Revisiting the Bypass Trust
Why an old estate planning tool deserves a fresh look, and how getting it right can make a meaningful difference for your family.
Estate plans age. Life circumstances change. Tax law evolves. And yet the documents sitting in most families’ files were drafted years ago, sometimes decades ago, under a very different set of assumptions about how wealth would be taxed at death.
All Insights
Perspectives: The Next Four Years
Most investors would agree that financial markets can be highly unpredictable, generally more so in the near-term than the long run. Many factors influence the prices of securities, some on an individual basis, others at a macro…
Perspectives: America’s Underappreciated Economic Strength
The Federal Reserve recently concluded its most aggressive interest rate hikes in 40 years, moving the Fed Funds rate to a 23-year high…
Perspectives: Lower Interest Rates Have (Finally) Arrived
Seeking to lower inflation, the Federal Reserve began raising borrowing costs in March 2022 and held them at the highest level in more than two decades over the past year. Recent data…
Perspectives: Sticky Inflation
Having raised interest rates sharply between 2022 and the middle of last year to curb inflation, Federal Reserve officials entered this year expecting to reduce borrowing costs. Unfortunately, a resurgence of inflation above expectations early this year upended that plan…
Perspectives: Economic Resiliency
The U.S. economy continues to outperform expectations. Aggressive interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve to slow the economy and combat a spike in inflation following the pandemic were widely predicted…
Perspectives: Outlook for 2024
Despite the volatility, stocks have performed well this year. Year-to-date through the end of November, the S&P 500 has gained 19%. With all the uncertainties facing investors at this time last year, many have been surprised by the market’s advance this year.
Perspectives: Chugging Along
At the beginning of this year, many economists forecast a significant recession to materialize by now. Instead, the economy has continued to grow despite the strong headwind from much higher interest rates. With inflation waning and continued broad-based momentum in…