It is easy to understand why the American underclass has almost insurmountable obstacles to living the American Dream. What may not be so obvious is how difficult it may be for the wealth inheritor to live the American Dream.
Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting midmarket companies and startups in hopes of easy access. The cost to a business can be high, ranging from financial loss to reputational damage. With heightened awareness, private companies can fight back. This white paper includes six defense tactics every company should emp...
Family businesses that continue to prosper from one generation to the next often do so because they have robust governance structures. Nevertheless, many family businesses have not given enough thought to governance. They rely too much on a carefree attitude toward issues such as succession, ownership and management, and they wait until one of...
Boards can assist with some of the particularly challenging issues family companies face. There are several different factors that should be considered as a board is created or renewed. While each family company’s situation is unique and every scenario cannot be addressed, the goal is to provide a framework of how corporate governance practic...
This Family Business Corporate Governance Series "What is a Board's Role in a Family Business?" explains how to build an effective board for your family company, and how boards can assist with some of the particularly challenging issues family companies face. This module discusses why you might want to evolve or ch...
Pitcairn and The Corporate Greenhouse have co-written a case study that validates why talent planning and business planning are equally important and interdependent. The case study discusses how Pitcairn’s CEO is transforming a 90-year-old family business into a high-performing multi‑family office with increased profitabil...
Currency risk is a fact of life for European families. Today even the simplest diversified portfolios include foreign currency exposures. Many investors find it tempting to ignore currency risk, believing that it will all “even out in the end.” But this is not an option for most families who need to draw down funds from the portfolio to...
This article excerpt Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management provides an overview of the most common security issues, provides points about bank security measures and offers 6 steps to mitigate online security risks.
The Global Family Business Survey is the seventh survey by PwC from interviews conducted with key decision makes in family businesses in 40 countries. Without question, family firms remain a dynamic and resilient sector, even though the post-recession economic environment is proving tough, and there are continuing pressures...
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...
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...
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...
Addiction concerns in family businesses raise unique and complex challenges for the advisor, family office and corporate leadership. This article provides an overview of the many policy and procedural issues all stakeholders face when it comes to addressing substance use, with an emphasis on family held entities.Some of the topics include:Incidence...
Effective Board oversight demands information that is current and relevant. However, the natural gaps that exist between what management communicates to the board and what the board needs to know, often creates inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of oversight. This report tackles these issues of disconnect between management and the board and offers...