There are many investment opportunities to gain Alpha. But Alpha can also be achieved by keeping a close eye on expenses – as Jack Bogle, the founder of the Vanguard Group and avid proponent of low-cost funds, has proven over the years. The concept of gaining Alpha by improving efficiency was the focus of Alpha…
Making Wealth Last
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” Warren Buffet Acquiring wealth is one thing. But once acquired, how do you ensure it will “provide shade” that lasts for generations to come? Conventional advice recommends developing a shared vision based on family values and goals, conducting regular…
Moving Family Offices Forward
Interview with Howard Geller, Principal, Hudson Peak Group As principal and founder of Hudson Peak Group, Howard Geller works with individuals and family office clients to advise on financial and strategy issues, including analyzing various financial products. Due to his in-the-trenches expertise and objective insight, Geller was recently quoted by Family Wealth Report (FWR) in…
New Research Study: Manual Processes Top List of Family Office Challenges
If you think your family office is spending too much time on manual tasks for accounting and reporting, you’re probably right. But you’re not alone. According to a new study by Family Wealth Report and sponsored by FundCount, family offices spend an average of 20 percent of working hours per week on manual tasks. The…
A Real-Time General Ledger for a Real-Time Investment Management World
A general ledger is the heart of any accounting system. It receives and pumps out information that feeds all financial accounting, investment and reporting activities. With accurate, real-time financial data readily available, analysis and investment decisions can be made based on current, not past information. Unfortunately, many family offices and other firms do not have…
Ad-hoc Reports: The Crowning Differentiator
Technology in our everyday lives provides instant access to nearly everything. It has raised the bar on expectations. We’ve become spoiled with voice-activated personal assistants like Siri and Alexa that can answer questions and do simple tasks without us having to move a finger, with applications that offer remote, on-demand access to various home systems…
The Art of Implementation
Implementing a new portfolio accounting system is never accomplished at the press of a button. The process of ‘implementing” the system requires genuine rigor to ensure nothing is lost in the hand-off. Balance sheets have expanded and increased in complexity to the point that the traditional patchwork of retail solutions is not up to the…
4 Key Benefits of Moving to the Cloud
Although not new, cloud computing has gained traction across all industries over the last several years due to its proven cost benefits and improved data security. Security in particular was a significant concern that had hindered early adoption by asset managers and other financial professionals handling sensitive financial information. According to PwC, “as significant as…
Bill Paying: It’s Only Boring Until Something Goes Wrong
It’s hard to get excited about cash management and the mundane task of bill paying. But, for any family office manager or controller that has issued a check from a wrong account, missed a critical payment, caused an overdraft, or erroneously paid a vendor twice, you know firsthand how time consuming it can be to…