The U.S. is known as one of the most litigious countries in the world with approximately 4,800 lawsuits filed annually for every 100,000 people.

Shareholder agreements, life insurance trust, difficult justification of death benefits

Looking back on the fourth quarter of 2024, the conclusive outcome of the presidential election—regardless of one’s political preferences—provided clarity which boosted market confidence. 

Most consumers are aware that the price of an item and its value have an imperfect relationship. In a market-based economy, price and value tend to be correlated, but around the edges, they diverge based on consumer preferences.

Q1 2024 continued the steady march higher from the lows of October 2023. As Chart I shows above, the market’s climb maps a saw-tooth path upward and to the right.

"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future" is a famous quote from Yogi Berra. We began the year with many predicting a recession of varying degrees, followed by a Federal Reserve rate-cutting cycle that would be welcomed by financial markets. We got neither.