David Hauser || M&A and HNWI Wealth Tracker

Macro Signals for HNW Positioning

• 🔥 Weaker Jobs Report: The US added 57,000 jobs in June versus the 115,000 forecast, with the unemployment...

Two macro signals are converging for HNW portfolios:

• Tariff pass-through persists: 47% of service firms and 44% of manufacturers plan price hikes...

Founders rarely budget for the emotional cost of exiting, which shows up as poor decisions during an already draining process.

• Emotional arc starts...

Bankers Edge Advisory's new buy-side practice consolidates deal origination, capital formation, and execution for family offices and sponsors building...

Mid-year tax planning gives business owners real options to shape outcomes while decisions still matter, rather than scrambling after the year is...

HNW couples face two simultaneous estate tax dynamics in 2026: the widow's penalty that spikes survivor taxes up to 300% via compressed brackets and...

Private Credit Deployment Slowdown

• 🔥 Direct Lending Hits Near Three-Year Low: US direct-lending volume fell 55% quarter-on-quarter to $33.59...

Estate Planning Updates

• 🔥 Planning Below Exemption Threshold: Articles state that estates under the $15 million federal exemption still require...

Combine decade-by-decade reviews with these approaches to protect HNW legacies under 2026 rules.

• Select the right trust: Begin with revocable...

• Visitation fell 7.5% to 38.5M in 2025 as Vegas pivots to luxury, yet 2024 delivered record $55.1B in visitor spending.
• Higher-income travelers now...

Business sellers can combine QOF capital gains deferral with standard post-liquidity planning for tax-efficient wealth preservation.

• Roll realized...

Three distinct forces are reshaping private credit:

• HSBC is tightening back-leverage facilities and avoiding higher-risk funds after a $400-million...

Common account and beneficiary mistakes can derail even strong estate plans, especially in blended families.

• Beneficiary designations override...

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act sets the federal estate tax exemption at $15 million per person ($30 million per couple) for 2026, limiting exposure to...

Swedish founders encounter a two-tier tax burden of 20.6% corporate tax followed by dividend taxation under the 3:12 rules that can exceed 50%. This structure creates a significant consideration for HNW entrepreneurs evaluating relocation options.

Taxfyle tackles the longstanding advisor-CPA disconnect where clients act as messengers between conflicting advice.

• Shared platform: Advisors and...

Two forces are reshaping the industry at once: client assets flowing into adviser-led models and RIA M&A accelerating scale.

• Morgan Stanley alone...

Most over-55s continue to prioritize passing assets through an estate rather than using lifetime gifts, despite available tax-efficient strategies....

Tax Optimization Developments

• 🔥 IRS Clarifies Trump Account Gifting: IRS guidance confirms contributions to Trump Accounts qualify for the...

The federal estate and gift tax exemption stands at $15 million per individual for 2026, creating a defined planning horizon even as laws evolve....