Veronica and Greg share how investments in their donor-advised fund account have grown over the years, which has enabled them to give even more to the causes they care about.
The economic impact of the tax cut peaked in October 2018 and is now fading. If a bipartisan U.S. federal budget agreement cannot be reached before the end of 2019, a $126 billion fiscal cliff awaits the U.S. economy in the 2020 fiscal year, and will begin acting as a drag on overall growth later in 2019. A review of leading indicators of economic activity can provide critical insight as the U.S. economy heads into the late innings of this current business cycle.
REITs’ recent strong relative performance highlights the potential benefits of having defensive, lease-based revenues, and high dividend yields in an environment of heightened uncertainty. As investors look to protect their portfolios from what may be a more challenging and volatile environment, we believe a 10-15% allocation to REITs can be part of the solution. REITs provide a compelling way to diversify in today’s market, offering attractive relative valuations, low correlations with equities, and the backing of robust demand in the private market.
The premise of thematic investing is seductively simple. Markets over the long-term are driven by earnings growth and thematic investing looks to identify long-term trends that are likely to drive disproportionate earnings growth in the future. Artificial intelligence, for example, isn’t just about the next revolution of computing. It will change everything from how we communicate, to how we commute. An aging population isn’t just going to inflate the health care industry. It will reshape everything from urbanization to unions.
Over the past two decades, China’s success has benefited from both external and internal factors, being globalization and domestic market-oriented reforms. Recent years saw these factors gradually changing to affect China’s growth dynamics, and such impact will continue to exist in the medium to long term.
An increasingly popular way to reduce taxes generally is to invest in Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZs), but little is discussed about how QOZs can be utilized to shift appreciation of wealth over time to future generations. Investors have various options to transfer interests in QOZs to future generations tax efficiently. With this new opportunity available, there are a few items to evaluate: What is the value of the QOZ over time? Why would you transfer the QOZ interest? What are things to be aware of when making this decision?
Financial markets were exceptionally strong in the first quarter of 2019. Nearly all major asset classes posted returns so positive that they virtually wiped out losses from the difficult fourth quarter of 2018. But will that kind of return be it for 2019?
The cannabis industry is blooming. Market-watchers expect to see double digit sales growth every year through 2022, despite frequent changes in the regulations that govern this rapidly evolving industry. To protect their investments and keep making the bold moves needed to reap the rewards in this high growth industry, cannabis business operators at every step in the supply chain need to be proactive when it comes to managing risk. And that starts with the right insurance coverage.
Financial markets look more buoyant than in the closing weeks of 2018. High levels of market volatility have been tamed by central bank moderation, with equity indices having had a roaring start of the year. However, looking beyond immediate market sentiment, how much has really changed? The six key investment themes at the start of the year provide a good structure for answering the question. They may also suggest how far markets could go in the future.
Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZ) offer taxable investors the potential for deferral of existing gains and tax-free growth. Though the basic provisions of the tax incentive are known, the rules remain unclear and regulatory risks persist. While the existence of a tax incentive can make a good investment even better, investment decisions should not be primarily driven by tax considerations.