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Real estate has long been recognized as a diversification vehicle within investment portfolios and often is held in one of two ways: physical real estate and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Although REITs were first created in the early 1960s and have played a notable role for investors since the 1990s, they have not always been a requiremen...

Two harsh realities threaten to compromise most investment objectives: first, markets are unpredictable and, second, investors can sometimes be their own worst enemies. A well-diversified portfolio seeks the highest potential return while striving to manage a given level of volatility. Goals, markets, and circumstances are all fluid; even a well-di...

Millennials and ultra-high net worth individuals are increasingly seeking to connect with and positively change their communities through investing, and the way capital is currently deployed can no longer support this need. Impact investing, a subset of social finance, represents a paradigm shift, allocating capital for measurable social and enviro...

Now that school is back in session, it’s important for students to take stock of what they know as they embrace a new year of learning. It’s also a good time for investors to assess the events of the summer and make sure they are well-positioned for the future. In Jeff Mortimer’s latest Investment Update he reviews the events of t...

Families pursue impact investing for a variety of reasons, including as a way to engage younger family members in the broader philanthropic and investment activities of a family to foster continuity in the stewardship of assets across generations. Before incorporating impact investments into their portfolios, families should define the overall cont...

Performance results over the past ten years make a strong case for higher allocations to private investments. Investors concerned with earning a return on their portfolios that will support their spending needs should look closely at the results and investment policies of this group and consider crossing the “15% frontier” in their own ...

The United States presidential election season has certainly been emotionally charged and, in many ways, unlike any we’ve seen in recent history. For many, Hillary Clinton represents the continuation of Democratic policies currently in place under the Obama administration. Donald Trump, on the other hand, represents the potential for a shift ...

As has been the case for several years, the actions of central banks dominate the investment landscape. In the years following the financial crisis, extraordinary monetary policies from central banks around the world, including our own Federal Reserve (Fed), have had an outsized impact on most asset classes. And now, as we say farewell to another s...

For decades, families seeking advice on how to invest their hard-earned capital were forced to endure “beauty contests” where potential advisors attempted to demonstrate their supposedly-unique skills and/or access to information. More often than not, it seemed families would choose an advisor only to inevitably experience disappointmen...

The proverb “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations” is pervasive across many cultures. Why is this the case and how can your family be exceptional in your quest to sustain your wealth? Observations from decades of working with families on this challenge provide seven insights on how families fail to sustain their wealth from...

As we shepherd your assets through life cycles, business transitions, and beyond, there are both obstacles and opportunities when taking a decade-long perspective. Three key themes emerge and are shaping the market landscape: (1) the near-term economic leadership of the United States that will later decelerate; (2) interest and dividends becoming l...

Maintaining a financial and moral investment perspective appeals to both individual and institutional investors, who have been turning to sustainable, responsible, and impact investing (SRI). In fact, SRI assets grew from $3.74 trillion in 2012 to $6.57 trillion or more in 2014, according to The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. In ...

In recent years the rise in prominence of smaller, typically seed stage focused venture funds has transformed the landscape of early stage investing. At the same time, mobile innovation has spawned new business models that in a short period of time can achieve great scale and reach. It becomes even more essential to have access to top venture capit...

The surprise result of the British referendum to leave the European Union this June sent shockwaves through the markets and some investors expected additional fallout down the road. It seems the opposite has been happening. Recent data from the U.K. Office for National Statistics showed the British economy grew by 0.7 percent in the second quarter ...

Gross domestic product per capita, a proxy for living standards, has slowed dramatically over the last 15 years. For equity investors, slower economic growth translates into reduced opportunity for revenue growth and increased risk for transitory shocks and market volatility. The biggest risk to the economy is that political leaders will respond to...