Resource Search

No asset class, except government bonds, has protected investors from the credit crisis. But that does not mean diversification has failed investors, according to this analysis by Barclays Global Investors. The authors explore investors' flight to quality as a risk factor affecting current returns and explain why investors should diversify across types of risk as well as across asset classes.

A new market analysis from Fortigent LLC assesses international currency trends and offers recommendations for sophisticated investors looking to mitigate risks to their portfolios over both short- and long-term time horizons.

Life insurance policy owners should avoid projecting today's economic environment into the future, causing them to choose products that lock in long-term mortality and interest rates. A new paper from Pelagos Advisors says such a move not only ensures long-term underperformance but also sacrifices the flexibility to take advantage of conditions as they change.

If they are to weather future market changes, trusts need to be revised or developed using more candid projections of economic conditions. A report from U.S. Trust offers suggestions to improve the effectiveness of trusts, such as assessing portfolio potential more frequently, including probable tax increases in projections and setting distribution methods that balance client needs and trust viability.

Companies that manage their people, or talent, successfully are in good position to weather volatile times and emerge in better shape than ever. Deloitte offers suggestions beyond downsizing to align short-term budget-trimming needs with companies' long-term personnel strategies and overall business objectives.

Despite its challenges, the current economic environment offers opportunities that can benefit family-owned businesses. This article from the Beringer Group encourages family businesses to consider the possibilities that may exist in acquisitions, corporate restructurings, internal buyouts, succession planning and estate planning.

Family businesses are perceived as having endemic problems, such as governance and succession issues, but their strengths – long-term perspective, stable leadership and strong identity – can give them a competitive advantage. This report from Barclays Wealth examines how family businesses are faring in today's challenging economic, financial and operating environment.

CBRE Investors views about real estate investment opportunities.

A hundred years is a long time. It is especially long in an age of the Internet, cell phones and Blackberrys. Society is also very much focused on instant results. Nevertheless, planning for the next 100 years is one of the most critical tasks a wealthy family faces today. With this 100-year plan, a family sets in motion a culture and philosophy that can guide future generations to perpetuate the family's financial and intellectual capital.

In a more challenging investment environment, families are more frequently seeking to partner with investment advisors that manage the entire relationship, leading to a dramatic increase in demand for family office providers. Multifamily offices have emerged as an attractive structure because of their solutions-driven approach and capacity for shared resources.