Market Insights – Third Quarter 2024
The Big Central Bank Dilemma The U.S. economy and capital markets continued to surprise investors through the first half of 2024. The year began with high hopes that the rapid disinflation of 2023 would continue in an orderly and uninterrupted manner. This in turn spurred optimism that the Fed would be able to cut rates […]
Nasdaq Weekly Guest Spotlight: Sandip Bhagat
Whittier Trust Chief Investment Officer, Sandip Bhagat, was recently featured in the Nasdaq Trade Talks Weekly Guest Spotlight. His professional insights and analysis of the current state of the U.S. Market were provided in an Interview format: Coming into this year, there was speculation of a potential recession. Why do you think the economy has been […]
Market Insights – First Quarter 2025
Shifting Gears In The Economic Cycle The U.S. economy has now remained resilient to the massive post-pandemic inflation shock for well over two years. As a result, the economic outlook has changed dramatically from the inflation peak in June 2022. We trace this progression to assess where we stand now and what lies ahead. The […]
Market Insights – Second Quarter 2025
A Growth Scare … And Likely No Worse The momentum from two years of remarkable economic resilience and strong market returns came to an abrupt halt in April 2025. The catalyst for market turmoil this time around was an unexpected turn in the administration’s global trade policy. April 2, 2025 was touted as Liberation Day […]
Market Insights – Third Quarter 2025
The Calm After The Storm The first half of 2025 delivered all the thrills and scares of a turbocharged roller coaster. The twists and turns were sudden and startling; the ups and downs were vicious and violent. The ride left investors shaken from a potentially calamitous experience where mistakes would have been easy to make […]
Is a Donor-Advised Fund Right For You?
Be sure you understand your charitable options before committing. A $1 billion dollar donation is always a big piece of news, and when an ultra-high-net-worth individual or family makes such a gift, the world is sure to take notice. Within the last year, such donations have been made to community foundation donor-advised funds (DAF). No […]
Six Reasons Why Most UHNWIs Choose a Multi-Family Office
Your family office is a point of pride as well as a smart way to manage your business and personal affairs. But you don’t have to have a gold nameplate and command your own staff to reap all of the family-office benefits. In fact, a multi-family office typically offers greater advantages—and ironically, more control—than a single-family office. […]
The Magnificent 7 and the Imperfect Index
Despite domestic and geopolitical uncertainty, equity portfolios performed quite well in 2023 as measured by the S&P 500 Index. The market return was largely driven by the seven largest constituents of the S&P 500, also known as the Magnificent Seven. The Magnificent Seven includes: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Tesla. These companies […]
Federal Tax Updates
On November 9, the IRS released its annual inflation adjustments for tax year 2024 covering updates to more than 63 tax provisions. The 2024 adjustments will affect tax returns filed in 2025. On December 31, 2025, a significant amount of the individual tax provisions passed under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) will […]
The Perils of Picking a Family Member as Trustee
When you were 10, your brother helped you budget your allowance to afford a bike. When you were 20, your sister helped you secure an internship in your career field. So naturally, either would be a great choice as a trustee for your estate, right? Not necessarily, said Thomas Frank, executive vice president and Northern […]