Gregory Amundson is an exit planning consultant who works with middle market business owners specializing in family owned businesses. Greg graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Economics. He is an Accredited Estate Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter, and a Chartered Financial Consultant. Having specialized in business transition planning and wealth transfer strategies for family-owned businesses for over 30 years, his experience in the closely-held environment is unprecedented. He is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Seattle and the Northwest Family Business Advisors. He specializes in Business Transition Planning, Estate & Business Transfer, Estate Taxes, Business & Personal Insurance.

Avastia Family Business Transition Team is a group of advisors to family business. We bring highly specialized and experienced experts in financial analysis, tax solutions, strategic planning and family dynamics. Our methodology gives you comprehensive and practical solutions to the unique challenges you face in preserving the success you have created for your family.

Why Us? Why now?

Federal Estate taxes alone can claim 18 percent to 45 percent of a taxable estate, (Washington has up to an additional 19 percent, check your state) frequently resulting in businesses having to liquidate or take on tremendous amounts of debt just to stay afloat following an owner's death. For business owners who've done all that they could over the years to avoid or pay off a debt situation, the prospect of going back into debt to pay taxes is unpleasant. Thus, one of the more important aspects of business succession planning is working out the financial pitfalls following the death of the business owner; answering questions like: Where will the money come from to pay taxes? Or, if the business is a partnership: Where will the money come from to buyout the deceased partner's share?

Because clients commonly take their business elsewhere following the death of an owner or partner, how do you make sure adequate capital will be available to carry the business through what could be a slow transitional period? Many of these questions can be answered through the proper use of such funding vehicles as life insurance, annuities, and disability insurance, and often at little or no net cost to the business. But the time to work these things out is before the situation arises, not afterwords. Don't think business succession planning ends with an estate plan and life insurance firmly in place. Business succession planning must also include a plan for transferring the trust, respect and goodwill that's been built up over the years.