Welcoming a new baby is not only a personal milestone, it’s also a financial milestone. In addition to choosing names and nursery colors, you need to start making crucial financial decisions for your family. Parents today confront challenges that previous generations did not, including student loan debt that has necessitated 43% of borrowers to delay having a family and social security...

  Through its G2G Impact initiative, Atlantic Trust is pleased to partner with Michael Sherman, founder of Graduate to Employment. In last week’s blog post, Michael shared some startling facts about the current job market and their implications for the Class of 2016’s job prospects.     This week, the series continues with a discussion about the role of the summer internship...

  If you are like me and grew up as an only child, it's simple.  I need to tend to all the responsibilities associated with a sick or hospitalized parent, including taking care of the second parent that I'm so fortunate to have. There's no discussion and no coordination of effort required: It's all mine!     For those who have siblings, sharing these...

  Despite uneven performance from the U.S. economy and mounting worries over the long-term economic impact of the Brexit vote held in June, there’s a silver lining for the class of 2016. Citing data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), CNBC reported that this year is shaping up to be one of the best job markets in recent years for college graduates.   ...

  Given recent market performance, it could become quite easy to focus on short-term relative numbers, especially when comparing active vs. passive investment strategies. Although passive strategies tend to charge lower fees with mandates to match the performance of an index, investors should expect to almost fully capture market returns on the upside and to nearly match the index on the...

  The word “fiduciary” is commonly associated with the words “ethics,” “duty,” “prudence,” “loyalty” and—almost always—“trust.” No surprise there, as the word comes from the Latin fidere, to trust.     In the Q3 edition of The Advisor, Atlantic Trust’s quarterly magazine, we sit down with Chief Fiduciary Officer Gabrielle D. “Gaby” Bailey to gain a better understanding of...

  Insurance may very well be the only purchase a person makes without having any intention to use it. And yet, it plays an essential role in not only risk management, but also asset protection. Many different types of insurance are available for various circumstances, but today I would like to focus specifically on the subject of disability insurance.     Although disability...

  In managing our Disciplined Equity Strategy (DISE), we look for companies with characteristics that reflect quality, such as strong cash flows, proven management teams and leading competitive positions in attractive industries.     As a result of our focus on these qualities, DISE has been able to stand out from the pack in terms of its performance by generally producing...

  When it comes to estate and tax planning, philanthropy provides an opportunity to leave a legacy or fulfill a personal passion. Among the available giving strategies, Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs) are unique because of their ability to pay donors an annual income stream and satisfy charitable desires at the same time. This is because the trust’s remainder passes to one or more...

  In the movie “The Big Short,” based on Michael Lewis’ best-selling book about Wall Street’s role in the housing boom and subsequent bust, there is the constant, incredulous refrain: “But housing is always stable... people don’t just not pay their mortgage... It will never collapse.” Bets upon bets upon bets later, it did happen, resulting in the Great Recession and Financial Crisis of...

  Adam R. Karpf, CFA, co-manager of Atlantic Trust’s Master Limited Partnership (MLP) strategies, was recently featured in a Barron’s article in which he commented on the recent rally within energy-focused MLPs. He elaborates further in the quote below:     Over time, with the further stabilization in crude oil prices, we expect investors will recognize and gain better...

Beyond the three primary asset classes—stocks, bonds and cash—there are many other types of investments that can be used to diversify investment portfolios. Over the years, alternative investment strategies such as natural resources, real estate and hedge funds have become popular allocation targets to achieve this diversification. Another popular alternative asset class—and one that continues...

  A key strategy in wealth planning today, trusts offer broad flexibility to help families achieve their wealth planning goals by providing:                       Broad flexibility to help structure and manage assets Reduced administrative costs and delays at death Substantial estate and gift tax savings   ...

  According to David Wasserman, the 2016 presidential election will break every rule of politics we have been taught. Wasserman is political analyst and House editor for The Cook Political Report, which provides analyses of presidential, U.S. Senate, House and gubernatorial races. In March, to coincide with the launch of our Investment and Political Outlook Speaker Series, David spoke...

  Atlantic Trust is pleased to announce the opening of a new office—our 14th nationwide—in Dallas, Texas. This strategic expansion builds upon our firm’s already strong foundation in Texas with our Austin and Houston offices and provides room for further growth in one of the country’s fastest-growing wealth centers.     Dallas is already well established as a vibrant wealth...