This paper considers some of the key risks warranting board of directors' attention in the next year and proposes practical steps to take in response to political risk and the role of emerging economies, supply chain risk and business resiliency, capital investment and project-related risk, cyber risk, and compliance and regulatory risk.
By making charitable contributions from within the family's closely held business, the potential donor can maximize the benefits of a charitable contribution and the value of the assets being contributed, structure the gift transaction to supplement the business owner's finances after the gift, and coordinate with succession planning for the busine...
Keynesian principles helped us to bridge some of the most troubled waters any of us have ever seen, but it may be time to recognize that solving unemployment means more than just stimulus packages to put people back to work. It means aiding the private sector in its quest for new markets and new profit-making opportunities.
To achieve lower borrowing costs and longer payment schedules for bond-issuing eurozone countries, bond alchemists (or policymakers) must ensure that the banks holding periphery bonds don't suffer significant losses, that the issuing countries can return to the markets, and that investors are confident the countries won't default.
With the prospect of a politically united Europe unlikely, the best way to give the euro a stable future may be to return to the basic principles of the Maastricht Treaty. That means the European Central Bank needs to stop lending to banks and states most likely to be insolvent and return to its main task of preserving the purchasing power of money...
Articles in this publication consider the impact of long-term debt reduction on the economy and investments, a less taxing way to own hedge funds, whether equities have reached the end of an era, the interplay of the end of QE2 and municipal bonds, and assurance that we are far from having the decline of the dollar be a policy concern.
Prudence is required during summer regarding global assets, balancing uncertainties and risks against opportunities presented by low valuations and oversold markets. Japan and the United States offer buying opportunities, while European equities are more exposed to risk. Reducing risk in portfolios may provide a tactical hedge through the soft patc...
Investors buy gold out of fear that the economic and political infrastructure we count on when we buy stocks and bonds is degrading. And gold booms inevitably end with a bust. The better strategy may be to build a reasonably sized position in diversified commodities, including gold; play close attention to sound entry points; and rebalance religiou...
Most families with vacation property want an ownership structure that addresses management authority, transferability of ownership interests, and resolution of disputes. Only a limited liability company addresses all of those issues and protects family members from personal liability associated with owning the property.
This report by the World Economic Forum looks at the strategic importance of long-term investing for financial stability and the role of wealthy families as long-term investors alongside institutional actors such as sovereign wealth funds, endowment foundations, pension funds, and other entities.
The consolidation phase for equities appears to be reaching an end, causing Credit Suisse to reverse part of a tactical downgrade from February and take equities to 2 percent overweight on a one- to three-month basis. That rate would be increased if the markets fell further or the outlook for China became clearer.
Concerns about excess government debt and inflation have increased interest in gold and raised its price. Gold is a commodity that behaves more like a currency, providing no investment return beyond price fluctuation. Gold's high price undermines its protective characteristics, making it more vulnerable to declines as monetary policy normalizes.
India is the second-fastest-growing economy in the world and set to overtake China as the fastest-growing one by 2015. The key to hedging risks may lie in leveraging economies such as India's, which has had massive investment in the development of economic and financial infrastructures and offers strong, domestic consumption-led growth.
Families of wealth need to work diligently to maintain online privacy to avoid having personal information go astray or be used against them. This includes discussing the appropriate level of privacy as a family, using network privacy settings, limiting personal information available online, and monitoring children's use of social networks.
Even firms without official Facebook pages and company blogs need policies in place to address potential issues, such as employees' personal use of social media or maintenance of the firm's website. Ignoring social media-related compliance issues can expose a firm to SEC administrative penalties, a damaged reputation, or worse.