Learn all about the best family reunion activities, ideas, games, and more! Family reunions are a lot like the family members who attend them — unique, complicated, and a whole lot of fun. Whether it’s an intimate gathering or a grand multi-generational shindig, there’s no denying that a family reunion is a great way to…

By Mark Hartnett Families face an uphill battle when passing down their wealth. One oft-cited study conducted by Roy Williams and Vic Preisser has shown that 70 percent of family estate transfers fail as a result of family squabbles and disagreement. To paraphrase noted author James E. Hughes, Jr., families that are truly successful are…

By Bill High There are some days you never forget. I was just barely 12 years old the day of my father’s funeral. He was in the military, so his funeral took place at the Leavenworth National Cemetery. It was the only one we could afford. As part of the ceremony, they included a 21-gun salute….

By Eric Dunavant It’s hard to believe how fast time flies. This year will mark my 20th year in the financial/legacy business, but many days it feels like it was just yesterday that I started. That’s the funny thing about life. Speak to anyone who is older, and they will always tell you life goes much…

By Alan Pratt, CEP, CAP Years ago, I heard Bill Neukom speak about what he did when his Microsoft stock options turned into millions. One of the original corporate counsels for Microsoft in the early 1980s, he’s now a multi-millionaire and owns the San Francisco Giants baseball team. Something he said stuck with me, “I never…

By Karen Long Capturing and Preserving Moments of a Lifetime Sure, it was ridiculous to even try, but I was an outlier. I heard the dare as a personal invitation to be the exception. As a college student in Buffalo, NY, I took up photography as a hobby. But I had a lucky accident, sold an…

By Laura A. Roser Jean-Paul Sartre’s Insight and What It Means for Your Family In his 1943 play No Exit (Huis Clos, in French), Sartre wrote: “All those eyes intent on me. Devouring me. What? Only two of you? I thought there were more; many more. So this is hell. I’d never have believed it. You…

By Laura A. Roser The Anna Karenina Principle and Your Family “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” begins Leo Tolstoy’s classic work, Anna Karenina. Put another way, all happy families have mastered all elements that lead to a happy family. These elements include sexual attraction, financial health, parenting,…

By Laura A. Roser How the U.S. Compares to the Middle East, Latin American, and Asia Business succession expert Kelin E. Gersick has consulted with families from all over the world. “All families have much in common,” he says, “but they vary in important ways.” One way he mentions is the status and attention given…