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Although markets got off to a calmer start in 2017 than it did in 2016, this year may still be one of the most difficult years for long-term investors in recent memory. There is little basis on which to anticipate the policy actions of the new administration and there is substantial potential for large scale change. There will be opportunities to make money, but there will also be many red herrings. Investors, money managers, and wealth advisors will all be challenged to have discipline this year.

For many families of wealth, creating a long-lasting legacy is a fundamental goal, one that shapes both personal and financial decisions. And many of these families want that legacy to reach beyond the boundaries of family, making a positive impact on their communities and the world. For the Anderson family, they made a purposeful decision to approach philanthropy as a family enterprise. In preparation for a new generation coming of age, the family undertook a process of evaluating and fine tuning its philanthropic strategies.

While U.S. business leaders are keeping an eye on the global economy, they also have another perspective. They see a Main Street unbowed by world economics. They may not see it as business as usual, but they very much still see it as business. As U.S. CEOs move forward, what’s on their to-do lists in 2017? For starters: Creating a future-ready workforce, building trust in business, and forging new paths for policy engagement.

At the beginning of 2016 many growth markets were experiencing a drop in economic performance and weaker growth predictions, which led to several commentators and investors questioning the future role of these markets as leaders of global growth. In their view, the growth markets’ era was over. However, growth is now projected to return to certain developing markets by 2017—most notably Brazil, Nigeria and Russia.

The pattern of growth in the world is shifting, and every CEO knows that the forces propelling globalized, technology-driven business are accelerating. At the same time there is resistance to deeper global economic integration building, and concerns over global policy risks like protectionism are rising. How to plot a course for growth in this environment? In the 20th Global CEO Survey, 1,379 CEOs in 79 countries (including 114 US CEOs) were asked just that.

When Desa Van Laarhoven and Geoff Kinder founded Round the Bend Farm: A Center for Restorative Community in Dartmouth, they were moving on a mission that went beyond running the farm. The goal? To create a truly sustainable property that is self-contained, serves the regional population, and educates the population on the future of farming through a unique "agripreneur" program. With the support of the Marion Institute and the Bromley Charitable Trust (a private foundation), the two began to bring that vision to life.

On January 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as America’s 45th president. Wasting no time, President Trump has already signed some executive orders, one of which freezes federal regulations pending further review (what this means for various tax regulations, including the proposed valuation discount that the IRS issued in August 2016, is currently unclear). As we wait to see what develops, it is a good time to update a prior discussion focusing on the planning basics and “good housekeeping,” rather than on taxes per se.

After a year of major political shocks, it remains important to take a long-term view of global economic prospects that looks beyond the short-term ups and downs of the economic and political cycle. In taking the long view perspective, the approach is based on a rigorous modelling method that focuses on the fundamental drivers of growth: demographics and productivity, which in turn is driven by technological progress and diffused through international trade and investment.

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects machines and devices to one another. Today’s devices have between 6 to 9 sensors capturing and transmitting data to help all industries become more efficient, productive and safer. The 2020 annual global economic potential across all sectors is estimated up to $14.4 trillion—that is the current GDP of the European Union. For businesses to fully realize the great potential of the Internet of Things (IoT), they will need to be prepared for the privacy, cybersecurity and liability risks that lie ahead.

With people, assets, and services becoming increasingly connected by software and hardware—the Internet of Things (IoT)—physical risks are now directly intertwined with digital risks. Will errors made by artificial intelligence be treated more like products liability or vicarious liability? Since IoT is so new, there is no definitive legal reference of concise volume of regulation on the topic.