MYRON FRIESEN

Latest Headlines

A man, a woman and two small children kneel and stand next to a soybean field.

Columns

Examining some 'would you rather' questions about farm succession planning

Life is full of "would you rather" questions that we're answering all the time. Myron Friesen lays out some about how you'd like to plan your farm estate.

November 20, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

A John Deere combine, largely obscured by tall mature corn, unloads corn into a John Deere grain cart pulled by a John Deere tractor. It is somewhat dark, and the sky has hints of pink and blue.

Columns

Do you understand the whys behind what happens on the farm?

Do grain cart drivers understand why a combine driver wants them to drive just so? And do those planning farm estates understand why it's important to organize things a certain way? Myron Friesen said explaining the "why" behind how things are done on the farm can make all the difference.

October 29, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

A semi with a cattle pot is in a farm yard and appears to be preparing to back up to a portable loading chute.

Columns

Easy to see, harder to do

Doing something well is tough and doing it well under pressure is even tougher, Myron Friesen says. And that includes farm estate planning.

October 15, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

A combine is parked next to a tractor pulling a grain cart, with then sunset in the distance.

Columns

The 'sleeper hold' for farms may be not taking into account interest rates in estate plans

"If your farm estate plan expects your farm heir to buy out siblings at fair market value or even a discount, you need to do the math with current interest rates. You may have a formula for the interest rate, but even that formula would have gone up, and that is a painful change at these land prices."

October 02, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

A farmstead sits next to a body of water. Behind it is a pink, yellow and orange sunset. Both the farm and the sunset are reflected in the calm waters.

Columns

There are some things you can't unhear in a farm's story

Sometimes, Myron Friesen says, there are things in a farm's story that one can't unhear and that are vital to understanding a family's decision making process.

September 17, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

A woman and a man look at papers and calculators in front of them.

Columns

What you say, what you mean and what someone hears may all be different

"With farm estate planning, not understanding what the other person says can be a multimillion dollar error or years of agony that no one will be laughing about."

September 03, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

Columns

Planning for the in-laws

Just about every appointment with estate planning, something comes up about the in-laws.

August 21, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

Columns

When is enough 'enough'?

Myron Friesen discusses how "enough" money changes over time and how that might impact estate planning.

August 06, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

A corn field is in the foreground of a farm, with the sun coming through dark clouds.

Columns

What is the responsibility of a fiduciary?

"A fiduciary is someone who has the responsibility of taking care of assets or money for another person or group of people. Any time money and other people are involved, you have a serious responsibility."

July 24, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen