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The main threat to responsible investing (RI) is the very success of the idea itself. There are now so many investors looking for RI investments that the usual financial industry fraudsters and unethical salespeople have come out in force. But with serious diligence, caution—including being aware of “greenwashing”—and temper...

The strategies available through liquid alternatives and hedge funds can deliver valuable portfolio construction benefits for certain types of investors, with suitability depending on investor-specific objectives, preferences, and constraints. Liquid alternatives are public and private vehicles that investors use to access a variety of alternative ...

Although water damage is the most frequent cause of loss to luxury homes, most people don’t appreciate the specific impact it could have on them—and therefore don’t take proactive steps to avoid it. By anticipating and dispelling water damage assumptions and the myths up front, you can sidestep costly losses in the future.

Based on decades of firsthand experience, the Hurricane Protection Unit of AIG provides insights and lessons learned from the front lines to help enhance your home’s resiliency in the event of a major storm.

Each family office has its own unique makeup, circumstances, and risk considerations when it comes to making insurance decisions. Yet there are typical characteristics that surface when looking at the data points of more than 1,000 households. With a high-level snapshot of that data, there are insights you can use when contemplating your overall in...

One of the biggest hurdles for family businesses is the need to develop an attractive long-term incentive plan that recognizes enterprise value over time and is competitive with plans offered by public and private equity owned businesses. As a result, many firms are turning toward phantom stock—a long-term incentive vehicle that provides equi...

On August 9, 2019, the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance issued the Interpretive Opinion No. 19 that excludes M&A Brokers from the Nebraska Securities Act’s definition of broker-dealer. It is a development that modernizes and streamlines Nebraska’s securities rules and regulations. By providing needed regulatory relief for ...

There are many improvements that can be made to a home to help prevent costly and dangerous losses in the future. Many of the recommendations included in this guide cost a sliver of what they will protect, and for those implemented during construction, it often requires a much smaller investment than it would to retrofit a home later.

When taxes don’t matter, and that is rarely the case for most investors, pre-tax returns are sufficient in determining whether the investment did well or poorly relative to a benchmark. But for taxable accounts, pre-tax returns provide an incomplete picture, and relying on them can lead to poor investment decisions. In such cases, using after...

Institutional investors predict the volatility that rocked markets across the globe in the fourth quarter of 2018 will continue into 2019, and expect that the long-running U.S. bull market will soon come to an end. But even as they anticipate a dramatic 180-degree turn from the low-rate, low-volatility environment that’s fueled the longest bu...

Succession is not just about money or property. It means confronting family relationships and taking the time to make sure that the drivers for succession planning connect personal motivations, the purpose of wealth, and specific family issues. It requires an emotional commitment to a process that once started must run its course, including having ...

Roughly 15% of ultra-high net worth individuals worldwide rely on private aircraft for most personal and business flights. When weighing your options on aircraft ownership, there are pros and cons that should be considered. It's also important to know the key players to help you navigate the selection, purchase, management, financing, and dispositi...

As a business owner, you wouldn’t operate without a clear vision and strategic plan. And you wouldn’t embark on a new initiative without first reviewing your cash flow and income statement to know how realistic your plans are. For ultra-high net worth families, looking at family wealth through a similar lens, and treating your wealth as...

Up moderately, the real GDP grew at an annualized rate of 3.1% in the first quarter of 2019 in the U.S. The increase reflected greater inventory buildup and exports pulled forward amid tariff fears. Forecasts for the second quarter were measurably lower, with consensus between 1.5% and 2.0%. Labor conditions remain strong while consumer confid...

Given the existence of low or even negative yields, investors are increasingly focused on finding sources of incremental income. The recent inversion of the U.S. Treasury curve has heightened concern about a potential economic recession. Historical market performance following previous yield curve inversions is a limited and imprecise prediction to...