Kayte Henderson

Homrich Berg Onboards Wealth Advisor Emily Bentley to Elevate Family Office

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ATLANTA — April 5, 2021 — Homrich Berg (HB) continues to cultivate a deep bench of seasoned wealth management professionals with the addition of Emily Bentley. Bentley, who has spent the last 10 years with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, will play an instrumental role in growing the firm’s family office service offering.

“As we continue to grow throughout metro Atlanta and across the country, we are focused on investing in top talent to serve our clients and expand our capabilities,” says Andy Berg, CEO and co-founder of Homrich Berg. “We are excited to add Emily and her unique skill set to our family office team.”

HB President Thomas Carroll adds, “I have known Emily personally for many years, and believe she embodies our core values of providing objective, innovative, and high-touch client service.  She will help drive our strategy of using our scale and growth to attract talent and gain leverage for the benefit of our clients.”

In addition to serving clients, Bentley will help lead the strategic growth of talent and capabilities for HB’s family office services.

“I am thrilled to be joining the team at Homrich Berg with a focus on fiduciary, fee-only comprehensive wealth management services for clients,” says Bentley. “It’s an exciting time to join one of the largest independent firms in the country where I am comfortable with the family office capabilities, including its expertise in private investments.  Homrich Berg’s commitment to investing in technology and talent in order to provide a personalized client experience really attracted me to join this great team.”

During her tenure at J.P. Morgan, Bentley was responsible for delivering the firm’s investment, wealth transfer, credit and philanthropic services to high-net-worth individuals, endowments and foundations throughout the Southeast region. She also spent several years with the company serving as an investment specialist in New York overseeing the construction, implementation and oversight of client portfolios.

Previously, Bentley had spent seven years with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey’s investment banking practice, where she advised community banks and specialty finance companies on mergers and acquisitions, as well as raising debt and equity capital.

Bentley graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in economics, and received her MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Emily is an active member of Emerging Leaders for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.  An Atlanta native and Westminster graduate, she currently resides in the area with her husband Justin and two sons, Hank and James.

About Homrich Berg

Founded in 1989, Atlanta-based Homrich Berg is a national independent wealth management firm that provides fiduciary, fee-only investment management and financial planning services, serving as the leader of the financial team for our clients, including high-net-worth individuals, families, and not-for-profits. Homrich Berg manages over $9 billion for more than 2,000 family relationships nationwide.

This document is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell, or solicitation of an offer to purchase, any security, product or fund. The information does not constitute investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. Certain of the information herein is forward-looking in nature and may be subject to change. Information is as of 04.05.21 unless otherwise specified, with no obligation to update.

Kayte Henderson

Robin Aiken, CFP® Named to Forbes America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors 2021

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Congratulations to Robin Aiken, CFP® for being named to America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors, presented by Forbes. This is a true testament to her dedication to guiding successful women towards their financial goals. See Robin’s ranking here.

Please see Important Disclosure Information Regarding Awards and Recognition

Kayte Henderson

Robin Aiken, CFP® Named to Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2021

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Congratulations to Robin Aiken, CFP® for being named to the 2021 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for Atlanta high net worth.

For a complete list of the criteria used for this award, click this link.

Kayte Henderson

Andy Berg, CFP® Named to Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2021

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Congratulations to Andy Berg, CFP® for being named #1 to the 2021 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list for Atlanta high net worth.

For a complete list of the criteria used for this award, click this link.

Kayte Henderson

Andy Berg Named To Atlanta Magazine 500 Most Powerful Leaders In 2021

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ATLANTA – February 5, 2021 – Homrich Berg is pleased to announce that CEO Andy Berg was named to Atlanta Magazine 500 Most Powerful Leaders in 2021.

Andy is co-founder and chief executive officer of Homrich Berg. He founded the firm with the belief that high-net-worth individuals needed access to conflict-free financial planning and investment advice. He developed HB’s model for serving clients’ wealth management needs on a fiduciary, fee-only basis.  Andy offers his diverse clientele hands-on counsel and oversees the management and operations of the firm. Andy’s expertise spans the wealth management profession and includes financial and estate planning, taxation, and investment strategy.

About Homrich Berg

Founded in 1989, Atlanta-based Homrich Berg is a national independent wealth management firm that provides fiduciary, fee-only investment management and financial planning services, serving as the leader of the financial team for our clients including high-net-worth individuals, families, and not-for-profits. Homrich Berg manages over $6 billion for over 1800 family relationships nationwide. For more information, please visit www.HomrichBerg.com.

Kayte Henderson

Meet Kyle Glenn, Homrich Berg’s Newest Principal

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ATLANTA – 01/04/2021 – Homrich Berg (HB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kyle Glenn CFA, as the newest Principal for the firm. “Kyle is an important member of the HB leadership team,” said Andy Berg, co-founder and CEO of Homrich Berg. “My partners and I are proud to welcome him as the newest owner of HB.”

Kyle joined Homrich Berg in 2020 as Chief Operating Officer, returning after a previous stint with the firm from 2008-2013.  He leads the firm’s internal operations, helps align the firm’s talent and culture with its long-term objectives, and drives strategic initiatives to support future growth.

Prior to re-joining Homrich Berg, Kyle was a Manager in Bain & Company’s Atlanta office.  In his 5 years at Bain Kyle led teams serving clients across a wide variety of industries, with a focus on Private Equity, Consumer Products, and Technology.  His expertise includes M&A, growth strategy, organization and operating model design, and performance improvement.

Kyle received an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2015 and a BS in Management with Highest Honors from Georgia Tech in 2008.

Kayte Henderson

Homrich Berg Crosses $8 Billion AUM Mark and Will Add Sandy Springs Office Via Planned Merger With SG Financial Advisors

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ATLANTA – December 16, 2020 – Homrich Berg is pleased to announce that SG Financial Advisors has signed an agreement to join Homrich Berg, giving HB a new Sandy Springs office location and a great addition of talent and clients. Under the terms of the agreement, Sammy Grant will join HB as a Principal along with Russ Wood and two other client service professionals.  The deal is expected to close on December 31 of this year.

This event is part of the continuing growth story at HB, and a unique story of the return of Sammy and Russ to Homrich Berg where they started their career in wealth management.  SG Advisors will bring over $400 million of assets under management to HB.  Recent firm growth has resulted in Homrich Berg now managing assets of well over $8 billion for clients in 45 states before this merger. HB continues to build a strong regional firm with a leading presence in their home Atlanta market.  The firm is known for combining the scale and expertise of a large firm combined with the high touch client service of a boutique multifamily office firm.  This will be the fifth wealth management firm to join HB since 2008.

“We are thrilled to have Sammy and Russ return to HB via this merger,” stated Andy Berg, co-founder and CEO of Homrich Berg. “We have always had a great relationship with Sammy and his team, knowing that we share common core values with the same focus on serving our clients. It’s clear that this merger will be positive for our clients and employees.”

“With deep respect for those I’ve previously worked with and the culture at HB, I felt this combination ensured our clients’ experience will remain excellent while giving our team a path for continued growth,” said Sammy Grant. “Many firms are in the market seeking to acquire firms like SG Financial Advisors, but the benefits of joining HB were compelling.  I am excited to return to HB where I learned so much at the beginning of my career.  Through this partnership, we look forward to leveraging the expertise and strength of Homrich Berg to offer our clients enhanced services while continuing to guide them to their financial goals.”

About Homrich Berg

Founded in 1989, Atlanta-based Homrich Berg is a national independent wealth management firm that provides fiduciary, fee-only investment management and financial planning services, serving as the leader of the financial team for our clients including high-net-worth individuals, families, and not-for-profits. Homrich Berg manages over $8 billion for over 1800 family relationships nationwide. For more information, please visit www.HomrichBerg.com.

Kayte Henderson

Estate Planning Opportunities in 2020

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By: Todd Hall and Andy Bunch

11/18/2020

The rest of 2020, and likely most or all of 2021, could prove to be an important period of estate planning for your family.  Transferring assets to the next generation typically plays an important role in an estate plan and potential changes in the coming months could change the allowable transfer amounts or other features of current estate laws.

Current gift tax laws allow an individual to give up to $15,000 per year per recipient.  Once gifts to any individual recipient go above that amount in a given year, the excess utilizes some of your lifetime exemption.  The estate tax lifetime exemption is the amount you can transfer to the next generation without incurring gift or estate tax. You can use some or all of this exemption during life, and any amount not used will be available at death, depending on the laws at the time of death. Any amount in excess of the exemption is taxed at 40% under current law.

Unique Opportunities in Current Law: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) temporarily doubles the Estate & Gift Tax Exemption (as set out by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012) through the end of 2025.  At that point, the law is scheduled to “Sunset” and revert back to the lower limit (indexed for inflation).  In 2020, the exemption is $11.58 million per person, or $23.16 million per couple, and one could think of this amount as two parts: a basic exclusion increasing with inflation each year, and a temporary additional exclusion that is scheduled to vanish in 2026 under the current tax law.

* Amounts shown for 2021 are estimated based on 2020 available data. Amounts for years 2022 through 2026 assume a 2.13% inflation adjustment each year. Actual inflation may be different. This information is current as of 10/2020. Homrich Berg does not provide tax, accounting or legal advice, and information presented about tax considerations is for informational purposes only and not intended as tax advice. Please consult your legal or tax advisor(s).

What Could Change Next Year: Current news reports indicate that Republicans will have 50 seats in the Senate, and Democrats have 48. Both of Georgia’s Senate seats will be decided by a runoff election on January 5. If Republicans win either or both of these seats, they will retain control of the Senate. If Democrats win both seats, both parties will be tied with 50 Senators and control of the legislative calendar will likely change to the Democrats, assuming Joe Biden ultimately wins the Presidential election. This means we will either have divided government in 2021, or Democrats will have control but with no wiggle room to lose any Senate votes on legislation. Legislation is always unpredictable, and so are effective dates for any changes. Even if tax changes are passed into law during 2021, they might not apply until 2022, leaving time for additional estate planning next year.

Taking Advantage of Current Law: Families with a net worth of greater than $13 million for a married couple (or $6.5 million if single) may have an estate tax if they live to 2026 or later, and laws remain unchanged. Every additional $1.00 of growth above that level could result in another $0.40 of taxes at death. Families in this situation should talk to their advisor about whether it is advisable to make significant gifts in trust while the exemption is temporarily at the higher level.

In 2020, each individual can give $11.58 million to the next generation without gift or estate tax. If someone with a large estate were to make a gift of this amount into a trust for future generations, and current law remains unchanged, this would result estate tax savings of over $2 million* at death, and possibly significantly more depending on how much assets grow after a gift is made.

For a married couple, one spouse could give up to $11.58 million to the other spouse in a special kind of trust called a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT). This could result in significant estate tax savings and the ability of the beneficiary spouse to access the funds for life if needed.

It is important to work with an attorney who is an expert in the field of estate and trust law when implementing planning like this. It is also important to review with your financial advisor how much can or should be gifted to trust, and which assets are best to use. With that said, there are significant opportunities in current law that are currently scheduled to go away on January 1, 2026, and may go away sooner if Congress takes action before then.

For those with a net worth of more than $13 million for a married couple, or $6.5 million for a single person, we believe it is appropriate to discuss whether or not these or other strategies may be appropriate in your specific situation.

* Tax savings of $2 million are based on the assumption that a family removes $11.58 million from the taxable estate and current law remains unchanged. Assuming death occurs in 2026 when the exemption is projected to be $6.5 million, the difference between the $6.5 million exemption and the $11.58 million of gifts made in 2020 is $5,080,000. If left in the taxable estate and taxed at 40%, these assets would generate $2,032,000 in estate taxes at death in 2026.

Kayte Henderson

Addressing the 10-Year Hitch in Pretax Retirement Plans

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Kayte Henderson

Homrich Berg Celebrates 31 Years!

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ATLANTA – October 10, 2020 – 31 years ago today, Homrich Berg was founded based on a belief in fiduciary, fee-only wealth management built on core values of objectivity, teamwork, excellence, innovation, diligence, and trust.  We still believe in those values today and are proud to celebrate this anniversary with our clients and employees!

Learn more about HB history and our mission we built on a foundation of core values.