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While the headline index reading continues to indicate middle market conditions are robust, the forward-looking Middle Market Business Index (MMBI) subindices imply that inflationary pressures and a tight labor market may in part account for reduced enthusiasm and uncertainty heading into 2019. Clouds are forming on the horizon related to declining...

Whether it’s dealing with a growing number of regulations or shoring up data privacy measures in response to heightened scrutiny, the tech industry is facing both opportunities and challenges as companies decide on how to scale sustainably without sacrificing their business goals and ambitions. How they respond will dictate its fate in the ye...

Cyber-attacks are increasing in sophistication and magnitude of impact across all industries globally and can negatively impact a company's reputation and market value. Thus, all companies need to fully understand the value of the information assets they possess, the cybersecurity related risk of a data breach, and then factor the benefits and ...

Your organization’s people strategy should align with your business strategy, and every people-related initiative should result in something that your customers value. Knowing how to find the right people and get them to want to work for you and stay is the secret to competitive advantage. Leverage your human capital and take advantage of the...

The reality today is many companies have relied too much on conducting just a cybersecurity compliance checklist assessment and framework. While compliance with government and industry documentation standards is good, it is not sufficient, nor does it ensure real information security. Organizations need to take appropriate action both before and af...

As higher interest rates, trade disputes, and slowing global growth cast a chill over markets, the US economy is completing a shift from a period of extended growth to the late stage of an economic cycle. While we do not know when exactly winter will arrive for the economy and markets, we are advising investors to brace for harsher climes. At the s...

While the Treasury curve has continued to exhibit a flattening trend, taking it closer to an inversion, the municipal curve has marched to a different beat, even steepening slightly in 2018. The difference is apparent, especially when using a tax adjusted municipal curve to get a taxable equivalent. In fact, the relative slope between Treasuries an...

Real estate as an asset class has matured, and the market participants need to realize it and make the appropriate adjustments. This new era for real estate also demands new thinking. From that lens, this in-depth publication provides an outlook on real estate investment and development trends, real estate finance and capital markets, property sect...

After looking at the potential pitfalls in Part 1 of this multipart series on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, we turn to Part 2: the Income Tax Opportunities. Regardless of your net worth, the temporary increase in the federal tax exemption has made possible certain strategies that could significantly reduce capital gains tax and allow...

The Internet has bought connection, communication, and efficiency to the business world, including family offices. However, conducting business online without proper security and knowledge of risks can endanger the family and its data. The right level of expertise, planning, and effort is required to safeguard sensitive information. It is an organi...

With a seemingly infinite amount of performance data points and varying degrees of investor knowledge among stakeholders, it can be difficult to determine the reporting requirements for each group. In order to establish appropriate reporting criteria, it is important for managers to understand where stakeholders fall along the spectrum knowledge. O...

When it comes to the family, dynamics are changing. There is no longer one dominant family form in the U.S., according to Pew research. Parents are waiting longer to have children, and many millennials are living at home or taking a less direct route to adulthood. These shifts will continue in 2019 and shape how affluent families tackle interperson...

Allocations to listed infrastructure have been on the rise in recent years amid growing demand for real assets offering relatively predictable cash flows and the potential for attractive real returns. A case for this asset class is made through an examination of its historical investment characteristics and the secular themes driving significa...

The new year brings new tax-savings opportunities, including larger tax exemptions and exclusions. Here are some strategies and tips to consider in your tax planning this year, as well as the Federal Estate and Gift Tax Exemption/Exclusion Levels for Individuals and 2019 Federal Income Tax Brackets charts.

Preferred securities play a unique role in capital markets and have unique investment attributes. They are fixed-income investments, but with certain equity characteristics such as deeper subordination in the capital structure. Investors are compensated with notably high rates of income. Despite preferreds’ long stated lives, abundant fixed-t...