{reflections} 2016 the road ahead Insights to build a bridge from the realities of 2015 to the expectations for 2016 and establish a framework for portfolio positioning. reflections Top Six Investment Themes for 2016 1 2 3 Diversification is key – selecting the right mix of assets for a portfolio is more important than the individual investments themselves. Critical steps for...

Plante Moran Financial Advisors 2014 t he r o a d ah e ad the dot s. Taking stock of where things stand today is an important starting point as we begin to connect the dots between the capital markets, the economy, policy issues, and ultimately your portfolio. 2014 the road ahead Foreword. Each year, our Road Ahead commentary provides readers with an intellectual road map of our views for...

{Are you protected?} Overview of Cybersecurity Services Why Plante Moran is built on thousands of success stories. CLIENT FOCUS The confidence that the client’s needs are put ahead of the firm’s by a professional team that cares as much about the client’s business as the client does. DEEP INDUSTRY EXPERTISE Deep audit, tax, and consulting expertise from...

flourish with us fully invested in your success 1 st 10 th of 200 CPA firms ranked by assets under management– Accounting Today, July 2014 among 529 registered investment advisors ranked by Financial Advisor magazine– Financial Advisor, July 2014 Life is complicated, but managing wealth doesn’t need to be. With an integrated approach, we simplify the...

February 4, 2015 taxalerts.plantemoran.com Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Budget Proposals Administration’s FY 2016 Budget: Compromise/Tax Reform Next Steps President Obama released his $3.99 trillion fiscal year (FY 2016) federal budget proposals on February 2, 2015, calling for expansion of tax incentives for families, consolidation of education tax breaks, creation of new retirement savings...

3rd Quarter 2015 Economic Dashboard EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • The most recent report on Q2 GDP indicated that the economy expanded at a healthy 3.9% annualized rate during the quarter. Growth was supported by stronger consumer and government spending, business investment, and inventory accumulation. Q1 GDP was also revised up from 0.2% to 0.6%. • Recent inflation data has been...

{forging ahead} 2015 the road ahead Assessing the key milestones of 2014 and taking stock of the path before us are critical steps as we prepare to forge ahead into what 2015 has in store. forging ahead Executive summary. • Despite a slow start to the year, U.S. economic growth rebounded and advanced at a moderate pace in the quarters that followed. Steady economic growth...

December 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • • ® ® CPA, CFP , CIMA Partner, Chief Investment Officer Volatility returned to the equity markets in November, but most domestic indices managed fractional gains by month end. Small caps led the pack, though they still trail large caps year to date. • JIM BAIRD U.S. economic indicators were generally positive in...

January 7, 2016 A volatile open to 2016 provides little insight into what the year may bring Global equity markets traded lower yesterday on news that North Korea conducted a nuclear test Tuesday evening. While this is not the first time that the North Korean regime has surprised the world with such a move, its claim that this was a successful test of a hydrogen bomb, if true, would be...

Top Six Investment Themes for 2016 1 2 3 Diversification is key – selecting the right mix of assets for a portfolio is more important than the individual investments themselves. Critical steps for any successful investment strategy are establishing and adhering to a broadly diversified strategic asset allocation framework that appropriately reflects one’s desired return,...

Recognizing IT MAY NOT FEEL URGENT, BUT IT IS: A timeline for implementing the new revenue recognition standard 2 RECOGNIZING REVENUE: A TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE NEW REVENUE RECOGNITION STANDARD Recognizing revenue It may not feel urgent, but it is: A TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE NEW REVENUE RECOGNITION STANDARD Look, we’re accountants. We understand “last...

January 11, 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • It’s been a challenging start to 2016 for equity investors, as the U.S. stock market stumbled out of the gate. Contributing factors to the pullback have been from a number of unrelated matters, including softening economic news out of China, a resumption in the slide of oil prices, a nuclear test from North Korea, and other geopolitical...

4th Quarter 2015 Economic Dashboard EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • The final estimate of Q3 GDP indicated that the economy expanded at a moderate 2.0% annualized rate during the quarter. Growth was supported by stronger consumer and government spending, while an inventory drawdown detracted. • Recent inflation data have been muted, as commodity and energy prices remain...

January 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • • International equities were not immune to the selloff in December as the MSCI EAFE dropped 1.4%, and the MSCI EM slipped 2.2%. • Most fixed income indices lost ground last month, with the exception of municipal bonds. The Barclays Aggregate lost 0.3% for the month as yields moved higher along the short and intermediate end of the...

Engage. PLANTE MORAN REACHING A PLATEAU IN YOUR BUSINESS? REIGNITE GROWTH Cybersecurity Is Like a Sponge: Five Ways to Contain Your Data P.08 Identity Theft: It’s Not Just for Credit Cards Anymore P.14 2016 SPRING/SUMMER Audit. Tax. Consulting. Wealth Management. REACHING A PLATEAU IN YOUR BUSINESS? REIGNITE GROWTH All companies hit bumps along the road to growth. We can...

January 18, 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • CPA, CFP®, CIMA® Partner, Chief Investment Officer • Despite trepidation surrounding China’s slowdown, its economy is expected to report growth of nearly 7% in the fourth quarter. Not only is that pace far from recessionary territory, the Chinese economy is still growing more rapidly than most of the...

February 9, 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Equity markets have come under renewed pressure in recent days. High quality bonds have rallied though, allowing balanced investors to limit their downside. In short, diversification has worked. • The story continues to revolve around a slowdown in global economic growth, a stalled bull market in U.S. equities, investor reaction to the...

February 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • A spike in volatility resulted in declines for equities across the board. In the U.S., large caps bore less of the brunt, while small caps were hit hardest. • Overseas, stocks also lost ground in January, both in developed and emerging markets. • In fixed income, bond indices were largely up for the month as yields fell,...