Because of social and cultural changes that have increased women’s control of wealth, this paper seeks to help families navigate this newer development—where the female partner’s inherited wealth significantly exceeds that which her spouse is likely to generate through his own inheritance or work. It begins with McKayla’s story and the challenges she and her boyfriend faced in their fiscally unequal partnership.
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Many acronyms and terms are associated with impact investing, including socially responsible investing (SRI), mission related investing (MRI), and environmental, social and governance (ESG). While each has specific attributes, all address the desire to align one’s investments with a social cause or causes one believes in. In 2015 research by U.S. Trust, 85 percent of millennials, 70 percent of Generation Xers and 49 percent of baby boomers surveyed agreed that the social or environmental impact of an investment was important in making investment decisions.
Research shows that individuals investing directly in stocks or in mutual funds tend to have substantially lower returns than do comparable equity indices or the funds themselves. This underperformance is attributable mainly to human behavioral biases, either cognitive or emotional, which have long been the focus of behavioral finance literature. Of the many deficiencies researchers have identified, one of the most significant is loss aversion. That and other behavioral biases cannot be avoided, but their effects can be diminished.
There were two distinct periods during the quarter divided by sentiment and performance. The start of the year through February 11 was a “risk-off” period of negative sentiment and sharp declines across asset classes and countries. Many assets had double-digit declines during the first half of the quarter. Sentiment shifted abruptly and most markets rallied starting February 12. Many major indices erased prior losses to post gains for the quarter.
Prior to the Brexit vote on June 23, financial markets were relatively strong. The S&P 500 index was trading just under its all-time high and the British pound was at the highest level of the year. The day after the vote, markets reacted sharply with risk-assets dropping and safe haven assets rising. Oil, the S&P 500, and the FTSE Eurotop 100 fell 5 percent, 4 percent, and 6 percent respectively. Gold gained 4 percent. The sell-off lasted two days and equities regained much of the two-day declines by month-end.
Recognize that a cyber attack will occur at some point during a business lifecycle. Whether it is through web attacks, email phishing, exploit kits, point of sale, keystroke logging, or ransomware, the bad actors have figured out how to defeat your latest defense against a cyber attack. They know what will make you click on the link that will give them the beachhead into your computer system.
Just as an individual goes through life cycles, so does a charity. From the start-up phase to adopting a strategic vision to looking at ways to grow the charity, there are many steps to consider at each important phase of the charity’s lifetime. By bringing discipline and focus to your family philanthropy and going beyond just writing checks, your charity has the best chance of making a greater impact.
Investment in collectible assets is growing worldwide as wealthy individuals in emerging markets such as China, India, and Latin America join the ranks of collectors. While most collectors invest primarily for their own pleasure, collectibles can be a good investment, too. If you collect items that you’re passionate about—whether they are cars or wine or jewelry or even autographed baseballs—it’s important to consider the financial side of your avocation and how to maximize the investment value of your collection.
The federal government proposed sweeping new tax rules earlier this month that would dramatically affect family businesses, investment partnerships and other entities. These rules, which could become final and binding as early as the end of 2016, would artificially inflate the value of interests in family entities for gift and estate tax purposes. Families should now consider whether to accelerate their plans to transfer family business and investment assets ahead of these rules.
Your first home, establishing your career, marriage, a new baby, a teen’s first car, a student going to college, retirement—many of life’s major events can affect not only your life insurance and estate plans but also your property and liability insurance. While insurance may not be top of mind during these memorable moments and key life-stage milestones, failure to make necessary changes to your policies can lead to uncovered losses.