At the heart of it, I'm an insurance guy - plain and simple. 

However, we at The Reaves Agency have started doing business with a company that reaches into the real estate world - Delivery Limited, Inc.  We are proud to say that Delivery Limited is a group insurance client of ours, and I have developed personal friendships with Beth Barrett (President & CEO - formerly of The Container Store and responsible for them being ranked #1 in Forbes "Best Places To Work" editions for a number of years), Kimberley Tipps (Director, Business Development) and Joseph Toliver (Director, Client Relations). 

Over the time I have known them, I have enjoyed introducing a number of my Centers of Influence who work with affluent and ultra affluent clients to the Delivery Limited team, all of whom have been extremely impressed with their service and attention to detail in relocating individuals from point A to point B in style.

Delivery Limited is headquartered in Dallas, Texas across from Dallas' Love Field Airport.  They specialize in delivery, storage and relocation for the affluent.  A typical relocation would entail the Delivery Limited "installation specialists" to pack and move "socks to chandeliers" from their existing locations to where ever they need to go, nationally or globally.  When a client is getting ready to move in to their new space, the Delivery Limited team will unpack and install everything in it's correct space, coordinating this with the designer, as everything must be just so.  Prior to the relo, the DL team will pay particular attention to the little things, like alarm clock settings and which side of the bed Mr. Client sleeps, so that when the enviroment is recreated on the "Point B" end, it is done just as it was before they left.  In the end, all the client needs to do upon arriving is to slip underneath the freshly made sheets.  The installation specialists literally do wear white gloves - not as so much as a marketing ploy (although it IS good!), but because oils from your hands can stain fine art, etc.

In April 2005, our local D Magazine did an article on the "100 Most Expensive Homes in Dallas", to include Tom & Cinda Hicks (owner of the Texas Rangers & Dallas Stars - home valued at over $25,000,000); H. Ross Perot (home valued at over $14,000,000) and Mark Cuban (home valued at over $14,000,000), etc.  Delivery Limited proudly represents a little over 3/4's of this list! 

From a cost standpoint, they aren't as expensive as you might think.  A typical job is anywhere from 15 to 20% more expensive than your run of the mill Allied Van Lines (although please contact them for pricing!) - the level of service and attention to detail...as the Master Card commercials say, "Priceless." 

In the event that you are a relationship builder and act as a solutions provider for your clients, I would highly recommend Delivery Limited to you.  No matter where you are or where your client is moving to, Delivery Limited can handle things with the utmost care.  Their slogan, "Your possessions.  Our passion."

I invite you to visit their website at:  www.deliverylimited.com.  And if you don't mind, let them know that Jason Loveless sent you!

Towards the end of 2006, I was introduced to one of the neatest and most unique individuals I've ever met - Clint Bruce.

Clint Bruce is the President of Trident Response Group.  TRG provides intelligence and security for corporations, high net worth families and families offices.  Clint has a very storied path that has led him to his current position:  A Naval Academy grad; a professional football player - having spent time with both the Baltimore Ravens & New Oreleans Saints; and a Navy SEAL - spent a 5 year tour with SEAL Team FIVE, culminating in a 9 month deployment in direct support of the Global War on Terrorism and OPERATION Enduring Freedom. 

Trident Response Group was born out of Hurricane Katrina and a mission that Clint chose to accept.  Clint was contacted by a friend of his, Frank Naboulsi, general manager for the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, saying that he needed Clint's help in getting his colleagues out of the Fairmont New Orleans.  Clint rallied a 10-man security team and a caravan of eight buses to extract those pent up in the flooded Fairmont.  In all, approximately 900 people were rescued by Clint's team.  A long term client of The Reaves Agency - Glynn Broussard of PDS Companies along with many of his employees - was among those liberated.  (Read the 9/23/05 Dallas Business Journal article by Chad Eric Watt entitled, "Saving the Day: Dallas hotel spearheads fast, dramatic N.O. rescue effort").  You can also see more about TRG on their website: www.trg-ltd.com.

It has been my pleasure to get to know Clint and to introduce him to other trusted advisors and clients that I know.  If you are interested in meeting him as well, I would be happy to facilitate an introduction to him.

Introducing Jon Spoelstra - "Marketing Outrageously"

I had the pleasure of meeting Jon Spoelstra, the President of the Professional Sports division of Mandalay Entertainment (owner of our Frisco Roughriders!) on Monday evening and hear him speak on some of the nuggets out of his newest book Marketing Outrageously at the Dallas SMEI chapter.  Jon was a wonderful spinster, calling on his many years of experience in professional sports management and consulting to give us all some great pointers - and very simple, cost-effective ideas that will help to boost your revenue, no matter what your business.

Some of what I learned:

1.  "What's It Gonna Take...?"  Jon advised that we need to start asking this question in conjunction with how we set our sights on the pinnacle, as in, "What's it gonna take for our team to win the championship this year?"  This exercise of diagraming out what it is gonna take is helpful in understanding where you are today and to quantify what it is you will need to take you to the next level.

2.  "New is a way of life."  If we are not coming up with new, fresh ways to market ourselves and our products & services we are dying in the marketplace.  Strive to be creative and take on "new" as a way of life.

3.  "Push the Outrageous Envelope."  Most people around us are satisfied with the status quo.  We must push the outrageous envelope!  Not all of the outrageous ideas that you have will come to fruition, but the mere exercise of performing these "outrageous" mental gymnastics may help you see the solution you've been looking for all along.  And with that, all I am going to say is "JOCKSTRAPS."  Read the book for the rest of the story there.

Jon is a wealth of knowledge and a pleasure to read and hear.  If you have the chance, I would highly recommend you picking up Marketing Outrageously.  You won't be disappointed.

Jon was the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers for eleven years, and later president of the New Jersey Nets.  He is author of Ice To The Eskimos and Success Is Just One Wish Away.  He lives in Portland, Oregon.  Email:  findjon@msn.com.

What did Elvis, FDR, Ricky Nelson, Conrad Hilton and Nelson A. Rockefeller all have in common?

Shrinkage. 

Estate shrinkage, that is.

You may be interested in what the public probate records of the estates of these and others have to show:
 

If these people, who had access to the best advice money could buy, were not able to avoid the "unwanted heirs" (federal and state estate taxes and estate administrative costs), it will be difficult for the rest of us to avoid estate settlement costs.

Proper advance planning, however, can minimize the impact of estate settlement costs on the value of your estate.  Please contact us at jason@reavesagency.com  discuss your situation so that you don't experience the same sort of estate shrinkage problems.

Put Your Estate in Order

For business owners, an effective estate plan addresses a number of concerns over and above the desire to care for surviving family members. Control over who will run the business, conservation of the owner's assets in the face of legal expenses and taxes, and the liquidity to pay estate taxes due shortly after death are just some of the most pressing issues.

For the sake of their heirs, business owners should plan for the orderly transfer of their wealth including their business interests well in advance.


Prepare for Estate Taxes
Depending on the value of business and personal assets at the time of death, the law may require that estate taxes be paid on the value of the business. If there is not enough cash on hand, heirs may have no choice but to sell the business prematurely or for less than the real value.

Some business owners use an irrevocable life insurance trust to purchase policies on their life, collect any death benefits, and distribute the money according to prearranged terms. The proceeds can be used to pay any estate taxes due, so heirs are not forced to sell a business, property, or other assets they would prefer to keep in the family. The use of these approaches can involve a complex web of tax rules and regulations. You should consider the counsel of an experienced estate planning professional before implementing such strategies.

Plan for Successful Succession
A buy-sell agreement may be forged between the owners or shareholders of a business, outlining the terms for a buyout in the event of death or disability. It usually includes a pre-negotiated sale price, but can also explicitly request individuals to sell their interests to others or indicate who should manage the business operations.

Payments from a life insurance trust may also be used to buy assets from an estate, such as transferring ownership of a family business according to a pre-existing buy-sell agreement.

Your business is not just your livelihood. It's likely to be the largest portion of your estate and thus the core of the legacy and security you intend to leave behind for your family. A solid estate plan can help keep your business intact through the most difficult transition of all.

How Can I Benefit from a Charitable Remainder Trust?

Sometimes it takes tough economic times and natural disasters to unite and bring out the best in people. Natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes have served to bring communities together and impact the nation as a whole. Americans have given generously to rebuild communities and help local residents through these difficult situations.

Many people have also responded to tragedies worldwide or have made donations to wildlife and environmental charities. And when we give, most of us simply give from the heart and do not always consider the financial implications.

In many instances, there are ways to increase your gifts. The charity can receive a more substantial gift and you can increase your tax benefits. The charitable remainder trust is a popular estate-planning strategy that could enable you to gift an appreciated property or security and retain an interest income for you and your family.

Once your gift is put in a charitable trust, you will receive a current income tax deduction. Neither party will owe taxes on this transfer or upon the appreciation of the asset. The trust will usually sell the asset and reinvest the proceeds in an income-producing investment. You can receive this income in exchange for gifting the ownership of the asset to the charity.

You will then need to decide how you would like to receive income. You can receive either a percentage of the value of the trust or a fixed amount. With a percentage allocation, your income will vary based on the current value of the trust. Some even offer a "make-up" clause. If the trust is not able to provide the designated income for one year, the shortfall will be added to the following year's distribution.

Trusts that provide a fixed amount each year will not be able to take advantage of future growth or higher earnings of the asset, but they do offer consistent income even in a stagnating market.

Choosing a trustee and clearly stating your intentions in the trust document and to the trustee are of vital importance. Once the trust is in place, it is an irrevocable instrument. Even if the charity does not receive any benefit for several decades, it will eventually assume ownership. In the meantime, the trustee is in charge of controlling the assets in the trust. Choose someone who knows how to handle financial matters and who will carry out your intentions.

A charitable remainder trust may allow you to make a substantial gift to charity, avoid capital gains tax, and provide regular income for you and your family.

The use of trusts involves a complex web of tax rules and regulations. You might consider enlisting the counsel of an experienced estate-planning professional before implementing such sophisticated strategies.

© 2006 Emerald Publications

Just like prudent business owners will do a regular financial audit on their businesses, individuals should also audit their life insurance coverage regularly to make sure it still meets their goals and is still performing the way it should.

The basis of the Life Insurance Audit lies in our belief that most people are overpaying for life insurance. This belief arises from consistent industry improvements in product, pricing, and mortality.

Subsequently, we've developed a process, which thoroughly scrutinizes every detail of the client's in-force coverage and identifies potential areas of improvement. We analyze the underwriting, the product, and the goals associated with the in-force policy. Once we've assessed the potential weaknesses of the in-force policy, we carefully compare the current policy against the best available product in the marketplace today. A recommendation is then given to either maintain the current policy or move to a more effective product.