There is a growing desire to combat money laundering as part of the ongoing worldwide efforts against terrorism, and a crackdown on tax evasion has been recognized as one way to satisfy the urgent need for more government revenue. These dual motivations have led to the extension and enactment of new reporting standards regarding foreign financial assets.
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Posting fabulous vacation moments on Facebook—from a boat in Belize, to the top of a mountain in Chamonix—might be a fun way to share experiences with your friends, but it’s also a great way to let bad actors know your home is empty and ripe for a break-in. Similarly, broadcasting details of a college semester abroad on Instagram increases the risk of a kidnapping for ransom. With some commonsense ways, families can strengthen their digital security and help their children get smart about their social media usage.
Jeff Raikes, co-founder of the Raikes Foundation, and Fred Kaynor, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Schwab Charitable, discuss a strategy that can help donors increase their charitable impact. Jeff outlines three important tenets:
When developing capital market assumptions, most forecasters start with assumptions around two of the most fundamental economic variables: growth and inflation. Research indicates that demographics influence both growth and inflation for a given region. The supporting data behind the phenomenon and other initial baseline assumptions outlines our capital market return forecasts for approximately 50 asset classes around the world for the next 10 years and are intended to guide investors in developing their long-term strategic asset allocations.
When a company is acquired, the buyer takes on new risks and exposure. In today’s M&A marketplace, EBITDA multiples are at peak levels. With valuations so high, it’s more important than ever to manage risks—known and unknown—that could affect ultimate returns. With that in mind, there are three key risk management questions you should ask your broker before acquiring a company.
All the major asset classes have delivered solid returns so far this year, even in the face of intensifying geopolitical tensions and slowing global growth. Looking at the second half of the year, expect the global growth slowdown to persist, with some geographic divergence. A backdrop of lower rates, moderate inflation, and fiscal and monetary policy actions should help extend the long expansion. However, the trade disputes present the biggest risk and could weaken the outlook.
In the absence of proper planning, the death of an owner of a closely held business may lead to an estate tax liability that can devastate the business, even with the increased federal estate and gift tax exemption under the 2017 tax legislation.
If you are a global family and are considering an investment in the United States, you may have questions about the U.S. tax rules. Through a series of 10 key questions, answers are provided to help the non-U.S. individual investor better understand the U.S. tax system. Other takeaways, including reporting obligations and privacy concerns, may help mitigate the unintended application of U.S. tax.
Your household employees are necessary and helpful, but they present a risk, be it from accidents, reckless behavior, or bad intentions. While there is no way to minimize the concerns entirely, establishing clear communication, crisp policies, and appropriate checks and balances can prevent, or at least decrease most issues. We’ve created a checklist of important steps to head off problems with domestic employees.
After seeing too many festivities ruined by the late arrival of tort lawyers, it’s time to pause the celebration preparation and review how to minimize the risks. Whether the planning is for a wedding, graduation party, fundraiser, or summer soiree, it’s important to prepare for what can (and often does) go wrong at celebrations and know how to mitigate the likelihood of that happening.