Strategic Planning for Business Owners

Captive Insurance Companies – Turning Risk Into Wealth

Most business owners think of insurance as a necessary expense—premiums paid year after year with little thought beyond basic protection. But what if insurance could become a powerful strategic asset for your business and your personal wealth? In this episode of Strategic Planning for Business Owners, host Steven Young explores one of the most sophisticated—and least understood—strategies available to privately held companies: captive insurance companies. Captives have been used by large corporations for decades to manage risk, control insurance costs, and retain underwriting profits. Today, this strategy is increasingly available to successful middle-market business owners. When structured properly, captive insurance companies can allow businesses to insure specialized risks, accumulate substantial financial reserves, and potentially benefit from significant tax efficiency. If you are a business owner, entrepreneur, or advisor who works with privately held companies, this episode will introduce you to a strategic planning tool that has the potential to transform insurance from a recurring expense into a long-term financial asset. In the next episode, Steven will explain how captive insurance companies are actually established, the professionals involved in structuring and operating them, and the ongoing governance required to manage a captive successfully.

Long Term Care Planning

In this crucial episode of Strategic Planning for Business Owners, host Steven Young tackles a topic that affects nearly everyone, regardless of whether you own a business or not: long-term care planning. Drawing from comprehensive research by UBS's Chief Investment Office, Steven reveals a sobering statistic—approximately 85% of couples will use at least one long-term care service before they pass away. Yet most people either underestimate the likelihood they'll need care or catastrophize the potential costs based on worst-case scenarios. Steven cuts through the confusion to provide real numbers, real probabilities, and practical strategies you can implement now to protect your retirement and your legacy. Discover why long-term care expenses can derail even the most carefully crafted financial plans, with analysis showing that 30% of otherwise-successful retirement plans for $1 million households fail when long-term care costs are included. Steven breaks down the three main types of long-term care—home health aides, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes—and explains why the median couple will face approximately $323,000 in lifetime expenses, while 37% of families will exceed $500,000 and nearly one in five will surpass $1 million. Learn about the pros and cons of traditional long-term care insurance, hybrid policies, and self-funding strategies, and how to evaluate which approach makes sense for your unique situation. Whether you're a business owner planning your exit strategy or simply planning for a secure retirement, this episode provides the framework you need to make informed decisions about one of retirement's biggest uncertainties. Steven concludes with actionable next steps and explains how proper long-term care planning integrates with holistic financial planning to give you confidence in your retirement strategy. For a copy of the full UBS report discussed in this episode, email Steven directly.

Estate Strategies for Business Owners - Securing Your Business Legacy

As a business owner, your company likely represents the majority of your wealth—often 70-90% of your net worth. Yet many owners focus solely on growing their business while overlooking the critical importance of comprehensive estate planning. In this episode, Steven Young, Senior Vice President at UBS Wealth Management and senior member of the Business Transition Consultants team, explores the unique challenges business owners face when planning for the future. Discover why estate planning for business owners goes far beyond traditional wealth transfer. Steven walks you through essential topics including business succession strategies, buy-sell agreements, tax-efficient transfers, valuation considerations, and creating liquidity for estate obligations. Learn how to balance fair treatment among heirs when not all family members are involved in the business, and why incapacity planning is just as critical as planning for death. Whether you're considering passing your business to the next generation, transitioning to key employees, or planning an eventual sale, this episode provides actionable insights to help you protect your life's work and provide for your family's future. Don't let poor planning destroy the value you've spent decades building.

Cash Balance Plans: A Powerful Wealth-Building Tool for Business Owners

Discover how cash balance plans can revolutionize your retirement strategy as a business owner. In this comprehensive episode, UBS Senior Vice President Steve Young explores one of the most powerful yet underutilized retirement planning tools available to successful entrepreneurs and business owners. Learn why cash balance plans are particularly advantageous for owners over 40, how they enable contributions of $200,000-$350,000+ annually (far exceeding 401(k) limits), and how these contributions directly reduce your taxable income. Steve explains how cash balance plans work seamlessly alongside existing 401(k) and profit-sharing plans—or can be implemented independently—without disrupting your current retirement strategy.

Retirement Planning for Business Owners

In this episode of Strategic Planning for Business Owners, host Steven Young, Senior Vice President at UBS and senior member of the Business Transition Consultants team, tackles the most critical question every business owner faces: How do you plan for retirement when your business is your retirement plan? Most business owners have the majority of their net worth tied up in a single, illiquid asset—their company. While this concentration can create extraordinary wealth, it also exposes them to massive vulnerability that traditional employees never face. Steven breaks down why the "my business is my retirement plan" approach is a dangerous trap and reveals the sophisticated strategies successful entrepreneurs use to build true financial independence.