Solutions for Corporate & Private Farms

When you meet with your financial advisor have you ever wondered if their recommendations are really in your best interest? Or were you reluctant to meet with your financial advisor because you didn’t want to be “sold” another product? We help with that by getting to know you through conversation and analysis of your current situation. We call this our client-centered process. We then make recommendations of options appropriate to your specific situation. You are the center of the process. The mutual conversation about positives and negatives of those solutions empowers you to make wise decisions regarding your financial path. We then guide you to implement your decisions and continue to monitor your plan. As circumstances change, we work with you to adjust accordingly. You never have to “go” it alone.

As a farm owner, you need to be continually thinking about not only the present, but also the future. Your farmland is not a liquid asset and because of that, settlement problems may arise. One of the most appropriate ways to ensure a smooth transition from one farm owner to the next is by estate planning. Essentially this is a framework for the disposition of your assets at the time of death. Not only will this protect your land, but it will also provide for the needs of your family and may help reduce high inheritance taxes. By creating an estate plan, you can go forward knowing your farm and your family will always be in good hands.

When passing on a farm and all that comes with it, the farm and land owners have many important decisions to make regarding their future. Farmland can be passed on to relatives, employees, outside parties, and even charities. Even after this decision is made, however, many more remain. Succession planning with our team means making these decisions together and making sure your farm will remain economically sound and continue with the legacy you desire.

Protecting your assets means getting to know you, your values, and your priorities. We want to know what is important to you and protect that from any unexpected occurrences in the future. Asset protection allows us to work with you to plan for the future, protect your farm and personal assets such as wealth, future income, and property from liabilities and guide the process of transferring assets on to future generations.

Investing in the future requires a lot more consideration than simply what assets you can allocate to a venture. We are sure to take all factors into consideration such as your personal timetable, risks involved, taxes, and more to help you invest smarter.

In order to best help you manage your wealth we follow a comprehensive process that includes creating a plan, monitoring your plan in action, and making changes as needed. This management plan draws from several different areas of finance such as accumulation and retirement income plans, investments in stocks, bonds, and/or mutual funds, insurance products, third-party management, and more. By getting to know you and your farming goals, risk tolerances, goals, expected returns, and values we are able to manage your wealth and make your money work for you.

When a charity or organization matters to you, it also matters to us. No matter what your philanthropic passions are, we are here to help support them by creating a financial plan that includes charitable giving within its budget.Charitable planning allows you to support the organizations and causes that matter to you, while often providing immediate income streams and reducing your tax burden. Numerous charitable giving strategies exist, and we can help you design and execute a charitable giving strategy that is in alignment with your personal and philanthropic goals. Please seek tax advice from your own tax advisors.

A buy-sell agreement is a legally binding contract between co-owners of a farm that sets in place a plan in the case of one owners death or leaving of the business, regardless of the circumstances. Essentially this agreement provides a protected way out of farm ownership if needed. Our team works with you to employ life insurance in such a way that the business will not struggle financially even in the case of a co-owner’s death.

A farm is only able to run its best when all of the employees and owners work together and share common goals. But what happens when a key-member of the team passes away? That is where our company can help, by providing a form of insurance that will compensate the farm owner in the case of a loss. This key-person insurance protects the farm from a loss of sales, credit, and work force and can be used to find another worker to take his or her place. When you think of your farm’s employees, is there one employee you cannot imagine working without? Does this member bring skills and ideas that no other employee can? If so, we can help you protect your farm even in the case of this worker switching employers, becoming disabled, or dying.