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A portfolio’s asset allocation reflects an investor’s goals and temperament—the need for return and ability to withstand the financial markets’ inevitable turbulence. Over time, as the returns of higher- and lower-risk assets diverge, a portfolio can take on exposures that are inconsistent with the investor’s risk and ...

Over the past decade, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become popular among investors in building investment portfolios. Although sometimes portrayed as unique instruments, ETFs are overwhelmingly similar to mutual funds, from both a regulatory and a structural standpoint. They also possess important features stemming from the method by which inve...

Even as the financial markets have rallied in early 2019, recession concerns have dominated investor discussions. We continue to believe that the U.S. economy will avoid recession this year. However, economic policy uncertainty increased and financial conditions tightened significantly in late 2018 and early 2019. We explore the extent to which the...

Automation has caused anxiety among those who fear it, because it leads to job loss. But that pessimism is unjustified. Automation changes human labor but doesn't eliminate it. Technology will continue to reshape employment in the next ten years and the pace of change will accelerate. Essential to the future of work will be the education and tr...

Investors can diversify their portfolios through equity allocations to markets outside their home market. Despite this opportunity, investors on average have maintained allocations to their home country that have been significantly larger than the country's market-capitalization weight in a globally diversified equity index. This paper explores...

Direct investments for wealthy individuals and family offices can be challenging when competing with the experience, intellectual capital, and the deep network of relationships forged by a private equity firm. The good news is that the thoughtful structuring and the focused implementation of direct investment programs can help in setting private cl...

While major cyber incidents and data breaches at large corporations capture global headlines, middle market companies are starting to recognize that they are often the prime target for cybercriminals. With generally limited resources, middle market organizations must place a premium on awareness and benchmarking to help mitigate the threat of cyber...

The economic impact of the tax cut peaked in October 2018 and is now fading. If a bipartisan U.S. federal budget agreement cannot be reached before the end of 2019, a $126 billion fiscal cliff awaits the U.S. economy in the 2020 fiscal year, and will begin acting as a drag on overall growth later in 2019. A review of leading indicators of economic ...

REITs’ recent strong relative performance highlights the potential benefits of having defensive, lease-based revenues, and high dividend yields in an environment of heightened uncertainty. As investors look to protect their portfolios from what may be a more challenging and volatile environment, we believe a 10-15% allocation to REITs can be ...

Many early-retirement Boomers feel comfortable that their estate plan is in order, having put their estate plan in place when they had younger children. With adult children, and the increase in the estate and gift tax exemption amounts, many feel that there is little planning to be done. However, upon review, there are plans that may need adju...

The inversion yield curve is widely viewed as one of the most reliable and accurate predictors of economic slowdown. The traditional warning sign has garnered significant attention and has intensified the debate on where we are at in the economy. If you follow the financial media, you have most likely been exposed to some of these deliberations. Wh...

Cyber security is a subject that continues to make headlining news. Because every business is at risk of a cyberattack, it’s important to know what types of threats your business could be subject to and understand the techniques you can implement to help prevent attacks from happening.

If you find your family office or growing business suffering from a lack of support in the technology department, then you may benefit from outsourcing IT. While some struggle to find room in the budget to add support staff, there are others continually adding staff only to realize they are unable to keep up with demand. An alternative to those iss...

Potential drains on business efficiency include groups of remote workers unable to communicate well with one another, tools that make it hard to adapt to changes or new needs, and the high cost of equipment and IT personnel. Integrating cloud-based solutions address these areas, including better workflow and collaboration and document management. I...

In the course of administering an employee benefit plan, many decisions must be made. Whether those decisions are being made by an individual or a committee, the process for making the decision must be prudent. Importantly, if the decision later is challenged by a participant by making an ERISA claim in federal court, how can the person or committe...