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The pursuit of stability remains the order of the day for family offices. With the aid of additional clarity after the tumultuous year of 2020 and COVID, wealth owners and their advisers have an opportunity to turn measured responses into more meaningful, longer-term action plans. Against this backdrop and the need to adapt, we take an in-depth look at how wealthy individuals and their advisers are meeting a myriad of challenges and preparing for what the future may bring.

Digital platforms make microbusinesses possible for millions of people, and companies like Etsy and GoDaddy have been an essential backbone behind them, especially during the pandemic (Etsy sellers contributed $13 billion and almost 3 million jobs to the economy last year). In this NOW episode, we discuss the evolution of microbusinesses and what they mean for the growth and resilience of our communities. Later, David Powell, co-portfolio manager of Brown Advisory's Large-Cap Sustainable Growth strategy, joined the conversation to discuss takeaways for investors.

The cryptocurrency market, and specifically Bitcoin, has grown significantly and offers investors high potential returns. It is commonly argued that Bitcoin should be considered by investors as a store of value and portfolio hedge. However, there are a number of risks that investors should evaluate before considering an allocation.

With the rising interest rates and media speculation around the level of credit spreads, corporate bond investors are reminded of the 2013 taper tantrum when credit spreads widened. For investors concerned about increased market volatility, allocating to a rules-based ladder strategy may provide both predictable income and capital preservation.

Singapore has been trending upward—becoming the place that is increasingly synonymous with family offices. Since 2019, Singapore has seen a growing number of high-profiled businesspeople establish family offices there. In addition to tax incentives, interest in Singapore is fueled by the potential growth in Asia, where many see the island nation as a gateway to the region. Apart from tax and other external driving forces, Singapore has attractive investment incentives available for family offices or family investment vehicles.

When portfolios don’t deliver outcomes as expected, the number one question is “Why?” In this Risk Report, the answers are provided through an examination of more than 200 institutional equity portfolios, representing more than $200 billion assets. What was discovered may surprise you. From a portfolio’s exposure to uncompensated risks to the performance-hindering “cancellation effect,” there were six common drivers of unexpected portfolio results.

Monitoring concentration in investment managers is an important component of portfolio risk management. While portfolio-level analysis on liquidity, beta, and volatility are frequently monitored, a minority of investment teams use active risk to size managers. By considering the return profile of a manager along with its size in the portfolio, active risk provides additional insight to risk management decisions, helps build better portfolios, and contributes to better governance.

The Corporate Transparency Act requires certain newly formed and existing corporate entities to identify and disclose information on their “beneficial owners” to FinCEN. This information includes identifying the beneficial owners by full legal name, date of birth, current residential or business address, among other data. FinCEN is now seeking preliminary input on various topics that will be covered under the forthcoming CTA regulations, which will guide FinCEN in its implementation of all aspects of the new rules.

Is the Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) market dimming? Not likely. Even as the SPAC market takes a breather from its hypersonic acceleration in early 2021, new funders are stepping into the picture. In this webcast, the presenters examined the SPAC environment, evolving deal structures, participants, and risks, as well as important federal regulation changes.

The Biden administration has unveiled a new $2 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery plan, the American Jobs Plan, which is designed to simultaneously revitalize the country’s infrastructure and combat climate change. The Plan will also give municipal investors an opportunity to focus on environmental or “green” project opportunities that range from investing in mass transportation to cleaner energy and water to climate-adaptive infrastructure.