Emerging markets have been left behind during the bull run of 2013 as confidence in them has waned during a period of rising interest rates. Understanding the investment opportunity, however, requires a deep dive into the substantial structural differences between emerging markets and developed markets.
With interest rates at historic lows, investment strategies that worked in the past may be inadequate for the future. Although the prospects for traditional investments might seem impaired if rates reverse course, other sources of return may be available if one also considers managers versed in long/short investing across multiple asset classes.
While global investors have been curbing their home country biases, most remain too heavily invested in their local markets. The authors believe the lowest risk strategy to realize the global equity risk premium is through a market capitalization weighted approach, which eliminates the risk of overweighting a poor performing region.
Goals change over time, both in their definition and their priority. Financial markets also change over time, requiring investors to periodically revise their family goal matrix and re-examine their choice of ideal portfolios to fund family goals. Like all long-lasting marriages, flexibility is required to keep the investment portfolio in close com...
For the past 30 years, inflation has been a benign tiger. However, many signs point to its likely increase. And make no mistake – it can be a fearsome and stealthy force. Individuals can’t prevent inflation, but they can prepare for it, defend against it and, perhaps, profit from it.
Active investment management is best rewarded in less efficient asset classes. Dispersions of returns in relatively inefficient asset classes, such as private equity, opportunistic real estate and natural resources, are significantly wider than in traditional long-only asset classes, making the rewards for success far more meaningful.
Owners of LLCs or trusts that include personal assets should work with both a trusted financial advisor and an independent agent who specializes in insurance for the wealthy. Financial planners and insurance agents who collaborate on an account have more knowledge about how each discipline complements the other and can determine the limits and term...
Buying ample insurance for an art collection goes without saying, but it’s how collectors manage their coverage that can make the difference when disaster strikes. This paper examines the benefits of regular appraisals of collections, key questions to ask about the storage and transportation of collections and essential features of insurance ...
For many individuals, owning a horse is the realization of a lifelong passion, but it also increases their risk of financial losses or lawsuits. Regardless of whether individuals board a horse on their own property or at a professional facility, they should give special consideration to their insurance needs to ensure they’re adequately prote...
When carried interest is transferred early in a fund’s life, it can have a very low value relative to its potential value at payout. It’s this payout potential that makes it an ideal asset to be used in estate tax-reduction planning, especially when used in combination with a grantor trust allowing for that appreciation to compound on a...
Portability may have been viewed initially as the simple solution in situations in which there was the potential for loss of the applicable credit amount of the first spouse to die. While this is a valuable benefit, the impact and potential planning opportunities for portability go beyond this important but somewhat limited scope.
The SEC can conduct an exam of a registered investment advisor at any time, for any reason, announced or unannounced. It can be a stressful experience for the firm, with significant time and labor costs and the potential for business disruption. However, much of that stress, disruption and expense can be mitigated if a firm is prepared for an exam.
It has always been the case that courts could consider resources available to one spouse from a trust in deciding how to divide marital property or whether to award maintenance. However, there are trends in several states to make trusts a larger part of the process of dividing assets in a divorce. Because of these trends, it is not necessarily enou...
When surveyed two years ago, U.S. family businesses were warily eyeing their next big bet but hesitant to place it. Now, they’re actively playing their hand. This report highlights the views of 100 owners, leaders and top executives of U.S. family businesses across a variety of industries.
Without a full understanding of U.S. federal gift tax and income tax issues associated with a gift of money to a U.S. child, it is easy for a nonresident alien to convert what would have been a tax-free gift to taxable income. This guide outlines the most common gift-giving mistakes and how to avoid them.