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Fears regarding the future of fiat currencies (e.g., the dollar and euro) have created surging demand for “alternative” currencies. Alternative currencies, such as gold and even the fledgling Bitcoin possess many of the required characteristics to serve as currencies, but limitations will likely prohibit attainment of currency status in the foresee...

Newly appointed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wooed voters by promising to end its decades-long economic and market malaise with the three arrows of Abenomics: fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reform. Abe quickly launched the first arrow by passing fiscal stimulus of roughly 2% of GDP. The Bank of Japan subsequently fired the...

Wealth planning for same-sex married couples presents a host of challenges, and the landscape is fluid. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, and President Bill Clinton signed the act into law the same year. The bill had two main functions. First, DOMA prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages for th...

On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States issued two groundbreaking opinions regarding same-sex marriage. The rulings will substantially impact financial and estate planning for same-sex couples living in jurisdictions that recognize same-sex marriage. Now is a critical time for same-sex couples, regardless of their legal status, to ...

Changing client behaviors are having a big impact on the levels of service and communications High Net Worth Investors (HNWI’s) expect from their wealth manager. This report details some of the key expectations of today's wealthy investors. Some key trends include: More and more are looking for a personal touchThe...

In this issue of Global Foresight, entitled "Re-born in the USA," Rockefeller & Co. takes a close look at the prospects for the U.S. dollar, challenges in emerging markets, opportunities in fixed income, and increasing U.S. energy production. David P. Harris, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, focuses on the varied implications of a stron...

PWC presents findings from the 20th anniversary edition of the Global Private Banking and Wealth Management Survey. The study looks at industry performance, markets, clients, products and services, human capital, operations, technology, risks, and regulatory challenges. Key findings include: Pervasive regulatory pressures are driving...

By some measurements the Federal Reserve has more than tripled the money supply in response to the 2008 economic crisis. With such pronounced expansion, will the United States soon experience significant inflation, and if so, how severe may it be? This article looks at the various causes and repercussions of inflation, comparing &nb...

Atlantic Trust's Third Quarter Newsletter Think Tank: Housing Tips into an Economic Driver - Finally. The state of housing and its role in our still-slow economic progressAnother Market Peak or Room to Run? The U.S. economy is improving, yet still mediocre. But this year certainly proves a point: The economy doesn&rsq...

The first half of 2013 was characterized by strength in the U.S. equity market, but also by rising volatility and struggles in a variety of other asset classes. For the second half of 2013, the authors expect an acceleration of growth in the United States, a slightly better economic tone in Europe and below-trend growth in most emerging econom...

There is no perfect system or framework for investing, nor can any investor follow any system in a perfectly disciplined way. Goals-based investing, however, is a better approach than most in helping investors stick to their investment diet, reach their target and maintain their financial “weight” over time.

In the past 12 years, there have been two distinct economic and market environments. The first, a period of rampant borrowing, was fueled by a red-hot real estate market. The second, a period of deleveraging, saw a reversal of the debt buildup with household debt ratios declining through a combination of bank write-offs, debt repayment and income g...

The US Federal Reserve is beginning to talk about diminishing its quantitative easing program if signs of a sustainable economic growth path emerge. This move, which means an eventual return to the yield of mortgage-backed securities and Treasury bonds being established by the market, has set off a reaction in the global stock, ...

On August 19, the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its July 28-29 Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which showed the Fed’s concern about China’s economic growth and market turmoil, as well as broader weakening in emerging market economies. The minutes also indicated the Fed’s view that a weakening global economy has ...

At a Daily Journal annual meeting in Los Angeles earlier this year, Charlie Munger – the 91-yearold Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway – shared his opinion on the investment landscape when asked about negative interest rates in Europe and persistently low rates in the United States:"This has basically never happened before in my w...