Installment Sale to Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust, Sisi C. Tran, July 2010
A time-tested and tax-efficient wealth transfer technique involves selling property to an irrevocable trust established for the benefit of a client’s heirs (i.e., children or more remote descendants) in exchange for a promissory note...

Private Placement Life Inurance, Miles C. Padgett, Published in the Spring 2009 (Volume 11 No. 4) of The Journal of Wealth Management.
NYFO: Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile. Historically at Convergent Wealth Advisors, we have not viewed insurance as an investment vehicle, but rather as a hedge against a specific and identifiable risk. This view has been held by most of our clients, as well...

Alternative Investments and Leverage, Miles C. Padgett, October 2008
Leverage and Investment Performance and Risk. Managers of various alternative investment strategies frequently employ leverage to achieve their desire investment results. However, for most investors, “leverage” may carry a negative connotation, particularly during times of market stress or dislocation...