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Finished basements are at elevated risk during heavy storms, making electronic and recreational equipment, furniture, mechanical systems, and other items susceptible to damage. Basement flooding can be exacerbated by a power failure, which may cause a disruption in water removal systems. One of the best investments to protect against water dam...

Decision making for a family enterprise is complicated and there is typically not an absolute right or wrong answer. Even when a family is on board with a shared vision of what they want to accomplish with their wealth, how do you bring them together to make the decisions needed to get there? Following six recommended steps, a family enterprise can...

The Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service has issued initial proposed regulations and instructions for investments in qualified opportunity funds (“QOF”), a program designed to incentive the reallocation of capital to designated low-income census tracts. This long-anticipated guidance is expected to allow investors, busine...

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 resili...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created new incentives for investment into certain communities throughout the United States that have been designated as Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs) by the U.S. Treasury Department. Investors can take advantage of the statute’s unique opportunity for deferral and exclusion of capital gains taxes by inv...

One year has passed since significant tax law changes were enacted in December 2017. The overall impact of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) on estate and tax planning for individuals and their families is close to what we expected—it’s been a mixed bag for taxpayers. We take a closer look at the major changes—and the winner...

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act left many of the rules and laws pertaining to retirement planning unchanged. However, the Act did change the tax landscape for many by lowering overall tax rates for individuals and businesses and changing deductions. Given this new landscape, there are additional opportunities and new twists for taxpayers to be mindf...

The world economy is evolving and investors will need to adapt. We look at how the investment landscape is likely to evolve, against a background of continued economic growth but sustained uncertainty around China, Europe, and elsewhere. It makes sense to stay invested, but hedge, with market volatility creating opportunities as well as risks. Over...

It’s the giving season—a time of joy, wonder, togetherness, and sharing. For Kimberly Myers-Hewlett, it is also a special time that brings her back to her philanthropic roots that began with her parents teaching her brother and her the meaning of caring for others. Learning from her parents and their generous nature, Kimberly tries to b...

Investors may be feeling a bit skittish as talk has shifted to rising rates, slowing economic growth, and growing geopolitical risks. A neutral allocation to equities still seems appropriate for 2019, but the risks are rising. A key question going forward is whether the recent volatility marks an intermission of the nearly decade-long bull market o...

The artificial intelligence (AI) predictions of 2019 are insightful as ChatGPT and other AI platforms are becoming mainstream. Most executives knew then that AI had the power to change almost everything about the way they do business—and could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. But what many business lead...

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 l...

A hot U.S. economy will likely cool noticeably in 2019 as the combination of receding fiscal stimulus, higher interest rates, and rising annual operating deficit begin to increase the cost of doing business. In this issue of The Real Economy, we take a closer look at key economic factors to watch in 2019 such as employment, financial conditions, do...

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 e...

The passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in 2017 overhauled several cornerstones of the Internal Revenue Code and introduced new tax law, including section 1400Z-1 and section 1400Z-2 which address the qualified opportunity zones (QOZs). The business community, specifically real estate investors, has viewed the QOZ as a possible turbocharged...