Search Results

An annual inventory of belongings in the home is vital as a safeguard, should loss occur. Yet many families ignore this need. Some inventory options include hiring a firm that specializes in this, going room by room with a movie camera, and keeping a photo log of items. Make sure fine art, jewelry and silver are scheduled on a personal property pol...

The key to identifying the status of any insurance contract is consistent, periodic review with a comparison to the original model, the last review and current market benchmarks. This systematic approach will show the impact of reductions or increases in the crediting rate, in policy charges and of the position of the product itself in the market.

While we believe the scale and scope of current market risks are not enough to topple the markets, we feel a correction of some magnitude is warranted given how a confluence of risk factors could adjust global growth expectations. As such, we are recommending a modestly more defensive posture despite seemingly attractive valuations.

Not all master limited partnerships offer the same level of stability and predictably of current income or growth, and the impact when distributions are materially cut are catastrophic to investment values. Investors who are attracted to the core value proposition of MLPs – income and stability – will most likely benefit from taking a high-quality ...

Best-of-class medical care can be achieved only if all of a patient's caregivers work together across the continuum of care. It is important for patients to understand what should happen during the four key areas of care – case immersion, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-through – because research shows that mistakes occur most often when patients ...

Families of wealth need to work diligently to maintain online privacy to avoid having personal information go astray or be used against them. This includes discussing the appropriate level of privacy as a family, using network privacy settings, limiting personal information available online, and monitoring children's use of social networks.

Prudence is required during summer regarding global assets, balancing uncertainties and risks against opportunities presented by low valuations and oversold markets. Japan and the United States offer buying opportunities, while European equities are more exposed to risk. Reducing risk in portfolios may provide a tactical hedge through the soft patc...

This paper considers some of the key risks warranting board of directors' attention in the next year and proposes practical steps to take in response to political risk and the role of emerging economies, supply chain risk and business resiliency, capital investment and project-related risk, cyber risk, and compliance and regulatory risk.

The hedge fund industry is reinventing business models and best practices to address regulatory changes and investor demands for enhanced fund transparency, liquidity, and efficiency. Investors, fund managers, and regulators are looking to third-party administrators to provide objective risk assessment and reporting.

Private foundations face risk scenarios such as breach of contract, fiduciary liability, mismanagement of assets, wrongful acts of trustees, employment practices liability, and even possible kidnapping or extortion of trustees. To protect themselves and the foundation, directors and trustees should insist on appropriate insurance coverage.

Any business in an area hit by hurricanes or high winds should have a hurricane emergency response plan and a business continuity plan but also place the safety of employees and their families first. Everyone should have a personal evacuation plan and a disaster supplies kit, and know what to do when a hurricane watch or warning is issued.

Identifying potential hazards and doing advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake. For example, repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards can help reduce the impact of these disaster...

Many commercial real estate markets experienced a debt-financed investment boom, similar to housing, before the economic crisis. That trend is about to boomerang as numerous portfolios are up for refinancing. Sizeable refinancing risks loom, particularly in markets with sharp price corrections from 2005-2007, a poor economic outlook, or both.

Trading policies implemented after the flash crash of May 2010 have reduced the level of individual stock dislocations but have not eliminated market volatility, which has persisted and even increased. Investors should seek protection from economic and market risks but without blindly forfeiting long-term returns.

A sustained level of volatility may actually benefit long-term commodity investors. Tightening supply/demand conditions may lead to potentially higher long-term returns and investors can capitalize on the shape of the futures curve by taking advantage of short-term supply stocks to generate alpha.