June 27, 2016 | By Charles Lowenhaupt

The UK vote to leave the EU is an epochal event. Its ramifications will be substantial for Europe and the world. No one knows what will happen next, but the passage of time will offer knowledge we do not have now.

Most immediately, the results have included dramatic drops in world markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 610 points, losing 3.4% of its value on the day after the Brexit vote was taken. We are likely to see continued volatility in the markets.

At times like this, the natural question is, “What should I do?” In our view, you should do what you should always do – remain thoughtful and measured.Read More

June 17, 2016 | By Charles Lowenhaupt

The so-called “charitable” LLC has been getting some good press lately.

A month ago, Wealthmanagement.com ran a story entitled, “A Sea Change in High-Net-Worth Philanthropy?” In December, The New York Times reported that Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla, created an LLC to help give away 99% of their wealth.

In both instances, the media pointed out that this legal structure is gaining favor among those with significant wealth – billionaires and deca-millionaires.

So what’s all the fuss is about? I’m really not certain, actually.Read More

By Donna Gilding

Everywhere you look these days, investors are concerned about market risk. Some of the biggest risks facing investors today are fears about the impact of changes to US monetary policy, the resilience of the Eurozone, the strength of the US equity markets, the lack of potential in the global fixed-income markets and the strength of China’s stock market.

The heightened market uncertainty, and the perceived lack of opportunity in the US equity and fixed-income markets, has encouraged investors to funnel vast sums of money to alternative assets. This surge of money into private equity, hedge funds and infrastructure funds has raised questions about the ability of alternative managers to deliver the exceptional returns that many investors are seeking.Read More

By Donna Gilding

The Export-Import Bank was created in February 1934, as part of the New Deal, to finance trade with the newly established Soviet Union. A second bank was created a month later to finance trade with Cuba and shortly thereafter expanded to include all countries with the exception of the Soviet Union. Congress passed legislation to combine the two banks in 1935. They also granted the unified bank more powers along with more capital. While the Bank did extend credit to a few countries, such as Italy and China prior to World War II, its primary efforts were concentrated on Latin America as part of the Good Neighbor Policy.Read More

By Donna Gilding

In the latter half of last year, the price of crude oil dropped by over 50%. This was soon followed by a significant decline in the price of gasoline for motorists. It was assumed that this drop in price would have freed up money to spend elsewhere. The markets bet on this. The run-up in the US stocks last year reflected the belief that cheaper oil would act as a stimulus to the economy. This, in turn, would allow the Fed to increase rates, attract funds to the US, and push up the dollar.Read More