estate planning Archives - Business RadioX ®

Dylan Wilbanks with Wilbanks Law Firm

September 6, 2025 by Tom Sheldon

Northeast Georgia Business Radio

Dylan Wilbanks with Wilbanks Law Firm

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Dylan Wilbanks

Life can take sudden turns, and legal challenges often arise when least expected. The Wilbanks Law Firm, based in Commerce, Georgia, provides trusted guidance in probate matters, estate planning, contract disputes, real estate transactions, and judgment collections. The firm’s team is equipped to respond quickly, offering direct and clear answers to clients’ questions and delivering practical solutions tailored to their needs.

Recognizing that not everyone has the same level of experience with the law, Wilbanks Law Firm places a strong emphasis on listening first. The attorneys take the time to understand each client’s unique situation before offering advice or developing a strategy. Their approach focuses on efficiency and clarity, ensuring that clients avoid unnecessary steps and expenses. With a commitment to prioritizing clients’ best interests above all else, Wilbanks Law Firm works to provide results-driven solutions with integrity and professionalism.

Our Community Partner for this episode of Northeast Georgia Business Radio is Bottom Line Tax Solutions. A giant thank you for their support!

Leave a Legacy, Not a Logjam, with Rachel Donnelly, Author of Late To Your Own Funeral

March 18, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Leave a Legacy, Not a Logjam, with Rachel Donnelly, Author of Late To Your Own Funeral

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Leave a Legacy, Not a Logjam, with Rachel Donnelly, Author of Late To Your Own Funeral (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 854)

In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray interviews Rachel Donnelly, founder of AfterLight and author of Late to Your Own Funeral: How to Leave a Legacy and Not a Log Jam. Rachel shares her personal journey that led her to establish AfterLight, a company dedicated to helping overwhelmed executors manage post-death logistics. She discusses the challenges of estate administration, the importance of strategic estate planning, and provides valuable insights and anecdotes from her work. Rachel’s new book aims to educate and guide people through the often-overlooked complexities of end-of-life planning with a touch of humor. Listeners will gain a more profound understanding of the necessity of preparing for the administrative side of death and the benefits of leaving a well-organized legacy.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Rachel Donnelly, Author

Rachel Donnelly is the author of Late To Your Own Funeral and founder and CEO of AfterLight. Her mission is simple: to help the living deal with dying.

She created AfterLight to help clients navigate the administrative maze of estate settlement and legacy planning after experiencing the overwhelming process herself, serving as executor for both her mother’s and uncle’s estates while working full-time and raising two children.

Prior to founding AfterLight, she worked in development for institutions including Emory University, Georgia Tech, and the Shepherd Center Foundation.

A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Donnelly lives in Decatur with her husband and two children.

Connect with Rachel and AfterLight: Rachel’s LinkedIn |Website | Instagram | Facebook

Late To Your Own Funeral, by Rachel Donnelly

The only aspect of life more certain than death? The bureaucratic nightmare that accompanies it. In Late To Your Own Funeral, Rachel Donnelly offers an effective and entertaining guide out of estate settlement purgatory.

“Rachel’s irreverent humor and no-nonsense guidance make legacy planning not just manageable but oddly enjoyable.” – Matt Paxton, author of Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff and television host of Hoarders

Approximately 70% of Americans lack an estate plan, which leaves their loved ones grappling with a complex array of administrative challenges during their most difficult times. From planning funeral arrangements to the seemingly impossible task of canceling cable service, the logistics of loss often compound grief in unexpected ways.

After losing several family members in quick succession, Rachel realized that navigating grief is hard enough without the added burden of managing an estate. What mourners need most, she learned, isn’t another casserole, but a guide through death’s bureaucracy. Now, as an after-loss and legacy planning consultant, she serves as a “wedding coordinator—but for death,” helping others navigate the administrative maze of estate settlement.

Through a blend of practical insight and unflinching honesty, Rachel offers a roadmap for both the living and those thrust into the role of executor. Late To Your Own Funeral helps readers face the conversations everyone else avoids, giving loved ones an invaluable gift: the ability to mourn without drowning in paperwork.

Amazon

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
00:49 Meet Rachel Donnelly: Author and Entrepreneur
02:51 The Inspiration Behind Afterlight
04:31 Challenges of Being an Executor
06:58 The Importance of Estate Planning
20:36 Digital Age Complications
23:57 Humorous Insights and Personal Stories
28:03 Success Stories and Client Experiences
31:28 Conclusion and Contact Information

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 850 shows and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors — **John Ray, host of *North Fulton Business Radio*, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors**

The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.

Understanding Estate Planning, with Amina Bakari-Green, ABG Legal

September 3, 2024 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Understanding Estate Planning, with Amina Bakari-Green, ABG Legal

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Understanding Estate Planning, with Amina Bakari-Green, ABG Legal (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 800)

In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Amina Bakari-Green, founder of ABG Legal. Amina discusses the importance of estate planning and probate services, addressing common misconceptions about wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. She shares her legal journey, starting as a prosecutor and now specializing in estate planning. Focusing on personal service and streamlined processes, Amina highlights the critical need for advance planning to avoid complications in probate court. She also provides practical advice for individuals of all ages and stages of life to ensure their assets and loved ones are protected. The conversation emphasizes the simplicity and necessity of effective estate planning, urging listeners to act before it’s too late.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced by the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Amina Bakari-Greeen, ABG Legal, LLC

Amina Bakari-Green grew up in Richmond, VA. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Hampton University in Hampton, VA, in 2010. She moved to Georgia and earned her J.D. from the University of Georgia in 2013.

Amina began her legal career as a prosecutor, serving in the Gwinnett Solicitor’s Office from 2013 to 2019. She then served in the Gwinnett District Attorney’s Office from 2019 to 2021.

She went on to do civil practice for a few years, and finally found a home in estate planning and probate law. Through this work, she has seen firsthand the benefits of proper estate planning and the difficulty navigating the tedious probate process without it.

In 2020, Amina and her husband welcomed their first child. Since then, she has tailored her work to advocacy for generational wealth building and teaching financial literacy and asset protection throughout her community.

LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message
01:25 Guest Introduction: Amina Bakari-Green
01:35 Amina’s Legal Journey
03:00 Estate Planning and Probate Services
05:00 Importance of Wills and Trusts
13:27 Power of Attorney Explained
18:08 Addressing Late Estate Planning
22:39 Client Success Stories
23:42 Conclusion and Contact Information
24:39 Closing Remarks and Additional Information

Renasant Bank and Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant support North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Casa Nuova is a proud family-owned and operated restaurant, serving classic, authentic and traditional Italian cuisine and top tier hospitality since 1998.

Casa Nuova is a cook-to-order kitchen, serving traditional fare including pasta, chicken, seafood, veal, vegetarian and gluten-free options, plus daily specials. They are a farm-to-table establishment, meaning that in the summertime, they cultivate their own vegetables in their garden, steps away from the restaurant, including tomatoes, corn, peppers, zucchini, sunflowers and more!

Celebrating more than 25 years, Casa Nuova has become a true staple in the Alpharetta area, serving more than three generations of families, including friends old and new, visiting near and far from all over the metro Atlanta area and beyond.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 790 shows and having featured over 1,200 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show welcomes a wide variety of business, non-profit, and community leaders to get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.

John Ray, Business RadioX - North Fulton, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors — **John Ray, Business RadioX – North Fulton, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors**

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.

Understanding The Importance of Regular Business Valuations, with David Hern, Sofer Advisors

January 3, 2024 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Understanding The Importance of Regular Business Valuations, with David Hern, Sofer Advisors

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Understanding The Importance of Regular Business Valuations, with David Hern, Sofer Advisors (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 736)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray talked with David Hern, CEO at Sofer Advisors. David highlighted the importance of regular business valuations and shared why it’s a key metric that businesses should track. He also talked about how valuations are tied to both tangible and intangible assets, as well as the significant role valuations play in strategic decision-making. David shared anecdotes from his career and explained how company valuations help in disputes or potential mergers. He also discussed how his firm helps businesses understand and evaluate their own worth.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

David Hern, CEO, Sofer Advisors

David Hern is the founder and chief executive officer of Sofer® Advisors, LLC, focusing on business advisory services related to litigation assistance, estate and tax planning, and business enterprise valuations for various privately held and public companies.

He is a qualified financial analyst with a proven ability to simply and clearly communicate analysis to boards of directors, presidents and CEOs, CFOs, controllers, and private equity portfolio managers.

Mr. Hern has been recognized for enabling organizations to determine their enterprise and equity value for a variety of situations, including strategic planning, sale or IPO, mergers and acquisitions, financial reporting (common stock, stock option grants, purchase price allocations, impairment analyses, etc.), and tax compliance (estate & gift, 409A, NUBIG). Industry experience includes, but is not limited to, professional services, business services, healthcare, information technology, financial services, and manufacturing and distribution.

Sofer Advisors

Sofer^® Advisors was created in 2019, but their experience with valuation goes back over a decade. Their CEO, David Hern, has worked in the business valuation field at both boutique advisory firms and large international financial services companies.

While at these firms, David recognized the need for a boutique financial advisory firm in the Atlanta area to serve the business valuation needs of small- and medium-sized businesses.

These businesses have unique needs that require an advisor who can both empathize and have the agility to deliver prompt insights. Sofer® Advisors was formed to fill this void while providing high-quality business valuations to the lower and middle markets.

Since its inception, Sofer® Advisors has quickly added associates to help with the growing business. The firm specializes in providing a neutral third-party valuation of closely held businesses. The valuation and its insights will give the business owner the confidence they need when contemplating a material but uncertain financial decision.

After determining a company’s value, they communicate that information to the relevant stakeholders, including company management, the board of directors, shareholders, and financial or legal advisors.

This process involves more than just providing accurate numerical valuations. They put numbers into proper perspective, giving you key insights when making critical business decisions.

Their “Heart of a Teacher” approach is designed to help you understand the data we provide and how to use these insights to immediately benefit your organization.

Valuation services are applicable in many situations where business value may be uncertain and critical. These situations include litigation assistance, estate and gift tax planning, financial and tax reporting, and other contexts for public and private companies.

Website | LinkedIn | YouTube

Topics in this Interview

00:04 Introduction
01:20 Welcoming Guest: David Hearn, CEO of Sofer Advisors
01:33 Understanding Sofer Advisors and Their Services
02:21 David’s Journey and Passion for Business Valuation
09:40 The Importance of Business Valuation in Different Contexts
20:09 The Role of Intangible Assets in Business Valuation
27:50 Success Stories and Impact of Regular Valuations
30:53 Connecting with Sofer Advisors
32:00 Closing Remarks and Show Wrap-up

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

RenasantBank

Tax Strategy and Tax Credits, with Greg Silberman, S.J. Gorowitz Accounting & Tax Services

August 14, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Tax Strategy and Tax Credits, with Greg Silberman, S.J. Gorowitz Accounting & Tax Services

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 692)

Greg Silberman, Managing Director of S.J. Gorowitz Accounting & Tax Services, joined host John Ray to talk about his company’s unique approach to business consultancy, their ability to offer consolidated tax strategy, filing, and CFO services, renewable energy tax credits, some estate planning tips, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

S.J. Gorowitz Accounting & Tax Services

S.J. Gorowitz Accounting & Tax Services is a boutique CPA firm that supports expanding and emerging businesses and their owners with a consultative, inclusive approach to accounting, business advisory, tax, trust, and estate services. They work one-on-one with clients to produce accurate financials, minimize taxes and ensure compliance. Their tailored accounting solutions and financially focused business consulting spans industries including manufacturing, professional services, real estate and technology.

The company is guided by the highest standards of integrity, authority, and commitment to client service excellence. Clients trust them for reliable knowledge that considers industry nuances, the economic climate, and their unique business goals.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

**Gregory Silberman, Managing Director, S.J. Gorowitz Accounting & Tax Services**

A seasoned Certified Public Accountant with extensive knowledge of accounting, tax planning and preparation, investments, private equity and M&A, Gregory Silberman leverages his international expertise in the exclusive service of high-net-worth individuals and growing small businesses. He brings more than 20 years of global financial experience in Europe, Asia, and North America to the position.

Silberman developed an overarching commitment to quality service during his diversified career which included stints in public accounting at Grant Thornton (Johannesburg, SA); derivative accounting for JPMorgan Chase & Company (London, UK); and management consulting with Atlanta Gas Light and NASCO (Atlanta, Ga, USA).

Nearly a decade ago, he established CJ Tag LLC to provide complex accounting, tax, and business services to high-net-worth individuals. Additionally, the firm offered fractional CFO services and investment guidance to corporate clients in a wide range of industries and markets.

Previously Silberman was the Chief Investment Officer at ACG Investment Management. He was responsible for managing the firm’s private equity, hedge fund and real assets investment portfolio.

Prior to joining ACG Investment Management, Greg served as Director of Alternative Investments at Wilmington Trust. He was responsible for managing more than $2 billion in private equity, hedge fund, and real estate assets, and was instrumental in the launch of a successful alternative mutual fund. Silberman also managed more than $80 billion as a member of the research team. He was a portfolio manager, analyst, and product developer for Perpetual Investments in Sydney and JP Morgan Chase in London with a focus on structured derivative products.

Silberman earned a Bachelor of Accounting from the University of Witwatersrand and subsequently passed the South African Accountant’s and Auditor’s Board Exam, the Australian Chartered Accountant’s Exam and the Uniform CPA Examination. In addition, Silberman is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®).

When not spending time with his three daughters, Greg follows UFC and is always ready to cheer for the Springboks Rugby team.

Affiliations and Associations:
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Georgia Society of CPAs
Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Institute
CFA Institute and CFA Society of Atlanta
Kaplan Schweser, CFA review course
South African Institute of Chartered Accountants

Boards/Committees:
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Investment Committee (former chairman)
Solomon Schechter Epstein School, Investment and Finance Committee (former member)
Ariel Synagogue (former treasurer)

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Services Provided

What services does SJG offer? How do you cater to the needs of your clients?
How does your firm help clients navigate through the complexities of tax preparation and planning?
Beyond tax-related services, what other financial areas does your CPA firm specialize in? Could you elaborate on financial consulting or advisory services you provide?
As technology advances, how has your firm embraced digital solutions for services like bookkeeping and financial reporting?

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

Could you give our listeners a clear picture of what renewable energy entails and why it’s gaining so much attention?
How do these incentives work, and what benefits do businesses stand to gain?
- The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 offers tax incentives for businesses to adopt renewable energy.
Could you share examples of how different businesses are integrating renewable energy into their operations?
Beyond the financial incentives, how does embracing renewable energy contribute to environmental sustainability?
While the incentives are promising, are there any challenges businesses might face when transitioning to renewable energy?
What advice would you give to businesses that are considering adopting renewable energy but are unsure where to start?

Estate Planning

Can you explain the concept of portability and how it can be utilized in estate planning?
Could you elaborate on the increase in the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption for 2023?
Could you explain the concept of the annual gift tax exclusion and what it means for taxpayers?
What happens if someone decides to gift more than the annual exclusion amount to an individual recipient?

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Since 2000, Office Angels® has been restoring joy to the life of small business owners, enabling them to focus on what they do best. At the same time, we honor and support at-home experts who wish to continue working on an as-needed basis. Not a temp firm or a placement service, Office Angels matches a business owner’s support needs with Angels who have the talent and experience necessary to handle work that is essential to creating and maintaining a successful small business. Need help with administrative tasks, bookkeeping, marketing, presentations, workshops, speaking engagements, and more? Visit us at https://officeangels.us/.

Pre-Retirement Planning for Business Owners, with Tony Van Gelder, Van Gelder Financial

August 8, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Pre-Retirement Planning for Business Owners, with Tony Van Gelder, Van Gelder Financial

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 690)

Tony Van Gelder, a Certified Financial Planner and Owner of Van Gelder Financial, joined the show to talk about his career journey, becoming a financial planner, how to choose a financial planner, the value of having an advisor younger than you, how pre-retirement business owners should be planning, and more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

It’s Van Gelder Financial’s belief that a Financial Plan is really a Life Plan. While there are the technical aspects, a properly built plan should:

Help to articulate the “why” behind your plan
Clearly identify your personal and financial goals and how to achieve them
Establish clear action steps to accomplish the desired outcome
Be written and explained in an easy-to-understand way
Evolve into a living document; not something that gathers dust on the shelf.

They manage the investment of your assets according to your current financial situation, future goals, and risk tolerance level. In saying that, they firmly believe in the power of consistency and do not employ market timing or specific stock selection methods but encourage longer term strategies with periodic reviews and adjustments.

They will work with you to determine the optimal asset allocation based on your unique needs. As independent financial advisors they are not motivated by sales targets or commissions which means they will put your interests above anything else. Once an initial plan is crafted and underway, the investments are consistently monitored to ensure they not only meet your needs, but also adapt to the changing financial landscape.

Van Gelder supports families and individuals who want to help plan for their child’s or loved one’s college education. They can help with the decision on which investment and savings vehicle is right for your situation, maximize the tax efficiency, and then put a plan in place to help ensure the money is there when you need it. Alternatively, if you are on the other side of college and currently dealing with student loans, they help to determine your goals and then implement the right repayment strategy that considers your specific situation and circumstance.

Estate planning is not just for the super-rich, but instead something everyone should consider. It’s about ensuring that when something happens to you, the ones you care about won’t have to guess about desired outcomes. Estate Planning gives family members the freedom to grieve and the comfort of knowing they’re honoring your wishes. Having a plan for your estate means you can continue to help your loved ones reach goals you set together, even after you are gone. They help clients look after their investments including insurance policies, savings accounts, and overall goals, to create a plan designed to set yourself and family up for financial success.

Website | Facebook

**Tony Van Gelder, CFP, Owner, Van Gelder Financial**

Tony has always had a passion for personal finance and spent the first 10 years of his professional career within corporate finance for the medical industry. His career path gave him the opportunity to work in America, Asia, and Australia where he gained valuable experience in understanding how finance impacts various cultures and the international business community.

Tony is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and holds Series 7 and 66 securities designations. Tony also maintains his life insurance license across various states. He graduated with a B.S. in Finance and Operations Management from Indiana University and received his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Tony, along with his wife and two sons currently live in Milton where he is now the owner and lead advisor for Van Gelder Financial.

In his spare time Tony enjoys golfing, reading, and teaching his boys the love of sports.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

What is your background and how did you get into Financial Planning?
What makes you different than any other Financial Advisor?
What do you say to people who might want to work with an Advisor who is closer to them in age/experience?
With robo advisors, Chat GPT, and other technology advances, do you see the value of a Financial Advisor diminishing?
What do you do outside of work? Hobbies?

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Adam Hicks – Lanier Law Group

June 12, 2023 by Rose

North Georgia Business Radio

Adam Hicks - Lanier Law Group

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Death and Taxes. The two certainties of life. Maybe not.

Everyone’s heard the old saw — there are only two certainties in life — Death and Taxes. Our special guest today, Adam Hicks, Founder and Attorney @ Lanier Law Group, is challenging that statement. With good reason, too!

It’s certain that one day 100% of everything you own will be owned by somebody else.

Have you taken the steps you need to take to make sure that the transition of ownership is going to happen the way you want it to, or is that an uncertainty in your life?

Can you confidently answer the following questions?

What do I own?
How do I own it?
Who do I want to own it next?
How do I want that asset to transfer?

Adam and host Phil Bonelli are chatting about Estate Planning, why it’s important for everyone – especially when it comes to transferring business ownership and assets after the owner has passed, the importance of educating clients, and so much more.

Richard Morgan, Morgan and DiSalvo, PC

April 26, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Richard Morgan, Morgan and DiSalvo, PC

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 656)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, Richard Morgan, Partner with Morgan & DiSalvo, joined host John Ray to discuss his estate planning practice. Richard talked about the unique estate planning issues blended families confront, what questions spouses of blended families and couples without children need to discuss to begin the planning process, how assets are passed upon the death of the first spouse, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Morgan & DisSalvo, PC is a boutique law firm (four attorneys, one counsel attorney, and two paralegals) that focuses on providing top-quality, personalized service to people who need help in the areas of estate planning (including Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advanced directives for health care), estate and gift tax planning, estate administration and probate, trust administration, estate and trust dispute resolution, elder and disability-related issues, and business succession planning.

Morgan & DiSalvo also assist with tax controversies, income, employment, estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. They are located in Alpharetta, which is convenient for nearly all parts of metro Atlanta.

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

**Richard Morgan, Partner, Morgan & DiSalvo**

Richard M. Morgan has been practicing law in Georgia since 1987. Richard founded the award-winning Alpharetta law firm of Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C. in 1995 to help individuals and families plan and prepare for the many changes that life brings. Morgan & DiSalvo is recognized as a U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers.com “Best Law Firm” since 2013. Morgan & DiSalvo received the highest “Tier 1” rating in Trusts and Estates Law, a distinction held by only 23 law firms in Georgia.

Richard prides himself on bringing peace of mind to individuals and families by helping them prepare for significant life events. Richard specializes in finding creative solutions for clients in the areas of estate & tax planning, estate & trust dispute resolution, business succession planning, planning for special needs beneficiaries, charitable gift planning, and tax controversies.

Richard’s work is differentiated by his level of service and attention to detail. His technical and analytical capabilities and problem-solving approach are unique among attorneys. A leader in his field, Richard is past president of the Taxation Sections of both the Georgia and Atlanta Bar Associations, the Estate Planning & Probate Section of the Atlanta Bar Association, the North Georgia Estate Planning Council, and the Georgia Planned Giving Council. Richard serves on the Executive, Legislative, and Georgia Trust Code Revision committees of the Fiduciary law section of the Georgia Bar Association. Richard also serves on a 2 member sub-committee of the Fiduciary Law Section to propose a Technical Corrections Bill to improve the 2017 Georgia Uniform Power of Attorney Act.

In 2014, Richard was elected as a Fellow in The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). This is the most prestigious group of Trusts and Estates attorneys in the country, with only 59 Fellows in the State of Georgia. ACTEC membership is only offered to those who have provided substantial contributions to the field of trusts and estates law. Richard has used his charitable gift-planning expertise over the years by serving as the chairman or member of professional advisory committees of several large Atlanta organizations including the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Jewish Family & Career Services, the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, and YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta.

Richard received his B.B.A. in Accounting, cum laude, and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the University of Georgia. He received his LL.M. in Taxation from Emory University. Richard is a frequent speaker on estate and tax planning, charitable gift planning, and other tax-related topics.

Richard loves life and all that it has to offer, but his greatest accomplishments have all been related to his wonderful and loving family, including his incredible wife and three children, and of course, now two Goldendoodles.

What questions do the spouses of blended families and couples without children, need to discuss to begin planning their estate?
To whom and how are assets passed upon the death of the first spouse?
How are remaining assets passed after the surviving spouse’s death?
How do you determine the primary planning document needed – will or revocable living trust?
What are the viable options to benefit both the surviving spouse and other desired beneficiaries?

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Tuff Yen, Seraph Group

February 21, 2023 by John Ray

Business Beat

Tuff Yen, Seraph Group

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Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat: Tuff Yen, Seraph Group

Tuff Yen, Founder and Managing Partner of Seraph Group, joined this edition of Business Beat to discuss his venture capital investment firm and their work. In a discussion with Frazier & Deeter’s Roger Lusby and Matt Foster, Tuff talked about Seraph Group and its mission, his move to Milton from the Bay Area, how Seraph is investing locally, trends he’s seeing, what Seraph is looking for in investments, how investors can get involved, and much more.

Business Beat is presented by Alpharetta CPA firm Frazier & Deeter and is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®

Seraph Group

Unlike a traditional venture fund, Structured Angel Fund offers a 20+ portfolio of seed and pre-seed stage investment into high-risk/high return technology startups. Investors not only gain a diversified portfolio, but also have the opportunity to co-invest on a deal by deal basis above his managed portfolio. This two-prong approach provided investors with a managed fund by the General Partner and a self-directed investment portfolio by investors.

SAF is popular with C-level executives and entrepreneurs. For the busy individuals whose time is limited, the managed portfolio is not only a low-cost way of investing in startup, but a more efficient acquisition of diversification. For individuals who have strong domain knowledge and operating experience, SAF offers investors the opportunity to work with startups first-hand.

Seraph Group’s approach to angel investment addresses and solves many challenges experienced by localized angel organizations. Their national reach for deal flow, 400+ domain experts, professionally managed process and 19 years history of success established the company as the premier professional organization in the United States.

Seraph Research Foundation was founded to help the local community build a successful capital source for startups based on almost two decades of learnings from personally invested in 130+ companies. As technology continues to play a significant role in the economy, and many accelerators and incubators graduate companies, the growth of risk capital has not caught up with the demand.

Few communities or organizations have experience in organizing angel investment groups. Seraph Research Foundation will assist local communities in a public private partnership to help educate, train, organize and manage an angel investment group, a vital component of keeping promising companies local, translating into economic growth, job creation and tax revenues.

Seraph Research Foundation has established local angel investment groups in Austin Texas and Lubbock Texas.

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Tuff Yen, Founder and Managing Partner, Seraph Group

Tuff Yen is the founder Seraph Research Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the education and training of angel investors and working with the local community to establish angel/seed investment organization to help the public and private effort on growing the economy. He is also the founder of Seraph Milton, a north Fulton Georgia based angel investment group.

Mr. Yen is also the founder of Seraph Group, an investment firm that brings together successful individuals to create wealth through ownership of private enterprises. Seraph Group was founded in 2004 and is now the largest, and only global angel investment fund group that specializes in backing high-tech startups.

Mr. Yen started his career in the biotechnology industry with a degree in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of California Berkeley. He worked at Genentech and Amgen, two leading biotechnology companies in northern and southern California. After graduating from the Yale School of Management in New Haven Connecticut, Mr. Yen began his venture capital career at Chemical Venture Partner, the private equity and venture capital arm of Chemical Bank, then managing $8 Billion in New York City. Chemical Bank later merged with Chase Manhattan Bank and then JPMorgan Bank, and the group became JPMorgan Partners which then managed close to $20 Billion. Mr. Yen subsequently joined a Hambrecht & Quist’s affiliated $1.6billion fund in San Francisco.

With an extensive venture capital background on both coasts, Mr. Yen saw an opportunity to deliver a new investment platform for accredited investors and launched Seraph Group in 2004. He introduced Structured Angel Fund™, a venture capital fund designed specifically for angel investors and family offices to gain access to a diversified portfolio of seed stage startups and with the right to co-invest on a deal-by-deal basis. This GP-managed and LP-curated fund attracted close to 400 investors from 120+ cities in north America, Europe and Asia, many of them Fortune 500 C-level executives, entrepreneurs, technologists, innovators, investment and operating professionals.

Mr. Yen led Seraph Group and invested north of $120 million into 130+ companies. He reviewed between 300 and 400 investment proposals each year and was responsible for all aspects of an investment, from sourcing, investigating, conducting due diligence, and structuring. Mr. Yen has gained experience in investing in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, entertainment, publishing, information technology, Internet, enterprise software, cybersecurity, aerospace, medical and life sciences.

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Frazier & Deeter

The Alpharetta office of Frazier & Deeter is home to a thriving CPA tax practice, a growing advisory practice and an Employee Benefit Plan Services group. CPAs and advisors in the Frazier & Deeter Alpharetta office serve clients across North Georgia and around the country with services such as personal tax planning, estate planning, business tax planning, business tax compliance, state and local tax planning, financial statement reviews, financial statement audits, employee benefit plan audits, internal audit outsourcing, cyber security, data privacy, SOX and other regulatory compliance, mergers, and acquisitions and more. Alpharetta CPAs serve clients ranging from business owners and executives to large corporations.

Roger Lusby, host of Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat, is an Alpharetta CPA and Alpharetta Office Managing Partner for Frazier & Deeter. He is also a member of the Tax Department in charge of coordinating tax and accounting services for our clientele. His responsibilities include a review of a variety of tax returns with an emphasis in the individual, estate, and corporate areas. Client assistance is also provided in the areas of financial planning, executive compensation and stock option planning, estate and succession planning, international planning (FBAR, SFOP), health care, real estate, manufacturing, technology, and service companies.

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