Resource Search

In light of COVID-19 and state and local stay-at-home orders, many businesses have greatly increased the number of remote workers. Firsttime remote workers—and some seasoned remote workers—need to be aware of hidden pitfalls in the gadgets and apps they are using while working from home.

By governmental command or voluntary decision, businesses of all kinds have been altering or limiting operations or closing their doors entirely. Often the business decisions are made apart from any thought of the potential insurance implications. In particular, businesses with commercial property insurance policies may not have been considering whether business interruptions coverage would apply. There are steps that businesses can take now to best position themselves to preserve whatever coverage they have.

Relief was offered when the First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was passed. The Act provided $104 Billion to help fight COVID-19 and protect workers and families from the health and economic impact of the virus. Other relief and guidelines are highlighted in this infographic for employers facing tough decisions under the pandemic environment.

The Alternatives Landscape provides a broad overview of the current environment for the primary alternative asset classes: hedge funds, private equity, private credit, real assets, and real estate. The landscape begins with a look at the broad hedge fund universe, which saw managers in higher beta-oriented strategies generating the best returns.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused investors around the globe to ditch risky assets in favor of safer alternatives. Many have looked to gold as the place to park capital in hopes that the commodity will gain value during the current market rout. Gold is viewed as a safe haven, expected to deliver a degree of protection when equity markets become more volatile. With so much uncertainty surrounding equities, why is gold underperforming?

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant burdens for employers and employees alike. While some businesses struggle to survive, others are fortunate enough to be in a position to help employees as they face hardships created by the crisis. Many employers in the latter category are looking for ways to best help employees who are facing financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic. One possible approach for these employers is a disaster relief fund under Section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, business interruption and civil authority claims rose. In this episode, it addressed tips for providing notice, the amount and types of claims policyholders filed and requests for information from the insurance industry, similar historical events, and the barrage of expected insurance litigation coming our way.

The CARES Act is a $2.2 trillion fiscal policy response to help American citizens and businesses struggling with the severe impact from the coronavirus pandemic. The law created several important programs to help provide liquidity to small and midsize businesses to cover payroll or other business expenses. Each program carries its own set of restrictions based on employment size and other variables. The intention of the new law is to help businesses operating on Main Street, and in some cases that might include some family offices and their portfolio companies.

In what feels like a distant memory, the first quarter of 2020 began on a positive note, with the S&P 500 rising to a record high on February 19. Markets quickly retreated as investors digested the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy. The S&P 500 plummeted, losing 34% in 23 trading days, the fastest decline of that magnitude in history. Global central banks and governing bodies responded quickly, injecting historic levels of monetary and fiscal stimulus which pared losses.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury released a set of frequently asked questions late on April 6, 2020, to clarify several issues with Paycheck Protection Program loans. These FAQs present the SBA’s interpretation of several provisions of the program, in some cases contradicting interpretations from banks, lawyers, and other advisors. A summary of some of the most important FAQs is provided, along with guidance as to what applicants should do if they had already applied before this guidance was issued.