From the journal

Perspectives worth sitting with.

Long-form thinking on estate strategy, investment management, and financial decisions for families and business owners in Middle Tennessee.

Estate & legacySeptember 2026

What Dolly Parton left behind

Dolly Parton spent decades deciding, on purpose, what she would leave behind. Her example holds practical lessons for any family thinking through its own estate and legacy plan.

Read
Investment strategyJuly 2026

Quarterly market update: Q2 2026 in review and what to watch in Q3

A full review of the quarter across stocks, bonds, and the economy — how markets got where they are, and the five things we're watching as the third quarter unfolds.

Read
Business ownersMay 2026

The three years before a sale: what most Illinois and Tennessee founders miss

A successful exit takes longer to prepare than most owners realize. The decisions made years before a transaction determine more of the outcome than the negotiation itself.

Read
Estate & legacyApril 2026

What most high-net-worth Illinois families miss in their estate plan

The Illinois estate tax does not work the way the federal one does. The gap can cost a family more than $600,000 at the second death.

Read
Family conversationsMarch 2026

Family governance isn’t a legal structure — it begins with a conversation

Family governance isn’t a legal structure. It begins with a conversation, and the right time to have it is earlier than most families expect.

Read
Investment strategyFebruary 2026

Concentrated stock positions: the risk most executives underestimate

When a significant portion of your net worth sits in a single employer's stock, the question isn't whether to diversify. It's how to do it without triggering a tax catastrophe.

Read
Tax planningJanuary 2026

What Tennessee and Illinois families should review before year-end

The 2025 tax law settled questions that hung over high-net-worth families for years. That is exactly why the months before December 31 deserve a fresh look.

Read
Business ownersDecember 2025

The buy-sell agreement you and your partner never finished

Most closely held businesses have a buy-sell agreement somewhere. Few have one that’s been reviewed in the last five years or properly funded.

Read

The Ftacek Journal

Considered perspectives, a few times a year.

Occasional notes on estate strategy, investing, business transitions, and the decisions that shape family wealth — written for our clients and friends of the firm.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

A few times a year, never shared, unsubscribe anytime. By subscribing you agree to receive occasional educational emails from Ftacek Financial Services, LLC. See our Privacy Notice.