The hospitality industry employs millions and is an important economic driver in the United States and throughout the world. The sector also offers and supports the recreational and leisure activities that improve our quality of life. However, the industry faces serious challenges. Business owners and leaders must be proactive and creative in pursuing strategies to overcome these difficulties. Hospitality mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be a good solution for some businesses, but these deals must be pursued with the highest level of attention to planning and execution. 

Many people wish to include charitable giving in their overall estate and wealth planning. The interests of the donor, the donor’s family and heirs, and the charities involved can all be furthered through the benefits of planned giving. A charitable pooled income fund (PIF) is one of several tools available for those who want to incorporate charitable gifts in their wealth planning. 

As each year comes to a close, many engaging in wealth transfer planning also want to advance causes close to heart in ways that maximize tax advantages. A reminder about charitable giving comes early in the month on Giving Tuesday, the first Tuesday after Black Friday. Giving Tuesday is a day to remember the power of charitable giving and to take action in your charitable gift planning. Using the right tools, such as charitable trusts, you can maximize the benefit for the charity and secure tax advantages for yourself, preserving wealth for future charitable giving and your heirs. As you wind up the calendar year, consider how charitable trusts may be the ideal vehicle for your purposes.

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) allow a person, family, or organization to place assets into a private fund that is administered and managed by a third party for the purpose of making charitable donations. The donor or donors maintain the authority to direct the timing and placement of distributions from the fund. This blog, the fourth in a series about charitable gift planning, will discuss the structure and benefits of DAFs and how these funds can be a part of your overall estate and wealth planning in West Virginia (WV), Kentucky (KY), Ohio (OH), and elsewhere.

Various studies over the years have placed the approximate rate of failure for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) between 70 and 90 percent, according to the Harvard Business Review. Yet businesses continue to spend trillions of dollars each year on M&A. These two statistics alone convey the weight of the potential risks and rewards of M&A transactions. Using mergers and acquisitions as a growth strategy can be highly effective, but companies must enter into these deals with an abundance of caution and, preferably, with the guidance and support of a trusted, experienced business attorney.