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Recent legislation and changing public opinion has led to the birth of an exciting, fast-growth new industry: cannabis. Companies eager to capitalize on the trend toward legalization are moving quickly to establish a toehold in an industry that is expected to generate explosive growth in coming years. At the same time, investors considering ways to participate in this growth are faced with a unique set of challenges.

The spectacular decline in global interest rates, both here and abroad, has been viewed as a necessary tonic to reinvigorate the sluggish global economy. But will a sharp reduction in short-term interest rates engineered by the Fed result in a new economic boom and a powerful rally in stock prices? Or is the experience of the European and Japanese economies more likely, in which negative yields on sovereign bonds have failed so far to generate a sustainable pickup in economic growth?

Up moderately, the real GDP grew at an annualized rate of 3.1% in the first quarter of 2019 in the U.S. The increase reflected greater inventory buildup and exports pulled forward amid tariff fears. Forecasts for the second quarter were measurably lower, with consensus between 1.5% and 2.0%. Labor conditions remain strong while consumer confidence has trended down. Outside the U.S., the European economy continues to show signs of weakness. The U.S.-China relations goes beyond unresolved trade and tariff issues.

Given the existence of low or even negative yields, investors are increasingly focused on finding sources of incremental income. The recent inversion of the U.S. Treasury curve has heightened concern about a potential economic recession. Historical market performance following previous yield curve inversions is a limited and imprecise prediction tool.

As more and more investors look to implement impact investment strategies, interesting questions are being raised in the context of impact investing by fiduciaries appointed to administer a trust for beneficiaries. Suppose the beneficiary of a multi-generational, non-charitable trust is interested in integrating her values in a trust established for her benefit. How should a trustee determine if the request is consistent with the trustee’s duties under the Prudent Investor Rule?

With private investments experiencing a renaissance, now is an opportune time to assess the factors shaping the current landscape, debunk misconceptions about the asset class, and evaluate the benefits and boundaries of private investing.

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.

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.

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.”