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The big question in the estate planning world today is whether, when, and to what extent the U.S. Congress will enact changes to gift, estate, and income tax laws. With many challenges facing the new Biden Administration, and the narrowly Democratic Senate, major tax legislation may not even be considered in 2021. Nevertheless, the tax proposals endorsed by the Biden Administration provide clear signals for actions clients should consider this year.

There’s a common sentiment that COVID-19 will have an impact on investment strategies and the types of investors that will be active over the next few years. While 2021 may turn into a feeding frenzy for private equity, longer-term investors can remain as selective as they’ve always been. Corporate acquirers, meanwhile, won’t simply buy market share because acquisition targets have lower valuations, but they will align their mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategy on both the buy side and sell side with their long-term business plan.

Many are rethinking their asset allocations beyond traditional asset classes and are seeking new and creative ways to better diversify their investment portfolios, increase returns, and reduce risk. Turning to alternative investments—with a focus on private investment funds—see what you should know and consider when choosing to add them in the mix of your investment portfolios and asset allocation. There are pros and cons, and being well-informed is critical to making better investment decisions.

Among its many provisions, the American Rescue Plan COVID relief addresses paid sick and family leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and makes temporary but significant changes to COBRA coverage. A short (and high-level) summary of the changes are provided to show the effect on covered employers and employees.

Digital platforms make microbusinesses possible for millions of people, and companies like Etsy and GoDaddy have been an essential backbone behind them, especially during the pandemic (Etsy sellers contributed $13 billion and almost 3 million jobs to the economy last year). In this NOW episode, we discuss the evolution of microbusinesses and what they mean for the growth and resilience of our communities. Later, David Powell, co-portfolio manager of Brown Advisory's Large-Cap Sustainable Growth strategy, joined the conversation to discuss takeaways for investors.

“I’m 100 percent not you, and you’re 100 percent not me.”— Find out why that powerful reminder from guest Cassie Atteberry is the key to making the “people stuff” easier for you, your family, and your organization. In this episode, Cassie joins host Damien Martin to share insights to help you to show up as the best version of yourself, build higher-performing teams, and deliberately create a healthy and successful organizational culture.

Singapore has been trending upward—becoming the place that is increasingly synonymous with family offices. Since 2019, Singapore has seen a growing number of high-profiled businesspeople establish family offices there. In addition to tax incentives, interest in Singapore is fueled by the potential growth in Asia, where many see the island nation as a gateway to the region. Apart from tax and other external driving forces, Singapore has attractive investment incentives available for family offices or family investment vehicles.

The college admissions world is constantly changing. In this webcast, Lindsay and Olivia of LogicPrep discuss recent admissions trends, the different types of test-optional policies, and what parts of your application matter most to colleges right now.

On August 24, 2022, the California Attorney announced a settlement with Sephora, Inc. that included a fine of $1.2 million for alleged violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The settlement is important because it makes clear that the use of analytics, advertising cookies, and other automatic data collection technologies are a "sale" under the CCPA. Businesses that are subject to the CCPA (and the upcoming CPRA) should immediately review their CCPA compliance to minimize being a potential target of further enforcement actions.

Many family-owned businesses feel like a recession has started already, due to rising material and energy costs, continued labor shortages coupled with wage increases, and other factors. Whether heading towards a recession or not, companies should consider a combination of internally focused cost cutting and operating improvement measures, as well as market- and customer-facing strategic measures.