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Family offices continue to be the preferred way for ultra-high net worth individuals and families to manage assets and to support the goals and legacy of their family. But with more than 14,000 family offices across the globe facing new challenges and complexities, raising concerns about whether their operating model is providing the transparency a...

Today’s heightened geopolitical risk environment—characterized by volatility, uncertainty, and a widening range of possible outcomes—has become a more significant driver of operational and strategic risks to trade, finance, and investment than in prior periods. Drawing on the comprehensive World Risk Review analysis of 197 countries and territories...

The past year has ended up being far more resilient to many of the prevailing economic headwinds than we had feared it might be. The shifting consumption patterns, structurally tight labor market, and strong private sector balance sheets with debt that has been locked in at low rates have helped boost consumption and moderate inflationary pressures...

The expectations of an economic soft landing and favorable equity market in both 2023 and 2024 were possible due to the positive underpinnings of a healthy labor market, falling inflation, and a Fed pivot to rate cutting. In 2025, however, expectations are higher, policy shifts are underway, and several new factors that include tariffs, trade wars,...

The private equity market is navigating through a period of volatility, driven by inflationary pressures, rising interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainties. While some regions, such as North America and Asia-Pacific, remain confident in the face of these challenges, others, particularly in Europe, are more cautious. Despite these regional diffe...

With the return of the Trump administration, observers expect meaningful changes in political direction and economic and tax policy, but specifics and timing are unknown. Given the degree of uncertainty, investors should remain diversified and focus on both risk and liquidity management. Within private equity, deals that emphasize operational impro...

Growth is at the top of the menu for finance leaders as Grant Thornton’s CFO survey shows that the uncertainty associated with the U.S. election in 2024 has given way to unrestrained optimism about the U.S. economy and meeting business goals. Other results from the survey were broadly aligned with high growth expectations—and with the transformatio...

With the new administration in the U.S. and its focus on various parts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the TCJA) and the estate tax, changes are expected amid the balancing of competing considerations. In this 10-minute interview, Jason Kohout, partner and co-chair of the Family Offices group at Foley & Lardner, and John Strom, federal lobbyist a...

Dr. Alexander Koeberle-Schmid, family business expert at PwC, has helped more than 100 entrepreneurial families from around the world navigate the complexities of communal investing. In this episode of The Family Business Voice podcast, Koeberle-Schmid speaks to Ramia M. El Agamy about the three fundamental requirements of a family office and the f...

A common question that a family often asks prior to building a family office is “What is a family office anyway and does my family actually need one?” The answer depends on the family’s goals, as well as understanding the four different types of family offices that are commonly used: (1) single family office, (2) family business office, (3) family ...

As the new U.S. federal landscape takes shape, this outlook report is designed to provide key insights into policy implications and how they may impact various industries in 2025, including agriculture, energy and environment, healthcare, tax, technology, trade, and transportation and infrastructure.

At some point on your family journey and through the key life stages, you may take a step back and realize the wealth and legacy you’ve created are going to live on for generations. As you begin to reflect, you can look to the legacy and estate planning guide in this Digest as a starting point. You’ll also find helpful checklists, thoughtful questi...

In this special report, Northern Trust experts provide policy analysis for each potential United States election result—as well as steps that can be taken to prepare for all outcomes. Read the report for insights into planning for Divided Government, Unified Democratic, Unified Republican, and Delayed or Contested results. Along with having a goals...

The close of each economic cycle and the start of the next carry a unique set of circumstances and challenges. From the vantage point of the depths of the decline, the conditions needed to produce a new expansion can appear daunting. Yet, a signal feature of the U.S. economy, one that has persisted since World War II, has been its ability to shake ...

Hiring successfully for a Family Office is not an easy task, not when there are unique issues and challenges. However, from experience and conducting a full review into single Family Office recruitment covering the varied range of Family Office activities, this strategic guide with examples identifies the critical aspects of the hiring process—incl...