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Portfolio Liquidity

Investors that have inflexible spending needs and large allocations to illiquid assets should plan how they will tackle the next downturn’s liquidity challenges.

September 2019

Diversification Challenges

As investors prepare for the next equity market downturn, they should take a closer look at the benefits and limits of diversification.

September 2019

Behavioral Roadblocks

Bear markets often trigger emotional responses that can sometimes lead investors to act contrary to their long-term objectives; as such they need simple strategies to help overcome their worst instincts.

September 2019

Playing Offense

Investors should review existing policies regarding portfolio rebalancing and tactical asset allocation and ensure they have a strategy to play offense during the next downturn.

September 2019

Community Foundations: The Power of Aggregated Capital

Community foundation assets have grown steadily over the years, accumulating a mix of endowment funds and funds with more expedient spend-down expectations. With the right expertise and attention, the endowment model can be applied to these complex, dynamic assets to differentiate the foundation and deliver on its mission.

August 2019

Proposed Tax on Endowment Income Would Mean Difficult Choices for Many Schools

College and university leaders are paying close attention to the tax plans moving through the Senate and House. As currently written, both proposals would levy a 1.4% tax on net investment income earned during the tax year for private colleges and universities. The House version proposed the tax be applied to schools with assets of at […]

December 2017

Funding Development for Public Universities

Investing in revenue development and fundraising while simultaneously pursuing goals for asset growth is a balancing act. Public universities commonly draw from a combination of three funding sources—the university’s centralized operating budget, gift fees, and administrative fees charged against the endowment—to help pay for the growing costs of development efforts. However, determining the right mix […]

August 2017

Can College and University Endowments Do More?

Recent policy proposals assume endowments can do more to reduce the reliance on student revenue, and thus the cost of a college education. These proposals aim to shift more endowment wealth to current student beneficiaries. Our analysis shows that while well intentioned, these proposals will affect endowment and organizational stability and intergenerational equity. While endowments may be able to do more to support the enterprise and thus lower the cost of attendance, considering the implications of current policy proposals is critical, as is examining other strategies that could address current pricing concerns.

June 2017