Succession and Letting Go of a Business.
Dilemma: It’s time to plan for succession, but I don’t
know how to let go of the business.
2 Keeping Future Generations Connected.
Dilemma: I sold my business at the right time and have more than enough to take care of my family, but I feel alone and uncomfortable in my new position of wealth. What do I do with my time, and how do I preserve a connection with the family wealth in subsequent generations?
3 Future Wealth Generators.
Dilemma: As the family grows, the original fortune is not enough to support everyone. How can I support and encourage future wealth generators to add to the family coffers?
Part Two: Retaining Family Cohesiveness.
Introduction.
4 Keeping the Family Together.
Dilemma: I want the wealth to enhance our dreams, but don’t want it to be the only reason we stay together.
5 Integrating New Family Members.
Dilemma: As new members come into the clan through marriage, how do I level the playing field if one partner is less wealthy, and what value do certain structures like prenuptial agreements offer me?
Part Three: Preparing Heirs.
Introduction.
6 Preparing Children and Grandchildren.
Dilemma: I need to prepare my children and grandchildren for the responsibility of wealth, but I’m afraid that if they know too much, it will destroy any initiative to earn a living. How do I communicate this concern?
7 Fairness in Estate Planning.
Dilemma: I plan to be fair to my children, but if I leave them unequal amounts of money, am I setting up a future battleground?
8 Strategic Philanthropy.
Dilemma: I want to give some of my wealth back to society, but how can I do it without my children thinking I’ve given away their inheritance, and in a manner that will reflect our values and enhance the family legacy?
