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The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled that a ballot initiative that would have had Bay Staters vote this November to raise the state income on its wealthiest residents is unconstitutional. The Fair Share Amendment proposal, dubbed by some the “Millionaire's Tax,” will no longer appear on the November ballot.

It is normal for different individuals or institutions to make varying assessments of a particular situation. In a sense, this is a fundamental driver of financial markets, making it possible for there to be both willing buyers and willing sellers simultaneously. Differing perceptions may also help prevent, through restraining the growth of a herd mentality, extreme market swings. With a number of caveats, one can argue for tempered optimism with a glass half full.

Under the new ASC 606 revenue recognition standard, contracts are the basis of how organizations must recognize revenue. This places significant pressure on your accounting system and financial reporting. In addition to handling contract-related data, it must support revenue recognition and allocation, revenue reallocation, and expense amortization.

It’s not news that revenue is the key indicator of a company’s financial performance and health. What is news is the accounting rules around the recognition and reporting on that revenue is about to change under ASC 606, particularly if you have a subscription-based business that derives revenue from contracts with customers. What’s the big deal? For starters, the impact of the change extends beyond a mere tweak to your accounting methods.

When you’ve made the decision to protect a collection through insurance, you want to be sure that coverage amounts measure up to the value of your items. Determining proper values can be tricky, as so many variables impact a piece’s worth. Given the ever-changing market, values are in constant flux. That’s why professional appraisals are critical, and it is important to make an informed decision when choosing an appraiser.

Sustaining wealth across multiple generations require more than financial planning. Interrelated and building off one another, 25 non-financial best governance practices have been identified as having a positive impact on the ultimate success of sustaining wealth for enterprise families.

Today’s risk environment is more complex than ever before, and successful individuals, families, and family enterprises are facing a convergence of personal, commercial, strategic, and financial risks. This latest Family Office Benchmarking Study provides a deep examination of concerns, trends, and personal insurance data and programs that are specific to the family office segment.

Works of art are at great risk of being damaged during handling and transportation. To reduce the likelihood of loss, it is important to adhere to a stringent set of guidelines for every transit. Arrangements will differ in each situation, but following the recommended steps—including selecting a fine art specialty shipping company and reviewing your insurance policy regarding any limits on transit coverage—are components of every good transit protocol.

Lending to middle market companies in the U.S. and in Europe has shifted due to structural changes and evolving risk tolerances in each respective banking system. The emergence of direct lending as an established asset class is here to stay, and given the recent inflow of new entrants into the sector, it is imperative that investors select managers wisely. In this comprehensive market analysis of the U.S. and European Direct Lending markets, it is clear that direct loans offer distinctive investment opportunities and can generate attractive returns.

Federal tax reform has potentially and perhaps unexpectedly increased the tax liability for families by destroying the deduction for investment expenses. However, the recent United States Tax Court decision on the Lender Management case may provide an opportunity for family offices to maintain deductibility for legitimate business expenses under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 162 instead of Section 122. Therefore, family offices desiring to deduct expenses may want their facts to closely mirror those of Lender Management, LLC and to consider restructuring.