{"id":18663,"date":"2026-10-21T16:44:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T23:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/?p=18663"},"modified":"2026-10-21T16:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T23:44:49","slug":"generation-limbo-how-owner-longevity-and-trusts-are-reshaping-family-business-succession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/family-businesses\/generation-limbo-how-owner-longevity-and-trusts-are-reshaping-family-business-succession\/","title":{"rendered":"Generation Limbo: How Owner Longevity and Trusts Are Reshaping Family Business Succession"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;22px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row disabled_on=&#8221;on|on|on&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;video&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.9&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; disabled=&#8221;on&#8221; collapsed=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_video src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Kfq6155UKyE&#8221; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.9&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Author Byline&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; link_option_url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; collapsed=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Author&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.9&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfar.com\/Smith\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">By Todd Smith<\/a><\/strong><\/span><br \/><em>Principal<\/em><br \/>CFAR\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Todd-Smith2.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Todd Smith&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Todd Smith&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.9&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;content&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; collapsed=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.9&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/CFAR_Smith_Generation_Limbo.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Download the whitepaper by By Todd Smith, CFAR<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>In the United States, people are living significantly longer. Today, US census data tells us that our average life expectancy is 79.4 years old \u2013 a full ten years more than 50 years ago (69.6 in 1955).<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Roughly half of small business owners in the U.S. are now over the age of 50, and a large share of first-generation founders are approaching, or well past, traditional retirement age. Longer, healthier lifespans mean many owners are choosing to stay active in leadership far longer than their parents did, sometimes well into their 70s and 80s. This happens for good reasons leading generation members still want meaning in their lives well into their traditional retirement years. They may also be reliant on the operating company as a source of income in their planned retirement years. And, frankly, it can be difficult to let go of something a founder has spent their entire life building. These factors, among others, can discourage \u201cletting go\u201d of control.<\/p>\n<p>As one can imagine, this choice to retain control has consequences. Though they are not universal \u2013 in some family systems, early work on the concept of stewardship keeps the family in alignment during an extended transition; in others, the perceived lack of control and\/or feelings of infantilization can become all-consuming. Regardless, for the following generations to thrive together a new balance must be struck.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/CFAR_Smith_Generation_Limbo.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Download the whitepaper by By Todd Smith, CFAR<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_style=&#8221;dotted&#8221; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;CFAR Logo &#038; About&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; link_option_url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cfar.com\/&#8221; link_option_url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; global_module=&#8221;13811&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13436 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1_CFAR_Full_Logo_Color-500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"106\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1_CFAR_Full_Logo_Color-500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1_CFAR_Full_Logo_Color-500-480x102.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 500px, 100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>About CFAR<\/strong><br \/>CFAR is proud to deliver our management consulting services to clients, with a commitment to unleashing potential and maximizing impact. We have, for more than three decades, provided guidance and expertise to tackle the thorniest issues\u2014ones often rooted in a misalignment between important organizational goals and individual beliefs about what it will take to achieve them. We come to our work as curious problem-solvers. Our heritage as the Wharton School\u2019s only multi-disciplinary, applied research center lives on in our continued dedication to advising leaders on complex organizational issues where both people and performance matter.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_style=&#8221;dotted&#8221; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Become a member text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; link_option_url=&#8221;https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/donate-2\/&#8221; global_module=&#8221;5822&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h4><em>We hope you&#8217;ve enjoyed this article. While you&#8217;re here, we have a small favor to ask&#8230;<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>As we prepare for what promises to be a pivotal year for America, we&#8217;re asking you to consider becoming a member.<\/p>\n<p>The need for fact-based reporting of issues important to <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/multi-generational-business\/\">family owned businesses<\/a> and protecting a <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/family-business-stories\/\">lifetime of savings<\/a> has never been greater. Now more than ever, <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/multi-generational-business\/\">successful families<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/family-business-stories\/\">family owned businesses<\/a> are under fire. That&#8217;s why <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/feusa\/\">Family Enterprise USA<\/a> is passionately working to increase the awareness of issues important to <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/multi-generational-business\/\">family owned businesses<\/a> built on hard work, while continuing to strengthen our presence on Capitol Hill. The issues we fight for or against with Congress in Washington DC include high <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/income-taxes\/\">income tax rates<\/a>, possible elimination of valuation discounts, increase in capital gains <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/taxes\/\">tax<\/a>, enactment of a wealth <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/taxes\/\">tax<\/a>, and the continued burden of the gift <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/taxes\/\">tax<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/estate-taxes\/\">estate tax<\/a> and generation skipping <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/taxes\/\">tax<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/donate\/&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Become a Family Enterprise USA Member&#8221; button_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Become FEUSA member button&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; global_module=&#8221;6503&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][et_pb_divider divider_style=&#8221;dotted&#8221; disabled_on=&#8221;on|on|on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; disabled=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_video_slider disabled_on=&#8221;on|on|on&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Video Slider Family Business Stories 1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; disabled=&#8221;on&#8221; global_module=&#8221;5963&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_video_slider_item src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3k9d1tFz5AU&#038;t=22s&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kG0lDKbmJxg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HFK8SG1VSco&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Z15BqbFOYck&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bsn5xYrxhJg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PL3K3rK7ioA&#038;t=5s&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_video_slider_item][et_pb_video_slider_item src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CpXRbRBhPKc&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.19.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; show_image_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_video_slider_item][\/et_pb_video_slider][et_pb_text disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;FEUSA Statement&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; link_option_url=&#8221;https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/donate-2\/&#8221; global_module=&#8221;5910&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/feusa\/\">Family Enterprise USA<\/a> promotes <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/multi-generational-business\/\">generationally<\/a> owned <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/family-businesses\/\">family business<\/a> creation, growth, viability, and sustainability by <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/about\/\">advocating for family businesses<\/a> and their lifetime of savings with <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/family-business-caucus\/\">Congress<\/a> in Washington DC.\u00a0 Since 2007, <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/feusa\/\">Family Enterprise USA<\/a> has represented and celebrated\u00a0all sizes, professions and industries of family-owned enterprises and <a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/category\/multi-generational-business\/\">multi-generational<\/a> employers. It is a bi-partisan 501.c3 organization.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/membership\/\">Family foundations can donate.<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=&#8221;on|on|on&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Hash tags &#038; Tags&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; disabled=&#8221;on&#8221; global_module=&#8221;6498&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>#incometax #CapitalGainsTax #R&amp;DExpensing #DontPunishSuccess #GrantorTrusts #StepUpinBasis #likeKindExchanges #AcceleratedDepreciation #EstateTax #Deathtax #wealthtax #taxLegislation #CongressionalCaucus #incometaxrates #repealestatetax #AdvocatingForFamilyBusinesses #FamilyOwnedBusiness #WomenOwnedBusiness @FamilyEnterpriseUSA #FamilyEnterpriseUSA #FEUSA<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Todd SmithPrincipalCFAR\u00a0Download the whitepaper by By Todd Smith, CFAR &nbsp; In the United States, people are living significantly longer. Today, US census data tells us that our average life expectancy is 79.4 years old \u2013 a full ten years more than 50 years ago (69.6 in 1955). &nbsp; Roughly half of small business owners [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[48,92],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-businesses","category-multi-generational-business"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18663"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18675,"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18663\/revisions\/18675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/familyenterpriseusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}