It’s been a little over a year since the 2017 Tax Act brought a multitude of changes to the tax code. As families continue to learn about the impact of the new law on their future, advisors await further guidance from the treasury department while simultaneously evaluating the challenges and opportunities presented by the changes for their clients. In this annual session, Tom Abendroth of Schiff Hardin and Don Delf of PwC led participants through a thorough discussion of the most important topics and developments covered at the 53rd Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning.
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FOX Foresight keeps members up to date on the latest thinking on matters that affect enterprise families. It summarizes what we have been learning from our members and our subject matter experts over the last year. Please share it broadly within your family, your office, and your advisors.FOX Foresight is presented in 7 chapters:
We hear a lot today about the cybersecurity risks we face but to protect our families, it’s crucial not to forget the importance of effectively managing personal and physical security.
An increasing problem facing employers is the threat of class action lawsuits related to their use of background checks. In these lawsuits, plaintiffs claim that employers are violating a federal statute called the Fair Credit Reporting Act (the “FCRA”), which regulates, among other things, an employer’s use of background checks performed by third-party providers. In the face of this potential exposure, it is extremely important that employers ensure they are complying with the FCRA’s notice and disclosure requirements.
Successful transitions between generations is a key differentiator in families that out-perform the shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves proverb. Effective generation succession doesn’t happen by accident, nor is it accomplished through the efforts of a single generation.
When it comes to the family, dynamics are changing. There is no longer one dominant family form in the U.S., according to Pew research. Parents are waiting longer to have children, and many millennials are living at home or taking a less direct route to adulthood. These shifts will continue in 2019 and shape how affluent families tackle interpersonal issues. As wealthy families move forward, there are three trends they should keep a close eye on and discuss with their family office or other advisors.
With a seemingly infinite amount of performance data points and varying degrees of investor knowledge among stakeholders, it can be difficult to determine the reporting requirements for each group. In order to establish appropriate reporting criteria, it is important for managers to understand where stakeholders fall along the spectrum knowledge. Once this measurement has been established, managers can focus on the creation and optimization of individualized performance reports, which can be customized to cater towards each investor’s understanding.
The Internet has bought connection, communication, and efficiency to the business world, including family offices. However, conducting business online without proper security and knowledge of risks can endanger the family and its data. The right level of expertise, planning, and effort is required to safeguard sensitive information. It is an organizational effort, but employees and family members also benefit from using best practices to protect personal information online.
The reality today is many companies have relied too much on conducting just a cybersecurity compliance checklist assessment and framework. While compliance with government and industry documentation standards is good, it is not sufficient, nor does it ensure real information security. Organizations need to take appropriate action both before and after a cyber data breach to mitigate the potential negative impacts and optimize business performance results.
Your organization’s people strategy should align with your business strategy, and every people-related initiative should result in something that your customers value. Knowing how to find the right people and get them to want to work for you and stay is the secret to competitive advantage. Leverage your human capital and take advantage of these tips to keep your employees engaged within your organization.