The 2018 U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth® study asked nearly one thousand high-net-worth individuals about their approach to building wealth and the extent to which they are using it to achieve their goals and support the causes they care about most. The study found that while wealth provides the freedom to do more, it also brings increased obligations, expectations and demands.
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It is often thought that financial success comes with a certain level of financial freedom: the freedom to pursue passions, to take risks, to give back, and to make an even bigger impact. In the 2018 U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth® survey, the results revealed that only half of high-net-worth individuals have a plan to optimize the opportunities their wealth provides.
1031 Exchange, commonly known as like-kind exchange, can be a smart tax strategy for business owners who also own or invest in real estate.
Wealth brings with it some important considerations, including the obligation to have an approach to managing it. For families of significant wealth, it primarily revolves around the requirement to develop an investment strategy that ensures the wealth is maintained for future generations. It creates a shift in focus—one that takes an intergenerational approach and goes beyond the protection of capital in the short term.
In one way or another, every enterprise—and every investment—is impacted by gender, whether it be through the gender of those in leadership and governance positions, how employees experience workplace policies and practices, or how women are treated throughout the supply chain.
Interest in various forms of impact investing has been growing, but the array of terms—ESG, SRI, Green Bonds, and Engagement—in this area has contributed to investor confusion. The decision on which form is right for the investor depends on a number of factors, including the investor’s goals, beliefs, resources, and preferences. Though one agreed-upon process to evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing actions may never exist, any proposed process should be practical, helping investors make informed decisions with both their time and capital.
Impact investing uses investment capital to solve social or environmental problems. Such investments often promote renewable energy, food, water, health, and economic development. While once of interest to a relative few, impact investing has gone mainstream and, according to US SIF, now accounts for more than one out of every six dollars under professional management in the United States.
What do people really mean when they talk about “impact investing?” Why do people make impact investments, and how do they do it? What counts, and what doesn’t? This primer provides family enterprises with clear explanations of the “why,” “how,” and “what” of impact investing. Whether families are just dipping their toes in the water, or ready to dive in, families can make more impact investments more effectively.
Fixed income is a cornerstone of traditionally balanced investment portfolios, offering stable income, varying liquidity, and a relatively low-risk profile. Given the prevalence and diversity of fixed income investment opportunities, families who wish to create or expand an impact investment portfolio may find fixed income to be a good place to start. Families can align their investments with their values (or philanthropic mission) by incorporating social and environmental factors into their fixed income investment decisions.
For decades, asset owners have worked to align their public equity investments with their values. Today, many investors in public equity consider social and environmental issues in their investment selection processes. Given the diversity and demonstrable track records of these strategies, families may find public equity to be an accessible asset class as they develop impact investment portfolios. Families can make public equity impact investment in several ways to achieve their overall impact and financial objectives.