We began working with this professional family in the early 1980s, when the clients were focused on building a successful medical practice and raising their five children – one of whom required lifelong care due to special needs. From the beginning, planning centered on disciplined saving, tax‑aware investing, and strategies designed to preserve the family’s future.

Over the following decades, the family’s wealth grew steadily through consistent investing, thoughtful gifting strategies, and the successful expansion of the practice. As complexity increased, we helped implement a Special Needs Trust, coordinated estate and trust structures to help mitigate taxes and provide clarity at each spouse’s passing, and later established a Family Limited Partnership to support efficient long‑term wealth transfer.

By the time assets transitioned to the next generation, the family’s combined net worth had grown to over $100 million, with each adult child already financially established. We partnered with Stifel Trust to provide professional trust and executorship services, easing the administrative burden during a time of loss and allowing the family to focus on grieving and supporting one another.

Today, our work continues with the next generation – helping them simplify inherited assets, manage highly appreciated investments, improve tax efficiency through diversification and direct indexing, and create personalized plans for their own families.

This long‑term relationship reflects how thoughtful planning – done early and refined over time – can support families across generations.

A successful business owner came to us with strong income, substantial assets, and a consistent history of charitable giving – but without a coordinated strategy tying everything together.

Investments were spread across multiple platforms due to years of financial advisor and custodial changes. Portfolios overlapped, fixed income was primarily held in taxable accounts, and charitable gifts were made annually in cash. While the intent was clear and generous, the structure was inefficient and left meaningful tax opportunities on the table.

We helped them simplify and align their investment structure, clarifying the role of each account while seeking to improve overall tax efficiency. As part of this process, we introduced a donor‑advised fund and guided the client to fund it using appreciated stock rather than cash. This in turn reduced capital gains taxes, provided a full charitable deduction, and created flexibility to support charities over time instead of year by year.

We also guided the client to incorporate the donor‑advised fund as a catch‑all charitable beneficiary within their overall estate planning strategy, ensuring that charitable goals are fulfilled in a simple and tax‑efficient manner, regardless of future changes.

The result was a more intentional, coordinated system – one that reduced complexity, improved after‑tax outcomes, and aligned the client’s wealth with their philanthropic efforts  and long‑term goals.


Stifel does not provide legal or tax advice. You should consult with your legal and tax advisors regarding your particular situation.

Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against loss.

Trust and fiduciary services are provided by Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. (collectively Stifel Trust Companies), wholly owned subsidiaries of Stifel Financial Corp. and affiliates of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Member SIPC & NYSE. Unless otherwise specified, products purchased from or held by Stifel Trust Companies are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not deposits or other obligations of Stifel Trust Companies, are not guaranteed by Stifel Trust Companies, and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested. Neither Stifel Trust Companies nor affiliated companies provide legal or tax advice.