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ADRs, or American depository receipts, have given U.S. investors access to the common stocks of multinationals, but is an ADR-only account the best way to invest internationally? Fortigent examines that question in this white paper, concluding that high net worth investors also should consider limited partnerships and mutual funds with competitive ...

How can our relatively small gift begin to make a difference on such a huge problem? Where do we get started in learning about an issue? Which organizations are most effective in operating programs in our community? What can we do to help ensure that our philanthropic investments will lead to sustained change? These are the kinds of questions t...

All parents have hopes and dreams for their children. They hope to see their children create loving relationships, achieve success in satisfying careers and make productive contributions to society. For many parents with strong moral, religious or civic beliefs, it may be particularly important that their children grow up to become caring, generous...

A hundred years is a long time. It is especially long in an age of the Internet, cell phones and Blackberrys. Society is also very much focused on instant results. Nevertheless, planning for the next 100 years is one of the most critical tasks a wealthy family faces today. With this 100-year plan, a family sets in motion a culture and philosophy th...

Although the recent focus has been on public companies and the new requirement to obtain an independent opinion on internal control over financial reporting, this requirement has also brought to the forefront the importance of internal controls at nonpublic entities. Although not less important, internal controls for small companies and family off...

During extraordinary market conditions of all kinds – good and bad – it is usual to hear people say, "It's different this time." Of course, every market environment is different from every other market environment, but what these people are saying is that market conditions today are so exceptional, so completely unprecedented, that investors will n...

In order to increase the bottom line of a family office, one of the key econometrics is understanding the relationship between the fee charged and the costs associated with each client. Understanding the fees charged to a client is usually well known based on invoices sent to the client. However, without a corresponding knowledge of the costs per c...

At a time when some businesses are struggling simply to stay afloat, warnings over the dangers of inappropriate usage of business e-mail might seem misplaced. However, this remains a risk that can often be poorly managed and that could cause disproportionate damage to an already fragile corporate.

A limited liability company may seem like the best way to structure private aircraft ownership, organizing finances while shielding other assets from liability, but think again, says Gary Horowitz of Wiley Rein. Using an LLC can lead to a huge tax liability, potential fines by the Federal Aviation Administration and increased personal liability. Th...

The current economic environment offers parents the opportunity to educate their children about the transience of wealth and the need for self-reliance. This paper from Relative Solutions offers suggestions for overcoming a sense of entitlement and for increasing responsibility among next-generation family members.

U.S. farmland continued to increase in value in the third quarter of 2008, although at a slower rate of 2 percent, compared with a 14 percent uptick in the previous quarter, according to this report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. At the same time, agricultural credit conditions improved over a year earlier. Looking forward, economists ex...

Life insurance policyholders are understandably concerned by the collapse of AIG and the ongoing crisis in the financial services industry, but insurance company analysts do not see an insolvency risk among other providers. Indeed, they express confidence in several safeguards designed to protect the interests of policyholders, says this new white ...

What's the best approach to equities, given the current volatile market? In this research report, Barclays Wealth offers short-term and medium-term strategies related to equity markets. The report also explores equity stock screening and considers European banks and insurers.

Adapting to the current market slowdown and financial crisis means re-evaluating asset allocation models, uncovering investment ideas and carefully positioning a portfolio. Emanuel Balarie of Balarie Capital Management examines the role that managed futures can play in managing wealth wisely during a bear market.

Given the credit crunch and market crisis, does private equity still work as a sustainable core holding? Pictet & Cie takes a closer look at private equity in the current market context and argues that it does work, that it should not be affected significantly by market cycles and that private equity fund-raising is on track to set new records this...