Family business owners face an overwhelming array of challenges—everything from succession planning and market risks to rising taxes and unpredictable regulations. Add to those concerns over privacy, feckless heirs, and the evolving social consciousness of the next generation, and it’s no wonder that many feel uncertain about the future of their enterprises. Now, with economic pressures like inflation, geopolitical tensions, and financial market volatility, it’s more critical than ever to evaluate whether your business is prepared to thrive across generations. But here’s the issue: Too often, families rely on a multitude of disconnected plans—trusts, LLCs, and other entities—without a holistic…

A low price-earnings ratio, a decent dividend and relatively low levels of debt: these 5 stocks may fit the classic value stock criteria. They have different levels of market capitalization, a diversification factor. Each one trades above their 200-day moving average, a generally positive sign. With the tech and social media growth stock mania now underway, these value-oriented names are largely overlooked and that might make them worth researching. How the economy will look under a new Donald Trump presidency, with deportations and “government efficiency” teams, make it tough to forecast anything. Nevertheless, here are equities with the old-school value…

Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRK/A, BRK/B) third-quarter 13F was filed after the market closed on November 14. This filing gives us a quarterly opportunity to observe what Warren Buffett and his investment team of Todd Combs and Ted Weschler are doing within Berkshire’s publicly traded equity portfolio. Berkshire has a large stable of wholly-owned entities, but this report provides us with the details of the U.S. publicly traded stock portion of their investments. Berkshire’s third-quarter earnings were recently reported, containing significant information about the extensive portfolio of wholly-owned operating companies and disclosures of the reduction in Apple (AAPL) and Bank of America…

In the world of entrepreneurs and start-ups, the sale of a business is most often the goal of the founder and is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. For many founders, it represents the end of a chapter and the beginning of new ventures. However, as demonstrated by the recent actions of Matt Maloney, founder of Grubhub, selling a company doesn’t always mean closing the door for good. In some cases, owners find themselves wanting, or even needing, to regain control of the very businesses they once let go[1]. This scenario recently played out in dramatic fashion…

That the incoming White House is in favor of the “drill baby drill” approach to energy is a negative for the renewable type if you can judge by the recent market action. The 4 names on this list are being sold by investors at such a pace that the stock of each one is dropping to lows not seen in months. The sense is that a Trump administration will greatly boost oil and gas exploration and production and generally ignore or stomp on renewable forms of energy. Many believe this is a short-sighted view of an issue of great significance…

In our 2023 Global Family Office Compensation Benchmark report, we found that 60% of the surveyed family offices identify risk-adjusted growth as the main purpose of the entity. This means that investment management is the core function for a lot of family offices. Family offices face a critical decision: should they outsource investment management or manage it themselves? Outsourcing can bring benefits, like access to specialized expertise and potential cost savings, it is important to consider the downsides, such as having less control and potential misalignment of interests. Outsource vs. In House Most family offices operate on a very small…

Significant updates are coming to 401(k) plans in the near future, thanks to the Secure Act 2.0. With several notable provisions going into effect, 2025 will bring new opportunities for individuals to enhance their retirement strategies. As the saying goes, those who fail to plan, plan to fail—so now’s the time to get familiar with what’s changing. Here’s a rundown of the provisions expected to roll out: Super Catch-Up – Beginning in 2025, anyone aged 60, 61, 62, or 63 at the start of the calendar year can contribute the greater of $10,000 or 150% of the regular age-50 catch-up…

Team Name: Fowler Bull Group Firm: Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management Senior Members: Shawn Fowler, Max Bull Location: Denver, CO Team Custodied Assets: $14.7 billion Background: Shawn Fowler grew up in Texas in a military family before studying finance at the University of Colorado Boulder. He joined Morgan Stanley nearly 25 years ago. His partner, Max Bull, attended the University of Denver and captained its hockey team to a national championship. He played a year of minor league hockey after college, but soon decided to transition into a career at Morgan Stanley, joining Fowler in 2005; Today, the team number…

Why use a wealth advisor just to invest money? Everyday wealth advisors seek to add value for the families they serve—in turn, cultivating deeper and deeper relationships. And as families bring their advisors deeper into the complexities of their lives, the top advisors are responding with teams of specialists to provide tailored service. The service offerings are lengthy, including: wealth transfer strategies, liability management, charitable giving, concierge services, geriatric services, high-end reporting, family governance, career planning, family meeting coordination, family education. And, oh yeah, investment strategy and implementation. Where does one begin to search for the right team? SHOOK is…

Team Name: Bel-Air Wealth Management Firm: UBS Wealth Management Senior Members: John Acker, David Selig, Mark Tunney, Todd Feiereisen, John Buchanan Location: Los Angeles, CA Team Custodied Assets: $2.1 billion Background: John Acker grew up outside of Los Angeles and majored in accounting at the University of Colorado Boulder. After finishing graduate school at the University of Southern California, he did several stints working at merchant banks before deciding to cut down on travel and be closer to his family. He joined UBS in 2006 and formed the team in 2009—it wasn’t until 2017, when David Selig and Todd Feiereisen…