The global economy has come a long way from the nadir of the 2008/2009 financial crisis. Now in the sixth year of positive economic growth, the expansion is longer than the historic average, but still showing signs of being relatively youthful. Of particular note are the disparate economic conditions across the globe. Europe and...
This report documents how the family office has fast emerged as a viable structure from which to manage the assets of wealthy families in Asia. The rapid growth of the UHNWI population in the region and the tax-friendly environment and robust capability provided in regional financial hubs suggest a further expansion of the industry in years to come...
President Obama on January 20, 2015, used his sixth State of the Union address to lay out his tax policy agenda to the new Republican-controlled 114th Congress. In a subsequent speech, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew reaffirmed the Administration's tax reform goals that were first outlined in a 2012 'framework' for business tax reform. Mean...
The desire to integrate values and investment decisions has long been important to investors and is a movement that has gained permanency. Research shows that when implemented thoughtfully with active management, impact investing can achieve social goals, as well as produce competitive and even excess returns over a benchmark. A deep and growing fi...
The US energy renaissance may be taking a breather, exasperated from ten years of mind boggling growth, but unquestionably it is not over. Global energy demand is expected to grow well into the future and the US is poised to take advantage of the trend to become the world’s marginal producer. At current oil prices, US energy producers will (a...
The foreign exchange market is widely appreciated to be the largest and most liquid market of all global financial markets. However, it is susceptible to shocks which can cause significant unexpected volatility, such as the timing of the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) decision to remove its 1.20 floor on the Swiss Franc versus the Euro on 15th J...
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is comprised of 10 members whose individual social, economic and political characteristics are the underpinnings of the Association’s collective prosperity. Frequently overshadowed by its more prominent neighboring countries, particularly China and India, ASEAN continues to emerge as an area ...
In 2013, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a nonprofit group of reporters, shattered the long-held view that offshore bank secrecy was impenetrable. The group had received massive leaks detailing individual offshore bank accounts, which they shared with the public on their website. This was the first of hundreds...
The sharp drop in oil prices may have provided a powerful boost to global consumption, but economists are concerned that on a global scale, especially in the Eurozone, that the effects of low inflation might continue in the long-term.The research article provides a deflation risk index that distinguishes countries where external disinflationary eff...
This report provides a historical review of past economic conditions for 2013 and 2014, and illustrates what might be in store for investors in 2015 by asking five key questions. Those questions include: Will US equities continue to outperform? Is the macro environment in Europe getting worse? What impact will diverging monetary policy have o...
Micro cap stocks are among the investment world’s worst-kept secrets. They have been around as an asset class category since the 1980s, and research has repeatedly confirmed the ad­vantages they offer to investors – most notably a chance to exploit numerous opportunities for greater excess returns.Micro caps’ size and role in ...
Having an entrepreneurial culture can help nurture a family legacy by providing pathways for family members to invest in new enterprises and regularly recharge the wealth for future generations. Although it may be challenging to re-energize a family, a dynamic culture of growth can flourish within a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. A family inte...
The American Tax Payer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) was passed on New Year’s Day 2013, and established the first permanentset of estate, gift and generation skipping transfer (GST) tax provisions in 12 years. Each year, the administration puts forth tax proposals that may change the current law. This article provides a quick summary of sev...
The Swiss National Bank removed the EUR/CHF 1.20 floor on January 15, 2015, which had been in place since September 2011, while cutting further the 3-month interest rate target (to between -1.25% and -0.25%). This research paper provides analysis into the potential outcomes of this move by the SNB to the Swiss economy, and illustrates the def...
There are a lot of questions surrounding whether snowbirds and others can shift his or her residency to a lower or no tax state such as Florida, Nevada or Texas, while still maintaining a home in Illinois. However, in light of Illinois’ current economic state and future debt obligations, it is hard for many Illinois residents and businesses n...