Under Minnesota law, there are multiple instances where liens can attach to a borrower’s livestock or crops that will result in priority over a financial institution’s first-in-time perfected security interest in the same livestock (Minn. Stat. § 514.966) or crops (Minn. Stat. § 514.94). These types of liens are often referred to as “hidden” liens...

Grain and other commodities often serve as important collateral for farm loans. With declining commodity prices and rising expenses, many farmers may be feeling increased financial pressure following the end of the 2025 crop year. Poor cash flow may have producers looking to sources of cash, and that may lead some to deceptive practices like...

Generally, an IRA is protected from collection efforts.¹ What is less well known is that a consumer can assign his or her IRA to a financial institution as collateral for a loan and this act allows a non-custodial financial institution to collect what is due to them from the account upon delinquency because the consumer...

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) signed into law on July 4th, 2025, includes some critical estate planning changes. While the main estate planning related changes are focused in just a few areas, OBBBA gives many taxpayers a compelling reason to create or revisit their estate plans. Estate and Gift Tax Exemption First, the...

Introduction Ten states, including Minnesota, have an estate tax. Many Minnesotans believe that if they relocate to another state—particularly one without an estate tax—they can avoid Minnesota’s estate tax altogether. Unfortunately, the rules are not so simple. Minnesota taxes the assets of its residents at death, and the value of tangible assets located within the...

One highly significant change to Minnesota trust laws which went into effect this year was the change in how long a Minnesota trust can last. Often times, an individual or family wish to create a ‘legacy trust’ to preserve farmland, a family business, or other assets for multiple generations. Common situations where legacy trusts are...

Reverse discrimination claims—allegations that an employer discriminated against a member of a majority group—have gained popularity and notoriety in recent years. While reverse discrimination claims are nothing new, having been recognized by the United States Supreme Court under Title VII by at least 1971, they are less common than traditional discrimination claims. However, these cases...