Insights

When we hear the term home security, many of us immediately think of alarm systems and cameras. We think about the tangible components that are often employed to secure a home or business. And while up-to-date equipment is always recommended, Hillard Heintze’s approach to securing a home goes beyond the technical.

Remember, we are playing defense against someone’s offense. In order to be successful, we have to deny them of their desire, access and ability to harm our interests. To do this, we address four steps that describe how a potential home invasion would occur and how to best mitigate it. This prevention-oriented approach to home security ensures that most, if not all, outcomes are considered and the family is best protected.

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Donor-advised funds, thanks to their flexibility, low costs, and tax advantages, provide an attractive vehicle for individuals and families to establish giving strategies in pursuit of their charitable objectives. Fiduciary Trust Charitable offers donor-advised funds with unique benefits.

Charitable giving in the U.S. has grown substantially in recent years. The latest report from Giving USA highlighted that 2016 represented the most generous year on record, as families, estates, foundations, and corporations delivered approximately $380 billion in gifts to charitable causes. As giving has increased, the ways through which people give have also multiplied. One of the more notable vehicles is the donor-advised fund (DAF), which has grown in popularity over the past decade and now accounts for nearly 10% of all U.S. charitable giving.

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With football season upon us, it is becoming obvious even after just several weeks that some teams seem ready to capture the championship while others will need to rebuild and wait for better times. If you are a fan cheering for one of these rebuilding teams, it can be frustrating to wait for your team to take the necessary steps that will allow them to thrive.

It is no different when we make our allocation decisions. While we do not root for one asset class over another, we certainly have studied the longer-term winners and losers. The emerging markets equity asset class seems to be one of those teams that has been a long-term winner, although it occasionally suffers from some difficult years. While our analysis shows that the long-term prospects of this asset class remain robust, primarily because of demographic trends and strong long-term GDP growth projections of these countries, the shorter-term environment continues to be unfavorable.

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