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Most market updates are preoccupied with shorter-term phenomena and near-term concerns. However, today’s realities are best assessed through a longer-term lens—one based on the goal of generating attractive, or at least sufficient, compounded returns over decades rather than months, quarters, or even years. Great investment opportunitie...

Brought on by concerns about the strength of the global economy and extreme investor pessimism, the volatile start to 2016 drove many equity markets near or into bear market territory. A subsequent rally began mid-February from severely oversold conditions as it became clear that the U.S. was not headed for a recession. As is common during volatile...

Our January 2016 commentary suggested “…we are in a transition period between central bank-induced liquidity and eventual normalization of markets. This transition period has been and will continue to be a bit choppy…”“Choppy” was indeed an accurate description of financial markets in the First Quarter of 2016. The first half of the quarter saw a s...

Teaching children about personal finance, owning foreign assets, assessing the impact of tax extenders, and staying current on the Net Investment Income Tax are topics that many high net worth individuals must address in an on-going basis. Understanding the often highly complex issues and ever changing rules are challenging for even the most dilige...

The idea that people generally prefer consuming goods and services today rather than at some point in the distant future is a basic tenet of economic theory. Based on this, savers usually require positive real interest rates to forsake current consumption and hand over their money. Of course, borrowers can only pay positive rates if their investmen...

The first quarter may be an accurate forecast of the performance of risk assets for the entire year, which is likely to be one of a flat average and a wide range of individual monthly returns. After the initial five-week decline in risk asset prices, global stocks reversed their initial losses, high-yield bonds spreads tightened, and the CRB Commod...

No matter how many times an entrepreneur has started a business, challenges abound. The marketplace is fickle in picking winners and losers, and any ego boost from other successes must be checked at the door of the new venture. But the challenges doesn’t stop many entrepreneurs from taking on multiple startup experiences. That’s increas...

With an estimated $30 trillion plus transitioning to millennials over the next couple of decades, millennials will most certainly drive change in the financial industry. Many also see impact investing as a meaningful way to engage their capital and to achieve social and environmental impact. Ten impact investors from Europe and North America share ...

Unlike prior recessions and monetary responses, the attempt at economic recovery following 2008 was decidedly different. Through the Federal Reserve’s zero interest rate policy (and strong guidance that rates would stay low for an extended period of time), the Federal Reserve forced investors out of low risk assets and into risky assets. The ...

Some investors may think that their investment portfolios aren’t “making the grade” because they started investing at a point in the market cycle that has resulted in meager gains or even short-term losses. In volatile environments, a certain discipline is required to stick to an investment plan and avoid the temptation to exit th...

After months of fierce debate and a policymaking hiatus, the United Kingdom (UK) electorate has voted in favour of leaving the European Union (EU). While the broad direction is set, companies will still face considerable uncertainty until the UK’s exit strategy is defined and trade negotiations (including the trans-border movement of people) ...

In a historic referendum, 51.9 percent of voters in the United Kingdom (UK) elected to leave the European Union (EU), catching global markets off guard. Reaction has been significant, with large currency moves, falling yields on perceived safe-haven government bonds, and large sell-offs in the equity markets. Within a day of the vote to leave the E...

Britons voted to exit the European Union on June 23, marking the first time any country has left since its formation. The political consequences for Britain’s Prime Minister were swift, and people around the globe reacted with shock and confusion. The economic and investment impact of this decision led to a rising U.S. dollar and falling GDP ...

After the United Kingdom (UK) voted to leave the European Union (EU), the global markets shifted to a “risk-off,” with global stocks, the British pound, and the euro all declining while the U.S. dollar, gold, and high-quality U.S. bonds rallied. The market decline reflects the surprising nature of the vote, since many market watchers ex...

The UK has voted to leave the European Union after 40 years of membership, defying the expectations of most market participants and ignoring the warnings from the International Monetary Fund and other leading economists regarding the negative impacts on trade. Market reaction was swift, with the pound falling to a 30-year lows and a “risk-off...