May 11, 2017
No one really seems to know these days what Michigan’s public policy is when it comes to prenuptial agreements or for that matter, postnuptial agreements. We are told that if a married couple enters into a postnuptial agreement while living together and with divorce not imminent, their agreement is against Michigan’s public policy and thus […]
Read MoreApril 12, 2017
March 17, 2017
Kalamazoo, Michigan, February 20, 2017 – The recent President’s Day marked Greenleaf Trust’s second annual Day of Caring. With banks and capital markets officially closed for the holiday, team members were given the option of going to work or volunteering for a community organization of their choice. More than 80 percent of the Greenleaf Trust […]
Read MoreMarch 14, 2017
March 13, 2017
March 1, 2017
With the uncertainty that surrounds the possibility of tax law changes by Congress this year, what advice can an advisor provide to their clients when it comes to estate planning? We are left wondering if there will be a federal estate tax, a federal generation skipping transfer tax, a federal gift tax, a ‘step-up’ (or […]
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2017
January 11, 2017
January 2, 2017
Just when you think you know what the law requires, along comes a court decision that throws water on that conventional thinking. Such was the situation last fall when the Michigan Court of Appeals in In re Estate of Sabry Mohamed Attia (October 10, 2016) surprised many estate planners with a decision that permits an […]
Read MoreDecember 15, 2016
November 17, 2016
I had the dubious opportunity to serve both as a divorce attorney and an estate planning attorney for over 42 years. One lesson that I learned is that many divorce attorneys are not always cognizant of the income tax implications that arise in a divorce settlement. Many divorce attorneys even go so far as to […]
Read MoreNovember 12, 2016
October 12, 2016
October 12, 2016, Kalamazoo, Michigan – At Greenleaf Trust, we don’t just stand behind our work—we stand behind the people who make it all possible. Our belief that a positive work environment is essential to a healthy business has been a central component to our success. Today, we’re proud to announce that Greenleaf Trust was […]
Read MoreOctober 7, 2016
September 21, 2016
While most trusts are established to make distributions to either individuals who are the named trust beneficiaries or to a charity, a purpose trust normally exists to hold or to dispose of specific assets, meaning the trust exists to carry out a specific purpose rather than to provide a benefit to particular individuals. Purpose trusts […]
Read MoreSeptember 16, 2016
September 7, 2016
August 29, 2016, Kalamazoo, Michigan Greenleaf Trust was selected as one of the 2016 Cool Places to Work in Michigan. The annual list of “Cool Places to Work” was created by Crain’s Detroit Business and Best Companies Group. “Most wealth management firms probably don’t think of themselves as cool,” said Michael F. Odar, President of […]
Read MoreAugust 17, 2016
August 12, 2016
August 2016, Kalamazoo, MI Greenleaf Trust is proud to announce that Oliver Krings has successfully completed the requirements in earning the (ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional credential. Oliver passed the extensive examination, completed the endorsement process, and by possessing several years of professional experience in the Information Security field. (ISC)² is an international nonprofit membership association […]
Read MoreJuly 22, 2016
Thomas DeMeester and John Grzybek Bring Nearly 50 Collective Years of Local Experience July 2016, Grand Rapids, Michigan – Kalamazoo-based Greenleaf Trust, the privately-held wealth management firm with over $8B in assets, announces the appointment of two long-time, local wealth management leaders, Thomas A. DeMeester and John G. Grzybek, to head its new office in […]
Read MoreJuly 12, 2016
June 13, 2016
May 12, 2016
April 28, 2016
April 27, 2016, Kalamazoo, MI The Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA) has recognized Greenleaf Trust as one of the Best and Brightest Companies To Work For® in West Michigan. “Our talented employees, and their commitment to the clients of Greenleaf Trust, are at the heart of our success,” said Michael F. Odar, President of […]
Read MoreApril 13, 2016
March 15, 2016
March 15, 2016
February 9, 2016
February 4, 2016
February 2, 2016, Kalamazoo, Michigan – One of the Michigan’s most prominent trust and estate attorneys, George F. Bearup, is bringing his considerable expertise to wealth management firm, Greenleaf Trust, where he’ll serve as senior trust advisor. Mr. Bearup has practiced law in Michigan for over three decades, during which time he’s risen to prominence […]
Read MoreJanuary 12, 2016
December 10, 2015
November 11, 2015
November 3, 2015
November 2, 2015 Kalamazoo, MI – Greenleaf Trust was named one of the best small and medium workplaces in the United States by Great Place to Work® in its 2015 Best Small & Medium Workplaces list, published today in Fortune magazine. Ranked 23rd, this is the first time Greenleaf Trust has received this honor. Divided […]
Read MoreOctober 3, 2015
September 30, 2015
September 2015, Kalamazoo, Michigan – Great Place to Work® and Fortune magazine, having surveyed more than 135,600 working women nationwide, have recognized Greenleaf Trust as one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Women. Greenleaf Trust considers the honor especially notable owing to the fact that the recognition is based on its women employees’ candid assessments […]
Read MoreSeptember 25, 2015
A resumé laden with good schools, a law degree and blue chip banks propelled Judy Grace in a steadily upward trajectory. Trust positions at Michigan National Bank, Standard Federal, LaSalle, Bank of America and Northern Trust resulted in greater responsibilities and loftier titles. But the higher she climbed, the greater the distance between Judy and […]
Read MoreSeptember 18, 2015
Kalamazoo, MI, September 17, 2015 – Greenleaf Trust is pleased to announce that Christopher J. Tarkowski has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification marks. Mr. Tarkowski has been a member of the Greenleaf Trust team since January 2014 and is responsible for […]
Read MoreSeptember 15, 2015
August 18, 2015 – Kalamazoo, MI – The Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA) has recognized Greenleaf Trust as one of the Best and Brightest Companies To Work For® in Metro Detroit. “Our talented employees, and their commitment to the clients of Greenleaf Trust, are at the heart of our success,” said Michael F. Odar, […]
Read MoreSeptember 15, 2015
August 13, 2015
July 11, 2015
June 25, 2015
June 2, 2015
Kalamazoo, MI, May 28, 2015 – Kalamazoo, Michigan – Greenleaf Trust has been named one of the best places to work for millennial employees in America, Sarah Johansson, Director of Marketing, VP announced today. The list, which comes on the heels of news that millennials are now the largest workforce in America, is the first […]
Read MoreMay 13, 2015
In the fullness of three generations of marriages, births, deaths and naturally diverging interests, the heirs to a family fortune were concerned. Their once simple, single pot of money had grown so complex, so time consuming and so expensive to manage, that it was becoming a source of anguish rather than comfort. The large bank […]
Read MoreAfter three attempts with three different providers, the CEO had finally had it with the banks and financial service firms who’d mismanaged her plumbing business’s participant-directed 401(k) fund. It wasn’t just the high fees. It wasn’t just the poor service from providers who were too large and inattentive, or too small and inexperienced. And it […]
Read MoreEven with its $8,500,000 retirement plan, the concrete and construction services company could not get its 401(k) provider to meet with the majority of its employees, who were usually on the job at nearby construction sites rather than in the office. “It’s not the way we prefer to do it,” said the plan provider, a […]
Read MoreAt the cusp of retirement twenty some odd years ago, a successful executive needed his assets to work harder than ever. He desired to travel widely; spend summers at the family cottage; support favored charities; help the grandkids pay for college; maintain the style of living to which he and his wife had become accustomed; […]
Read MoreWith that bit of heartfelt advice, the couple in their early 50’s reconsidered what they’d previously assumed to be out of reach: the purchase of a small cottage on the big lake. The prompting came not from their children, but from an astute financial advisor who was looking at the couple’s financial position relative to […]
Read MoreIn her capacity as CFO for one of the region’s leading manufacturers, the executive bore a weighty responsibility: to continue providing decent jobs, and to ensure that her company’s 401(k) plan was properly managed. It was the latter point that worried her. For years, the plan provider had been a large, regional bank that was […]
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