As the current economic crisis continues to unfold, financial institutions must focus not only on the immediate situation but also on the likely long-term effects. If history is any guide, Kroll says, they will see a substantial increase in fraud claims, legal disputes and regulatory actions.
A client alert from Baker & McKenzie offers insight into HMRC's draft guidance setting out the agency's view on the application of the new trustee residency rules to non-UK resident corporate trustees.
There are significant changes in the taxation of non-UK domiciled individuals. This question-and-answer document from KPMG LLP provides a quick overview of these changes as well as the impact on those affected.
All offshore trust companies with any UK nexus should consider their UK exposure and the position of their trusteeships given the extremely detrimental tax effects that can arise through a determination of UK fiscal residency. The guidance also is very relevant, Withers says, in the context of private trust companies with UK resident directors.
Family businesses are perceived as having endemic problems, such as governance and succession issues, but their strengths – long-term perspective, stable leadership and strong identity – can give them a competitive advantage. This report from Barclays Wealth examines how family businesses are faring in today's challenging economic, financial and op...
Despite its challenges, the current economic environment offers opportunities that can benefit family-owned businesses. This article from the Beringer Group encourages family businesses to consider the possibilities that may exist in acquisitions, corporate restructurings, internal buyouts, succession planning and estate planning.
Companies that manage their people, or talent, successfully are in good position to weather volatile times and emerge in better shape than ever. Deloitte offers suggestions beyond downsizing to align short-term budget-trimming needs with companies' long-term personnel strategies and overall business objectives.
If they are to weather future market changes, trusts need to be revised or developed using more candid projections of economic conditions. A report from U.S. Trust offers suggestions to improve the effectiveness of trusts, such as assessing portfolio potential more frequently, including probable tax increases in projections and setting distribution...
Life insurance policy owners should avoid projecting today's economic environment into the future, causing them to choose products that lock in long-term mortality and interest rates. A new paper from Pelagos Advisors says such a move not only ensures long-term underperformance but also sacrifices the flexibility to take advantage of conditions as ...
A new market analysis from Fortigent LLC assesses international currency trends and offers recommendations for sophisticated investors looking to mitigate risks to their portfolios over both short- and long-term time horizons.
No asset class, except government bonds, has protected investors from the credit crisis. But that does not mean diversification has failed investors, according to this analysis by Barclays Global Investors. The authors explore investors' flight to quality as a risk factor affecting current returns and explain why investors should diversify across t...
Emerging market local currency-denominated debt is a relatively new asset class that offers the potential for strong returns with low correlation to the returns of other asset classes. BNY Mellon Asset Management provides answers to a dozen common questions about this type of debt.
Insurance companies face the same economic challenges as other businesses, so policyholders and advisors may be wondering what to expect if an insurer becomes insolvent. This article from the M Financial Group provides answers about what happens when an insurer is sold or goes into receivership.
An economic downturn increases crime and potential risk for ultra-wealthy families. This research paper from Insite Security notes evidence of criminal action against wealthy employers by their staffs during hard times and offers tips on what families can do to reduce the likelihood of being victimized.
Bank of America's 2008 study of philanthropy offers a closer look at giving, including reasons why ultra-wealthy families give to charity and how much they give, why families stop giving, how they transmit charitable values to their children and the types of philanthropic advice they seek from advisors.