Financial Poise™ has one mission: to provide reliable plain English business, financial and legal education to individual investors, entrepreneurs, and other private business owners.

Business valuation is both a science and an art You need both your right and left brains when you set about valuing businesses, which is an endeavor that is mostly science, with a fair bit of art added in. To[...]

Buyers' End Game Affects Suitability As an owner considers a sale of a business, it is critical to identify the goals of the transaction, and match those objectives with the most suitable prospective buyer. There are many different kinds of[...]

Incidents are Perpetually, Dramatically On the Rise Data breaches are happening at an alarming pace and, just as disturbing for those trying to head them off, there is no common denominator cause. Fortunately, adopting a best-practices approach can help your[...]

Overview of the Alternative Assets Landscape [Editor’s Note:  This is the fourth installment in a series of articles dedicated to the 95% of people in the U.S. who have never invested in a startup, a venture capital fund, a private[...]

What to Consider Before Making Your Retirement Move The best advice for retirement is simple: plan early. You may have enrolled in a 401k and saved money, but knowing how to retire is more than that. Whether you want to[...]

Does Legacy Rate Higher with You, or Pure Profit? Thinking about selling your business? Is maintaining its integrity and mission more important to you than pure profit? Then an Employee Stock Ownership Plan may be something to consider. Some business[...]

We recently got to know DarcMatter - a fully transactional platform that offers transparent, institutional-level access to alternative investment opportunities, and the company's CEO, Sang Lee. Investors can source private investment opportunities in hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, and structured debt opportunities. By using technology and designed feeder funds, DarcMatter can provide a frictionless process for both investors and private issuers while remaining fully compliant with all financial regulations.

Managing Your Way Out of Trouble with Your Firm’s Bank Manager You are a small business owner and you’ve had a great relationship with your lender. In fact, your relationship manager is also a member at your country club. Everything[...]

The North Capital companies consist of a registered investment advisor (RIA), a registered broker-dealer, and a financial technology company that has developed innovative, proprietary platforms focused on transforming the accessibility, transparency, and cost structure of advisory services and private markets through the use of technology. Jim Dowd, Founder and Managing Director of the North Capital companies, has 30 years of industry experience in global financial services. Jim is leading the charge in pioneering the democratization of venture capital through offerings such as what it describes as the first online crowdfunding marketplace syndicating broker-vetted private offerings.

A Rankings Review Thanks to CB Insights, Mattermark and Preqin, it’s now easier to find top venture capital fund managers based on performance, fees and follow-on investments. The institutional alternative asset classes, such as Venture Capital and Private Equity, can[...]

IRAs Defined An Individual retirement account (IRA) is just that – an account where an individual, without the assistance of an employer (like a 401k requires), invests money that will grow over time. The purpose of this exercise is to[...]

Essential (& Some Surprising) Facts Credit Suisse’s Global Wealth Report is one of the most comprehensive analyses of the world’s wealth, and provides keen insights into the health of the global economy. We took a fresh look at the most[...]

A Conversation with Jim Poolman [Editor’s Note: Jim Poolman is Executive Director of the Indexed Annuity Leadership Council, a coalition of life insurance companies that offer fixed indexed annuities (FIAs). He outlined the benefits of this stable retirement savings vehicle[...]

Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities for Smooth Transitions In family business, a succession plan guarantees continuity. It ensures a smooth transition of leadership so that the business can carry on. Where no succession plan exists, the risk of turbulence and conflict[...]

Qualified Opportunity Investing with LIHTC Transactions There’s a lot of buzz on the subject of investment in Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds. Congressional sponsors were hopeful that this new tax benefit regime, created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of[...]

Diversification is Almost Always a Winning Strategy As noted in “When Stocks Decline, Alternative Investments May Help (Part 1),” the impact of asset allocation on volatility and returns has been widely debated, but a landmark study from the CFA Institute[...]

With Bear Market Approaching, Diversification an Attractive Option Someday you may be asked: “Where were you on March 9, 2009?” For market historians, that day marked the bottom of the Great Recession: the S&P 500 had just sunk below 700[...]

Avoid These Common Mistakes in Venture Capital The modern venture capital fund structure dates back to the 1960’s – but change is coming fast and furious! This article can help you make money in venture by conveying an insider’s tips[...]

Long-Term Care Insurance Protects You and Your Assets The biggest threat to one’s nest egg or the assets that he wishes to leave his loved ones is not necessarily a recession or tumbling stock market, but rather the debilitating march[...]

Advisory Board Roles and Responsibilities for Any Stage of Business The boards of directors of for-profit and non-profit organizations have the same fiduciary responsibilities: duty of care, duty of loyalty and duty of good faith.  While similar to fiduciary boards,[...]

Making Improvements that Will Benefit the Seller and the Buyer As you start thinking about selling your business you should also think about how you might make some improvements to the business to maximize business value to a buyer. Identify[...]

Many Moving Parts Drive a Sale As you consider selling your company, there are many different topics that, as an owner, you may need to assess. In evaluating whether to sell, an owner’s time and energy can become focused internally,[...]

To Make a Profit, Know the Do's and Don'ts Many people who consider themselves savvy investors have little or no direct experience with alternative investments, such as precious metals. The reasons for that are diverse and plentiful, but some of[...]

Don't Be a 'Ghost Member' of Your Gym It’s that time of year again. Everyone making New Year’s Resolutions to “get in shape once and for all!” It is no wonder January and the months following are a big months[...]

Thirteen Guidebooks for Building and Holding Wealth Hiring a professional to manage your investments is not akin to hiring a plumber, car mechanic, or even attorney. To hire any of these three professionals it is neither necessary nor likely that[...]

Investing in raw land is an exciting prospect, with important considerations If you’re in the market for a solid, long-term investment, raw land – undeveloped land that has not yet been improved or built upon – may be worth a[...]

New Survey Explores Investment Preferences and Generational Differences Nearly two thirds of wealthy investors now feel optimistic about the economy, according to a new survey from AMG Funds. Titled “Wealth Management Trends in America,” the survey polled 1,000 individual investors[...]

A Fresh Look at Iceland, Botswana and Chile   [Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article was first published June 9, 2015. This version has been updated with current statistics. The article’s author, Mike Brady continues to endorse these[...]

Overview of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 Editor’s Note:  This is the third installment in a series of articles dedicated to the 95% of people in the U.S. who have never invested in a startup, a venture[...]

Identifying and Managing Risks to Your Business Make It Stronger Most business owners are so busy running their business that they don't have time to think about unlikely events. How can you think about possible  "black swan" events when you are struggling[...]

Billionaire Philatelists Chase Trophy Specimens There’s been a dramatic divergence of fates in the world of stamp collecting when it comes to investment values. Billionaires still trophy hunt ultra-rare specimens, but most stamps have seen their values collapse due to dwindling[...]

2017 Tax Cut Created Incentives and Flexibility for QOZ Investment A new tax incentive that has been gaining a lot of attention recently is the Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund. Like existing tax incentives, the Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) provisions permit[...]

How to Maintain Control in Family-Controlled Businesses Unique challenges tend to arise when a family controls a business. Some questions that may emerge are: Which family member will lead the business? How will profit distributions be decided? How can a[...]

Meet Bob, Michele, David, and Isabella Editor’s Note:  this is the second installment in a series of articles dedicated to the 95% of people in the U.S. who have never invested in a startup, a venture capital fund, a private[...]

Hey Leaders, It's Listening Time... I am often asked why it is so hard for leaders to listen. One of the things that I often suggest to people as I’m beginning coaching-related conversations with them is the notion that whenever[...]

BTEP: Where Should You Start? You are a business owner. You have worked hard, possibly for decades, building your business. You are smart, and the business has been successful, but it is time to move on.  Perhaps you want to[...]

What Makes a Successful Board Member? [Editor’s Note: if you are an experienced CEO, CFO or another executive, you may be thinking about putting your hat in the ring to be a director of another company. Or, perhaps you are[...]

Here's How to Optimize Your Marketing Team One of the most important jobs for any leader is to marshal their resources to optimize performance. Whether those resources include budgets, employees, outside consultants or even your own time – knowing how[...]

How Your Family’s Mission, Vision and Values Can Make You Wealthy and Fulfilled Wealth is a means to an end – living a great life. Successful families work hard to build wealth, not for the sake of achieving some number on[...]

Editor’s Note: This is an updated version of an article first published on March 6th, 2014. Around the time the JOBS Act became law in 2012, some angel groups expressed concern that equity crowdfunding would hurt them on two counts. First,[...]

Who Is This Series For? This series of articles is written for the average “accredited investor.” An “accredited investor” is a legal term that refers to anyone (a) whose net worth, either alone or with a spouse, exceeds $1 million[...]

How Much is Clutter Actually Costing You? What if I told you that digital and physical clutter negatively impact your productivity and performance? Similar to multitasking, clutter of all types overloads your senses causing your brain and body to feel stressed[...]

The S&P 500 fell 2.3% and the Dow fell 2.2% on Friday. Is the sky falling? Look, short-term market swings do not define an economy. On the other hand, a market that constantly swings based on what a single man[...]

Is a university degree a good investment? The Economist Magazine asked this question last year and while the article concludes that statistics support the proposition that a college education generally makes good financial sense, it also concludes that, “like so much else in economics, [it] boils down to supply and demand.” In other words, a college education does not always make sense from a strictly financial perspective.

Family Businesses Need Strategies to Govern Both the Family and the Business Family businesses are unique and the way they are run differs from family to family. Each business has varying degrees of corporate governance. Formal governance structures grow as the[...]

Get Smart with the Ten Best Food Documentaries I am a sucker for a good food documentary. I love to learn more about how our food is made, how it affects our world, and how it affects our bodies. Many[...]

Conflicts between business partners are nearly inevitable. Thankfully, there are a number of ways for parties to negotiate up-front. Precautionary agreements give you space to resolve issues more easily or, at least, provide a picture of what the result will be when resolution is not possible.

A Family's Most Valuable Business Asset is Itself The component to family businesses that make them unique from other businesses is the family. Solving family business problems without understanding the family dynamic is akin to a placing a bandage on[...]

The term “venture capital” is typically associated with high-risk, high-growth potential start-ups that may sink or soar depending on a number of external factors. Any investment in a start-up, however, can be called a venture capital investment, though a common hallmark of venture capital investors is that with their investment they obtain some level of influence over the company in which they invest.

How Accelerators Can Help Your Business Grow Startups need money to, well, startup. In order to get money, fundraising is a likely path that most startups will travel. There are many different funding sources available, and the usefulness of each[...]

The A to Z’s of Carveout Guaranties When utilizing a loan to acquire an investment property, there are two basic types available to the buyer: recourse and non-recourse. Regardless of the type of loan, the borrower may be asked to[...]

The legality of investing in life settlements* (also referred to as a "life settlement") traces back to a 1911 Supreme Court decision, Grigsby vs. Russell, 222 U.S. 149. In Grigsby, a life insurance company refused to pay out the death benefit proceeds on the grounds that the policy had previously been sold to a third party who had no insurable interest in the insured.

So You're Selling a Business: Now What? For most business owners, selling a business is a once-in-a-lifetime event. These owners want to maximize their proceeds and they may be super salespeople, but likely have little experience selling a business. In fact,[...]

Agriculture, as an investment sector, is in its infancy. Even though agriculture accounts for 3% of global economic activity, related public markets are still severely under-developed. In addition, the sector has recently been out-of-favor; so many investors are either ignoring or overlooking its longer-term potential.

A Company Is Only as Good as Its Worst Behavior What is the worst behavior that your company’s leadership will tolerate? Think about it for a minute. That behavior, particularly if it is repeatedly tolerated, defines your organizational culture. There[...]

How to Move on Quickly and Successfully We have all experienced failure in our professional lives. And while no one enjoys opening old wounds, it is important to examine our failures so we can learn from them. In the workplace[...]

The market for online alternative investments has been growing at a steady pace the past few years. Issuers of private placements have realized that they have the opportunity to reach a larger number of accredited investors by using third-party internet platforms. As an investor, it is important to know what distinguishes each type of platform out there, and what to watch out for when considering an online alternative investment.

Let’s Make this (Customer) Relationship Work The customer relationship is one of the most important relationships a business will have. As companies grow, expanding their customer base, their sales and marketing activities can become vastly more complicated. Companies that have[...]

Weekly Meal Planning for a Healthier You and a Happier Bank Account Being fit and healthy impacts more than just clothing size. Research has shown that employees with a healthy BMI earn more money over the course of their career[...]

An introduction to Employer Site Visits It is nearly impossible to imagine the modern U.S. workplace without foreign nationals. Companies across the nation, in a wide variety of industries, rely on their specialized knowledge and invaluable professional experience to remain[...]