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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.

While the headline index reading continues to indicate middle market conditions are robust, the forward-looking Middle Market Business Index (MMBI) subindices imply that inflationary pressures and a tight labor market may in part account for reduced enthusiasm and uncertainty heading into 2019. Clouds are forming on the horizon related to declining fiscal outlays later in 2019, inflationary pressures, and an uncertain outlook for tariffs and trade policy. As operating margins become tighter, companies are evaluating their ability to pass through cost increases to their customers.

Creating a truly effective board doesn’t happen by accident. From selecting the right people, to running crisp meetings, to fostering good working relationships with management and one another—boards are tasked with many decisions that impact how well they function. Over time, boards fall into routines for how they operate. But how many regularly look at their governance practices to see if they are as good as they could be?

For companies doing business in multiple states, determining state tax responsibilities has always been a challenge. However, 2018 was a notably busy year. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) brought federal legislation that left states needing to react quickly, and with tax reform 2.0 looming, the challenges are not over. In our state tax recap, we explore noteworthy changes and introduce information on state reactions to the TCJA, the Wayfair and sales tax nexus, increased state amnesty activity, and rate changes.

Having a good cyber risk management program in place might help a company prevent some breaches. But more importantly, when a breach does happen, it can help companies get back on their feet faster and mitigate financial and reputational damage. How do you know whether your company is doing what it should to address the risk and become cyber resilient?

With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act at the end of 2017, more family businesses are examining their corporate structure and considering the tax implications. Specifically, companies that are currently structured as “pass-through” entities (e.g., an S corporation, partnership, or LLC taxed as an S corporation or partnership) are examining the new-found benefits of converting to a C-Corp.

The ability to attract, retain, and reward a superior workforce is fundamental to every organization’s long-term growth. One way to achieve it is to offer stock options to employees, giving them a stake in the company’s value as part of their compensation package. In general, there are two forms of stock options: nonqualified stock options and incentive stock options.

There is great responsibility when serving the ultra-high net worth clients, especially those who are concerned about preserving a family legacy and the successful transfer of their wealth and/or business. In this issue of Family Wealth Advisors Insights, three areas of concerns are addressed for the advisors and their families: maximizing their foundation endowment funds for social impact; what business owners need to know about their 2018 taxes; and the rise of self-made female billionaires and what it means for the future of philanthropy in the U.S.

Both New York State and New York City have recently passed a series of laws that significantly increased the protections against sexual harassment in the workplace. These laws outline additional and specific requirements—including the adoption of anti-sexual harassment policies and training—that employers must comply with over the next year.