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The new revenue recognition standard—set to go into effect in 2018 for public entities and 2019 for nonpublic entities—has been and continues to be a hot topic during our conversations with clients. Unlike most other accounting changes, the new standard will influence organizations not just at the financial-statement level, but also at the operational level. Although the deadline for implementation is a year or two away, organizations have already reached a fork in the road: they must decide whether to engage in proactive planning now, or face risky consequences later.

Under their tag as Baby Boomers, the Pre-Retirees have always been different. In the insurance sphere, that difference shows itself as a change in perspective that entails new requirements. Whether to downsize and how, what legacy to leave, and similar questions that call for more than advantageous sales. To provide the added-value advice and service they need, financial advisors must look at their Pre-Retiree clients’ lives holistically in collaboration with risk and insurance advisors.

Lifetime gift planning can include gift to spouse, annual exclusion gift, UTMA accounts, 2503(c) Trust, funded Crummey trust, 529 plans, payment of tuition and medical expenses, gift to irrevocable life insurance trust, and gifts to qualified personal residence trust (QPRT). When it comes to the basic estate and gift planning, it helps to have an at-a-glance view of the types of gifts available and their benefits, tax consequences, restrictions and limitations, and requirements.

Gross domestic product per capita, a proxy for living standards, has slowed dramatically over the last 15 years. For equity investors, slower economic growth translates into reduced opportunity for revenue growth and increased risk for transitory shocks and market volatility. The biggest risk to the economy is that political leaders will respond to subpar growth in living standards by implementing anti-growth policies, including protectionist measures, higher taxes, restrictions on immigration and tighter government regulation of industry, which would likely slow growth even further.

Increasing data availability and shifting investor focus toward ESG integration has led to rapid innovations in the financial industry as demand grows for impact investing. Research suggests that ESG Tilt strategies can earn competitive returns, with particularly favorable results in emerging and European markets. Meanwhile, ESG Momentum strategies appear to provide the greatest probability of earning excess returns for impact investors by rewarding companies with improving “material” environmental, social and governance factors.

In recent years, investment professionals have identified a more nuanced category of diversification—specifically, gender diversification within workplace leadership. Data shows that leadership diversity tends to provide the same benefits as asset-class diversification: higher returns and lessened risk. Given this research, investors, particularly those committed to ESG investing are allocating funds to companies with strong female leadership.

Physical and cognitive changes are a natural part of the aging process, and in the case of Alzheimer’s disease—the sixth-leading cause of death in America—individuals and families face complex emotions and planning issues. Excerpted from a longer panel discussion, this Q&A format article provides insights on Alzheimer’s disease, its effect on diagnosed individuals and their families, and the important legal, medical and financial planning issues it raises.

Lower population growth and productivity growth will weigh on future GDP growth. These lower rates of growth, in turn, bring lower returns to many asset classes, including equities and fixed income. While this circumstance creates challenges for portfolios of any risk level, it is particularly challenging to build a low risk portfolio that generates much positive return after inflation and taxes. Adapting to this new environment may require some changes.

Structuring and strategically managing an investment portfolio is not easy in any environment. Until recently, the task was made easier with expected average returns that were at levels that would normally meet expectations to fund pension benefits, endowment distributions and lifestyle needs. However, today’s environment is drastically different. What can investors do to increase the probability that their average portfolio returns are higher across a broad spectrum of asset classes?

While hedge fund performance can be cyclical, as it is with equity and fixed income markets, an allocation to hedge funds can provide compelling attributes in an investment portfolio over the long run. At a closer look, hedge funds have been accretive to portfolios over the last 15 years, and in each of three 5 year segments. From a historical perspective across different market cycles, a case can be made that now is good time to allocate to hedge funds.