Evertern Wealth

Labor Day is often described as a day of rest. For the families and founders we work with, it is better understood as a day of recognition. We think of the enterprises built, the people who built them, and the responsibility that comes with both.

Capital is the visible outcome. The work behind it is the part that endures. It belongs to the operators, the teams, and the decades of decisions made carefully and quietly. Stewardship of one requires respect for the other.

Our offices are closed Monday. We are grateful, as always, for the trust of those we serve, and for the people whose work makes that trust worth keeping.

Private placement life insurance (PPLI) has been described more than once as "a Roth IRA on steroids." That framing is dramatic and oversimplified, but it points to why the structure attracts attention from those with significant wealth.

So what is it? PPLI is a variable universal life policy offered to accredited investors. When properly structured, growth inside the policy is generally tax-deferred, and the death benefit generally passes to beneficiaries free of income tax. The five largest carriers reportedly held $44B+ in PPLI assets at the end of 2025.

Why now: ultra-high-net-worth portfolios are heavy in alternatives, and alternatives are tax-inefficient. Inside a properly structured wrapper, that annual tax drag may be deferred or reduced.

The catch: IRS investor control rules mean you pick a manager and strategy up front — then stop. No swapping positions. Entry typically runs $1M–$5M, costs are real, and the Senate Finance Committee is already paying attention.

PPLI is complex and not suitable for most investors. The potential benefits and risks are in the details.

Read more on how PPLI actually works, what it costs, who it may fit, and where the risk sits. https://bit.ly/4cphwsK



This post is for informational purposes only and is not investment, tax, or legal advice. Policy guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer. Consult your tax and legal advisors before implementing any strategy.

Jason Stephens was featured in CNBC's market coverage this week, weighing in on oil, Iran tensions, and what both mean for portfolios.

As crude moved markets and the Dow gave back more than 270 points, Jason's read was that the risk in oil skews to the downside rather than the upside, as negotiations are back and forth in real time. "There's a lot of pressure on the administration right now" heading into the midterms.

It's a reminder of how we approach moments like this with clients: headlines move prices, but disciplined portfolio design is built on valuation and long-term positioning, not the day's tape.

Read the full CNBC piece at the link in the comments:



*Disclaimer:
This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or investment advice, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams list, developed by SHOOK Research, covers the period from January 1 to December 31 of each year, and was released the following year. Neither Evertern Wealth nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this recognition. Jason was on this list from 2023 – 2026. For more information regarding the methodology of these rankings, please visit: https://bit.ly/3RObtTj

2026 Forbes Top 250 Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on time period from January 1 to December 31 and was released the following year. Neither Evertern Wealth nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award. Please see https://bit.ly/3VJcsI7 for more information.

Building wealth and preserving wealth are two entirely different professions.

Most families spend a lifetime mastering the first — and never prepare for the second.

In a new piece for Rethinking65, our CEO Jason Stephens writes about a family that spent two generations turning a regional business into a nationally recognized company, then sold to a publicly traded corporation.

For decades, their question had been: how do we grow this?

After the sale, it became: how do we make sure we never lose it?

That's not a small pivot. Their wealth used to sit in a business they owned and controlled. Now it sat in someone else's stock — priced by forces they couldn't influence.

The industry tends to treat this moment as a technical exercise. Diversify the concentrated position. Reduce the taxes. Revise the estate plan.

All of it matters. None of it is the first decision.

Before deciding how to preserve wealth, a family has to decide what it's preserving, for whom, and to what end.

Jason outlines the four realizations that families who navigate this well tend to reach early:

1. Concentration built the wealth — and is now the single biggest threat to it. Betting everything on one company is exactly what entrepreneurship demands. It's also the fastest way to lose what was built.

2. The portfolio has become the family's business. It looks like a collection of securities. It's actually the engine driving taxes, estate planning, philanthropy, governance, and every family member's financial future.

3. The family needs a shared understanding of what the wealth is meant to accomplish. Until that's defined, every technical decision rests on an assumption about priorities.

4. The instincts that built the wealth now carry a cost. Decisiveness, urgency, and comfort with risk make an exceptional entrepreneur — and expensive mistakes after a liquidity event. Almost nothing in this phase requires speed, and several decisions can't be undone.

Building wealth is a story about momentum. Preserving it is a story about sequence.

Objective before strategy. Strategy before tactics. Tactics before transactions.

Read the full article at the link in the comments.



*Disclaimer:
This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or investment advice, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Every winter, families spending the season in Florida ask us the same question: should this become permanent?

Our founder, Jason Stephens, spoke with Think Advisor about the tax planning conversation that has played out with clients many times over in his 25 years working with high-net-worth individuals and families looking to leave higher-tax states.

What many people don’t know is there are other vehicles that can generate real savings without a client ever changing an address such as Roth conversion strategies, charitable planning with donor-advised funds and charitable remainder trusts, and coordinated RMD and Social Security timing.

"A well-coordinated multi-family office approach where investment, tax and estate planning are fully integrated can generate annual tax savings in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, often matching or exceeding the benefit of changing states," Jason shared.

Read more from Jason: https://bit.ly/4q4fsf1

13 States Don't Tax Retirement Income. Should Clients Move? The process — and the real tax differences between states — can be less straightforward than clients expect, advisors say.

Three siblings inherited a South Florida waterfront home their family had held for 30 years.

One wanted it preserved for future generations. One wanted liquidity. One simply couldn't carry a third of the taxes, insurance, and upkeep.

Every one of those positions was reasonable. None of them fit together.

Our approach? We started with arithmetic rather than emotion because the numbers don't lie. We calculated things like annual carrying costs, capital improvements, and what continued ownership would actually cost each sibling over time.

With all three looking at the same numbers, we worked alongside the family's estate planning attorney to structure an LLC covering ownership percentages, usage, funding obligations, and a clean exit for anyone who wanted one.

The home stayed in the family. So did the relationships.

Evertern Wealth founder and managing partner Jason Stephens spoke with Paula L. Green at Rethinking65 about why conflict over an inherited vacation home is so rarely about the real estate — and why these conversations need to happen while parents are still here to say what they intended.

Under the SECURE 2.0 act, families can roll unused funds from a 529 account into a Roth IRA. But are they taking full advantage of this opportunity? Stephens, Founder and Managing Partner at Evertern Wealth, says many are still catching up with the rules and deciding how this strategy fits into their broader plan.

"We increasingly view a 529 plan not simply as an education funding vehicle, but as part of a family's broader tax, retirement, and wealth transfer strategy,” he shared. “Rather than viewing excess education savings as a potential problem, families can now help launch their children's retirement savings decades earlier than most young adults ever would on their own.”

For Jason's full insights on when and how families can use this rollover strategy, read the article in : https://bit.ly/4xax6QH

529 to Roth rollovers: What advisors and families are still getting wrong Two and a half years after SECURE 2.0 created the 529-to-Roth pathway, three advisors say most families still don't understand the rules — and the most common mistakes are entirely avoidable

We are proud to share Jason Stephens' recent feature in Financial Planning, which explores how Evertern Wealth developed its niche in serving clients relocating from higher-tax states like California, Illinois, and New York to Florida. Jason speaks to how this migration trend has evolved over the past 20-plus years, the strategies the firm uses to reach these clients, and the planning considerations involved in a residency change.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/450qXuq

Meet Brett Schumbacker, Private Wealth Advisor at Evertern Wealth.

Brett partners with clients across financial planning, portfolio analysis, and relationship management—bringing more than eight years of experience alongside a senior advisory team serving high-net-worth families. That work has given him a front-row seat to complex client situations, long-term planning strategies, and the realities of running a boutique advisory platform.

He holds the FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 registrations and is currently pursuing the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation. A Florida State University graduate (Economics and Sport Management) and a Southwest Florida native, Brett stays closely connected to the community he calls home.

He's also proud to support SIDES, a charitable organization dedicated to helping children and families affected by pediatric cancer.

Outside the office, you'll find Brett on the golf course, traveling, or deep in a game of chess. He and his wife, Sydney, treasure time spent with family and friends.

Read more about Brett: https://www.everternwealth.com/team/brett-schumbacker/



*The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams list, developed by SHOOK Research, covers the period from January 1 to December 31 of each year, and was released the following year. Neither Evertern Wealth nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this recognition. Jason was on this list from 2023 – 2026. For more information regarding the methodology of these rankings, please visit: https://lnkd.in/gDZwfYXS

We're honored to announce a strategic alliance with Vontobel Swiss Financial Advisers (Vontobel SFA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Vontobel Holding, one of Switzerland’s most respected wealth and investment management firms.

This relationship complements our open-architecture custody platform through Goldman Sachs Custody Solutions, providing clients access to premier institutional custody in the United States alongside expanded international banking capabilities through one of Switzerland’s leading financial institutions.

“Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to work alongside Vontobel SFA and develop a deep appreciation for their culture, capabilities, and commitment to clients.

Together, we're able to serve our clients with international interests, provide access to best-in-class banking solutions, and deliver a broader range of global wealth management resources while maintaining the independence that our clients value.” - Jason Stephens, Founder and Managing Partner of Evertern Wealth

This alliance is designed to support entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, and multigenerational families seeking international diversification, global banking solutions, cross-border wealth planning, including access to banking relationships across multiple jurisdictions.

Read the full press release: https://bwnews.pr/4vP3IPC



*Disclaimer:
The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams list, developed by SHOOK Research, covers the period from January 1 to December 31 of each year, and was released the following year. Neither Evertern Wealth nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this recognition. Jason was on this list from 2023 – 2026. For more information regarding the methodology of these rankings, please visit: https://bit.ly/3RObtTj

2026 Forbes Top 250 Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on time period from January 1 to December 31 and was released the following year. Neither Evertern Wealth nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award. Please see https://bit.ly/3VJcsI7 for more information.