As the economic cycle progresses, the next recession draws inexorably closer and brings with it the next downturn in the credit cycle.
Cyber risk has become a major potential loss exposure for almost any company. As with any other exposure, directors should confirm that reasonable steps are taken to identify, mitigate, respond to, and recover from third parties relating to cyber-related problems when they arise.
A business owner may feel both excitement and concern at the prospect of selling a business. As a liquidity event approaches, there are five questions that should be considered before the sale: What are the terms of the transaction? Could my philanthropic goals be addressed? Will the sale of the business affect my estate planning? What do I want and need from the sale? Can my risk be further mitigated?
Flying privately has become increasingly popular for a variety of reasons, including convenience, security, and lifestyle, but there are several considerations in determining what usage and ownership structure is right for you. Like making a real estate investment, owning or leasing a plane poses many financial, tax, and regulatory issues, as well as the technical aspects of evaluating and operating a highly sophisticated, multimillion-dollar piece of equipment.
The new tax laws have answered many of the concerns and wishes of the business community—reducing corporate tax rates, providing business deductions, and fine tuning business-related sections of the tax code. They will likely create opportunities, along with some challenges, over the coming months and years which may require businesses to make decisions in a number of different areas.
The fun and rewarding activities of a family foundation center around determining the causes and organizations the foundation will support. While working together to make a difference, it is important to remember the family foundation is also a business requiring the same effective governance practices as a family business. This is especially critical when multiple generations of family members are involved. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to governing family foundations. However, there are standard practices to incorporate into foundation oversight activities.
The United States has been the world’s undisputed economic superpower for more than a hundred years. Yet in the long arc of history, that dominance has been relatively brief. For thousands of years, China stood as the world’s economic leader and a true global power. For that reason, many Chinese believe that the United States’ economic dominance is but a historical blip that will eventually see China return to its rightful place as the world leader.
Successful families and individuals expect their financial advisors to address their complete financial picture, including protecting them from property and casualty risks. However, most financial advisors do not provide this support. This clear expectations gap is demonstrated in a survey of 200 successful families or individuals. Financial advisors who recognize the gap and take steps to educate themselves to help their clients safeguard their assets can bring meaningful value that can also strengthen and solidify their relationships.
Technology, science, geopolitics, and critical natural forces are changing the way people live, work, and interact with others. What will these changes mean to your family enterprises? To help envision and prepare for the forces of change and how they may affect your family, we turn to the work of “futurists.”
Global Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) transactions tallied up to an impressive $678.5 billion in deal value in the first quarter of 2017, up by 8.9 percent year over year, according to Mergermarket’s most recent estimates. The uptick in deal value is not a phenomenon, and in the fast-paced, high-stakes environment, private equity dealmakers are faced with unique and growing financial exposures.