This report explores a few key statistics that paint a picture of the Birmingham area economy. Our Birmingham Area Economic Report places the Birmingham area economy in a state, regional and national context. Click here to download the full report… Read More >
The Importance of an Investment Policy Statement
I. Overview A written investment policy statement (IPS) provides guidelines and directions for the conscientious fiduciary. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) does not include a specific requirement that plans have a written IPS. The concept of a documented… Read More >
Making the Most of Year-End Giving
As the year comes to a close, you may be thinking of making financial gifts in addition to trying to buy a relevant gift for the picky tween in your life. Here are a few guidelines for both charitable gifts… Read More >
Birmingham Area Economic Report, Q2 2019
This report explores a few key statistics that paint a picture of the Birmingham area economy. Our Birmingham Area Economic Report places the Birmingham area economy in a state, regional and national context. Click here to download the full report… Read More >
What’s It Worth, Summer 2019
U.S. private equity deal activity remains robust and continued fundraising and private equity dry powder (funds raised but not yet invested) will drive competition and push deal prices upwards. Private equity firms continue to search aggressively for smaller deals in… Read More >
The Proposed SECURE Act and Your Retirement
Earlier this summer, the House of Representatives passed the SECURE Act (“Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement”) with bipartisan support and a nearly unanimous vote. As of the writing of this commentary, it stalled in the Senate, but reports… Read More >
What’s It Worth, Spring 2019
U.S. private equity deal activity and total transaction value dipped slightly in Q1 2019, but prices on completed deals remain elevated. Continued record-breaking fundraising efforts and private equity dry powder (funds raised but not yet invested) will likely continue to… Read More >
Birmingham Area Economic Report, Q4 2018
This report explores a few key statistics that paint a picture of the Birmingham area economy. Our Birmingham Area Economic Report places the Birmingham area economy in a state, regional and national context. Click here to download the full report… Read More >
Long Term Portfolio Returns – January 2019 Update
In order to make sound investment decisions today, we are forced to make long term projections of portfolio returns. The methodology, assumptions, and original inputs for our approach to predicting long term portfolio returns are originally documented in our white… Read More >
What It Means To Be A Fiduciary Under ERISA
Overview The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) sets out comprehensive standards of conduct for those who manage an employee benefit plan and its assets. In addition to a specific person being named in the plan document, a… Read More >
Planning for Charitable Giving
According to the National Philanthropic Trust,[1] approximately 90% of high net worth families give to charity, and in 2017, charitable giving accounted for 2.1% of gross domestic product. American families have historically given more money to charity than those in… Read More >
Long Term Portfolio Returns – January 2018 Update
In order to make sound investment decisions today, we are forced on making long term projections of portfolio returns. The methodology, assumptions, and original inputs for our approach to predicting long term portfolio returns are originally documented in our white… Read More >
The Bank Shot, Q4 2017
In this issue of The Bank Shot, our quarterly newsletter for community banks, we take a robust look at the bank M&A arena in 2017. Click here to read the full report.
The Monkey’s Advantage
The Wall Street Journal ran a periodic column a few years ago that compared the performance of some of the best stock pickers to that of monkeys throwing darts at a page of stock listings. After some time, the “monkeys”… Read More >
Effect of Stale Returns on Diversification Strategies
In an effort to manage risk and reduce volatility, investors often seek to diversify the holdings in their portfolio. Diversification is sometimes described as the only “free lunch” when it comes to investing. The idea behind diversification is that an… Read More >
The Bank Shot – August 2017
In This Issue In “Up, Up and Away…Bank M&A Scorecard June 30, 2017,” we discuss how M&A activity and pricing so far in 2017 is noticeably up compared to 2016. In “The Ol’ Pea Under the Shell Game,” former Alabama… Read More >
Benefits of a Donor Advised Fund
Each year around the end of March, I spend at least half a day tracking down my charitable contribution receipts in the hope of increasing my tax refund with a charitable deduction. There are plenty of tools to help me… Read More >
Birmingham Area Economic Report, Q1 2017
This report explores a few key statistics that paint a picture of the Birmingham area economy. The Porter, White & Company Birmingham Area Economic Report, published quarterly, places the Birmingham area economy in a state, regional and national context. Click… Read More >
