Before executing a commercial property lease or sales contract, the parties may prepare a letter of intent or an agreement in principle. The letter of intent or a similar document (the “LOIs”) generally signals that the parties have agreed on the outline of a deal, but not on all of its provisions or details.
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Last year, the Western world experienced the twin surprises of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union and Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election. Elsewhere, geopolitics will play out in 2017 through numerous elections, the possibility of succession in several countries, continued economic polarization, and more. Multinational organizations must be aware of, and prepare for, such political and economic risks in both developed and developing markets.
The social and political volatility witnessed last year is rooted in trends and phenomena that have been building up for more than a decade. It has altered the political agenda in advanced economies and emerging markets alike. Companies need to think hard about the structural shifts that may confront them in five specific areas: security of company property, ease of doing business, viability of strategic investments, strength of corporate reputation, and cohesiveness of their workforce.
Political events in 2016 gave rise to increasing nationalism and populism globally. Combined with a global slowdown in economic and trade growth, international integration may already have plateaued and could begin to reverse over the coming decade. Multinational organizations should prepare for potentially significant implications by carefully considering the political threats in the countries in which they operate.
Strong cybersecurity for protecting sensitive client data is a critical capability for any Registered Investment Advisor firm. In 2013, Hardy Reed—one of the first firms to earn the Center for Fiduciary Excellence certification—considered cloud services as an option for its IT needs. They wanted to look at alternate options to replacing their in-house server. Two factors were particularly important: heightened security concerns for protecting client information and the need to enable advisors and staff to serve clients while on the road.
Cybercriminals targets the financial industry 300 times more frequently than any other industry, resulting in mega breaches and millions of records stolen through hacktivism, malware, social engineering, phishing, and other applications. The harsh consequences of remaining vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches are costly, and the number one threat to cybersecurity is the uninformed employee. As cybercrime becomes commonplace, it’s essential to learn about the current cybersecurity landscape, the tools a financial firm needs, and best practices for keeping your firm protected.
An unprecedented cyber theft transpired earlier this year, one as daring as it is revelatory. When unknown thieves siphoned $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank, by using the SWIFT system to trick the U.S. Federal Reserve into turning over the money, the criminals showed that hackers can exploit virtually every aspect of the global financial system. Ramifications for registered investment advisors and broker-dealers should be obvious. If some of the biggest financial entities in the world can find themselves involved in cyber breaches, so can your firm.
During the past year, financial institutions of all kinds have experienced repercussions from cybersecurity gaps. The alarming truth is that many broker-dealers have failed to stay up to date with cybersecurity controls and must swiftly get in compliance with all computer-related rules that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) enforces or risk disciplinary action.
In a referendum held on June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom (UK) voted to leave the European Union (EU). For risk professionals, many of the key issues that affect them will be decided during the negotiations over the coming years that will determine the UK’s new relationship with the EU. However, firms need to begin assessing which areas of their business could be affected and begin having discussions with their insurers and risk advisers. For insurers, this vote could also have significant implications.
After months of fierce debate and a policymaking hiatus, the United Kingdom (UK) electorate has voted in favour of leaving the European Union (EU). While the broad direction is set, companies will still face considerable uncertainty until the UK’s exit strategy is defined and trade negotiations (including the trans-border movement of people) with the EU and other countries are completed.