Alternative Investments
How to make non-traditional assets work for you By Eric Derrington, Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager for Whittier Trust Company When people talk about asset classes, they often cite cash, bonds, and publicly traded stocks. “Alternative investments” are sometimes added as a catchall category—but alternatives are far from homogeneous. At their core, alternative […]
No Crypto. No Gold. The Institutional Discipline Behind the Zero
Why the world’s best-managed money isn’t chasing the headlinesBy Whit Batchelor, Executive Vice President and Client Advisor, Whittier Trust The recently released 2026 Global Family Office Report by J.P. Morgan was a survey of 333 single-family offices, across 30 countries, with an average net worth of $1.6 billion. While their assets were significant, another striking […]
When Wealth Decisions Become Family Decisions
Creating the right structure to align generations on family legacy and long-term wealthBy Brian G. Bissell, Senior Vice President, Client Advisor, Whittier Trust Wealth planning can be straightforward when one person holds the reins. A single decision-maker with a clear vision can work efficiently with a team of specialists, such as financial advisors and estate […]
Managing Concentrated Wealth: When Success Becomes Risk
Rethinking wealth before and after a major liquidity eventBy Craig T. Ayers, Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, Whittier Trust Later this year, the market may see a new wave of high-profile public offerings, with companies like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic frequently cited among potential entrants. If even a portion of these materialize, some […]
Market Insights – Second Quarter 2026
Chaos in Commodities After 2025 was jolted by a global trade war and a U.S. government shutdown, investors had hoped for greater stability and lower volatility in 2026. However, the first quarter of 2026 has been far from tranquil as geopolitical events have dominated headlines. A surprising common denominator emerges across these events; they all […]
“Can I Pitch You Something?”
How to respond without risking your relationship. You may know this scenario well: An acquaintance corners you at a party and launches into a pitch about why you should invest in their new venture. Perhaps you are truly intrigued and want to consider the opportunity. Or maybe you’ve been burned by “investing” in a friend’s […]
3 Things to Consider When Buying International Assets
Expert advice for making sure your global financial investments are secure. The recent passing of international celebrity Ozzy Osbourne was devastating to his fans, but estate and trust lawyers probably had an added reaction of wondering whether or not he had his estate set up properly. Osbourne most likely owned property in his native UK […]
Balancing Principles and Performance When Investing
Key considerations for those investing with environmental impact in mind. If you’ve ever felt tension between your investment holdings and your personal values, you’re not alone. Fortunately, doing good doesn’t have to mean sacrificing returns. Most high-net-worth individuals still approach investing from a strictly performance-based perspective. They’re not necessarily looking for portfolios that mirror their […]
Market Insights – First Quarter 2026
A Mid-Cycle Economic Revival The current administration entered this presidential term with an ambitious growth agenda based on reform and stimulus. While most policy initiatives were accommodative, there were also some restrictive measures aimed at improving balance in global trade and productivity from government spending. Unlike Trump 1.0 when stimulative tax cuts preceded the burden […]
Market Insights – Fourth Quarter 2025
Dichotomies and Bifurcations After consecutive years of strong returns, global stock markets were expected to take a breather and slow down in 2025. Those expectations seemed to be on track during the first two quarters. After a solid start to the year, prospects of a global trade war raised the specter of a recession and […]