Hudson Valley trade business owner in his Poughkeepsie workshop at the end of the day, the kind of owner-operator whose shop is the family's largest asset

Estate Planning·7 min read·June 17, 2026

Estate Planning for Business Owners When the Shop Is the Estate

The Poughkeepsie owner-operator whose business is worth more than the books show is the one most exposed when something happens, because the business is the estate and almost none of it is liquid. Here is the part of estate planning for business owners I actually handle, and why the messy-books excuse is the expensive one.

Peter Guggisberg

Financial Advisor · Hudson Valley, NY

Written by Peter Guggisberg, Financial Services Representative with Vermont Financial Group of NY (a MassMutual general agency) and the advisor behind Noah's Ark Financial.

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Peter Guggisberg, financial advisor, Hudson Valley NY

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