Resource Search

Interest in sustainable investing is growing each day as wealth owners, families, and family office professionals start down the path of sustainability investing. This paper details the typical path these investors take, the questions many of them face, and the way many of them successfully develop a winning strategy that generates both returns and impact.

As with any important undertaking, the first steps are critical. Nowhere is this truer than when building a second home. Failing to make the right moves early often spells disaster. You can avoid the headaches and build the home of your dreams more easily than you might think. Follow the five essential steps—including assembling the right team—to begin an effective process, and to ensure the creation of a second home you will treasure.

U.S. equity performance relative to other equity markets has been unusually strong for the extended period since 2009. As is typically the case, investors have developed a battery of reasons why the lofty valuations of U.S. equities are justified and why they will continue to outperform other markets for the long run. In this edition of VantagePoint, four of the most common inaccuracies about U.S. equities are uncovered.

In practice it can be challenging to find an advisor who is truly independent and has your best interest at heart. As part of your due diligence and investment advisor selection and oversight process, it’s a good starting point to check if the advisor has a Code of Ethics—one that underscore the importance of avoiding activities, interests, and relationships that might interfere with, or give the appearance of interfering with placing the interest of clients first.

Whether an employee leaves for another job or because the employer decided it was time for the employee to go, employers typically need to figure out how to replace a departing worker. Sometimes, the break is clean. Other times, it can be complicated. Regardless of the reason or circumstance, now-former employees may have post-employment obligations to the business or organization that employers should immediately consider and, if necessary, act upon.

If you are a business owner, one thing is certain: At some point, you will exit your company. In order to leave—on your terms and when the time is right—you should begin to design your plan now in order to achieve a successful outcome. Many owners often believe that their exit plan begins when they receive an offer for their business. That should not be the case. Exit planning is a journey. If done correctly, you will increase the chances of your transition vision coming true.

There’s no denying that the looming transfer of wealth will be great—the largest in history. However, for all the hype and years of coverage, the Great Wealth Transfer is more like the Great Wealth Trickle. Even as a trickle, for wealthy families focused on preserving their legacy over generations, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of effectively transferring wealth and how certain factors can impact the transfer on multiple fronts. Smart families recognize that a proactive approach is essential to a smooth transition.

The trend of states legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana use continues to gain momentum. Unfortunately for employers, this also means having to wade through an ever-growing patchwork of marijuana laws across the country. The latest development addresses one discrete but important distinction for recreationally legalized marijuana. Employers would be wise to consider their reasons for having zero-tolerance policies and whether those policies can be tailored to avoid confusion on the ‘lawful product’ interpretation.

Single family offices (SFOs) have long been an established way for wealthy families to create accountability and structure around the myriad needs of family members. Yet decades of experience have revealed that families too often fail to recognize—or choose to ignore—early signs that an existing SFO structure is cost-prohibitive or failing to meet a family’s shifting needs. Here are four signs that indicate it’s time to rethink your single family office to better serve and support the family members.

One core belief held about the blockchain industry is that every stock, bond, currency, and commodity will eventually be digitized (also known as tokenized). This investment thesis is one that has large-scale implications, but the rewards will only be realized by those who are patient enough to stick around for a long time. As Bill Gates says, “We overestimate what we can accomplish in one year, but underestimate what we can accomplish in ten years.”