Monitoring the Markets & the COVID-19 Virus
What started as a small outbreak of a flu-like virus in China has rapidly spread infections, fear, and uncertainty throughout the globe. Although we have not officially reached “pandemic” levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, the virus appears to be systematically making its way westward out of China. […]
“Free lunch” From Social Security Benefits Loophole
A common adage in economics is “there is no such thing as a free lunch”. Although generally true, exceptions do exist. One such exception relates to a Social Security loophole that the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 closed for those born January 2, 1954, or later¹. This loophole remains open for those born January 1, […]
Are Markets Hitting the Reset Button or Will the Global Selloff Continue?
It has been a wild week for the markets. A global selloff in bonds sparked fears that we are heading into the final innings of the bull market. Major equity markets fell into correction territory and struggled to find support as the week went on, but what has really changed? We review what sparked this […]
Hedge Funds Explained
Hedge funds have grown significantly in popularity over the past decade. Total hedge fund industry capital has reached a record level of $2.41 trillion as of Q2 2013. (1) Originally, hedge funds offered little transparency and were limited to sophisticated institutions and ultra-high net worth individuals. Today, hedge funds have become widely accepted among qualified […]
Case Study: Estate Planning
Client had a substantial position in a privately held company. The company was growing rapidly with the expectation that valuations could potentially quadruple over the next three years. Client needed access to the funds during their lifetime but was looking to minimize their estate tax liability upon the death of the second spouse. The Waterloo […]
Case Study: Entrepreneur Services
Client is the CEO of a large privately held company. Client was looking for ways to gain liquidity on their privately held position and create a wider spread of ownership between themselves and the organization’s next set of leaders. Moreover, the client wanted to avoid converting the current internally held interest to a minority position. […]
Case Study: Asset Management
New client is the CEO of one of the largest private real estate development companies in the United States. Client has greater than $50 million in real estate holdings that accounts for approximately 80% of current net worth. Client has multiple personal guarantees on current projects. In addition, client’s non real estate investment portfolio is […]
Case Study: Asset Management – Stock Options
Client was a C-level officer in one of the worlds largest technology companies. During approximately 15 years of employment, the client had accumulated approximately one million shares of publicly traded stock. The year was 2000 and the market was tenuous at best. A substantial portion of the client’s position was still restricted. The current value […]