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John Jennings Publishes First Book: The Uncertainty Solution

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Get started with our top 5 posts in the areas of investment management, family office, and trustee services.

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Forbes
Investment Management

How Investors Can Brace For Election Uncertainty

As the U.S. heads into another presidential election, concerns are growing about potential delays in results and the risk of unrest, especially given the heightened polarization in recent years. After...
John M. Jennings, JD
John M. Jennings, JDPresident and Chief Strategist of St. Louis Trust & Family Office
Forbes
Investment Management

How To Manage Private Equity Capital Calls

Years ago, my colleagues and I were asked to evaluate the investment portfolio of a prospective client family. The portfolio was invested in a mix of traditional assets like muni...
John M. Jennings, JD
John M. Jennings, JDPresident and Chief Strategist of St. Louis Trust & Family Office
Investment Management

Five Steps to Align Your Portfolio with Your Values

When considering how to live a more authentic, meaningful life, most people think of things like spending more time with family, doing volunteer work, or giving money to charity. But...
Anna Sears, CFA®
Anna Sears, CFA®Principal
Forbes
Family Office

What Planning Should You Do Prior To Selling Your Company?

Congratulations! You’ve beaten the odds, built an enduring, valuable company, and are looking to sell it. If you’re like most business owners, you’re primarily focused on working with your investment...
John M. Jennings, JD
John M. Jennings, JDPresident and Chief Strategist of St. Louis Trust & Family Office
Family Office

Considerations for Shared Ownership of Family Property

Looking back, Sam, Jane and Nick’s childhood seemed almost perfect. They grew up in a loving extended family, played sports year-round and traveled. A highlight for the three siblings was their summers spent at Manor Grove, their family estate on the Outer Banks bought by their grandparents in the early 1900’s. When their grandparents died, the estate passed to their father, James, and his sister, Clara...
John M. Jennings, JD
John M. Jennings, JDPresident and Chief Strategist of St. Louis Trust & Family Office

IFOD - Interesting Fact of the Day

John Jennings, President of St. Louis Trust & Family Office, shares thoughtful, interesting and insightful nuggets of information in this daily blog.

December 13, 2024
The Amish Guide to Technology: What You Can Learn from Their Surprising Approach

Sound Smart Series

A Friday fast take on topical subjects from the market and economy.

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Essential Reading

We love reading. Our company Book Club gathers quarterly to discuss select books, podcasts, and more. Here's a list of what we've enjoyed.

St. Louis Trust & Family Office Bookshelf

From the Archive

Browse a selection of our posts from past years sorted by category, or enter specific search terms.

Author Archives: Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®

Sound Smart Series

Is Bitcoin Ready for a Primetime Portfolio Slot?

Did you hear that the price of Bitcoin eclipsed $100,000, which is over a 100% return year-to-date? Bitcoin’s eye-popping performance (along with that of most other cryptocurrencies) gives crypto enthusiasts...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

Boring is Beautiful: The Secret to Long-Term Investment Success

The financial markets present a dynamic landscape filled with opportunities and challenges. Conventional wisdom might suggest that investors who navigate this terrain with expertise—identifying areas of mispricing or capitalizing on...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

Crystal Ball Investing: Why Knowing Tomorrow’s News Isn’t Enough

Investors crave certainty, especially in markets that seem increasingly unpredictable. Yet, the outcomes of market movements and economic shifts are inherently unknowable in advance, leaving a gap between what we...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

From Dormancy to Demand: A.I.’s Role in Nuclear’s Potential Comeback

As I’ve previously written, the data centers that power A.I. require a ton of electricity, raising questions about where all that additional power will come from. Nuclear power might be...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

Navigating Rate Cuts: What the Federal Funds Rate Means for Your Cash Investments

Holding cash or cash-like investments such as short-term Treasuries and money market funds has been rewarding for the past couple of years. They earn actual interest in the range of...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

A Compounding Convergence: How Private Market Investments Could Soon Be in Your ETF

In recent decades, investments in private assets like private equity, venture capital, and real estate have experienced remarkable growth, driven by increasing investor interest and a surge in assets under...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

Fees and Fossils: Understanding Investment Costs

All three of my kids were fascinated by dinosaurs at one point. We read books on them, looked at fossils, and (obviously) watched Jurassic Park. However, we have yet to...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

Powering AI: The Hidden Energy Cost of the Tech Revolution

Artificial Intelligence (AI) currently is the most popular and powerful investment trend. Investors are fervently buying Nvidia’s stock and other major tech companies that are directly involved in AI. These...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

Debt-to-GDP: A Firecracker in the Works?

“A national debt, if not excessive, will be to us a national blessing.” – Alexander Hamilton. This statement by the first Treasury secretary may feel overly optimistic today as the...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

The Latest Party Crasher: Active ETFs

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) came on the scene in 1993 with the launch of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust (SPY), a single stock that tracked the S&P 500 Index. (It...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

The Hidden Risks of Thematic Investing: Why Chasing AI Trends Could Hurt Your Portfolio

Artificial Intelligence investment hype is stratospheric. And for good cause: AI technology capabilities are increasing exponentially, and the stock market’s performance for the past couple of years has been primarily...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
Sound Smart Series

Should Top Performing Active Managers Be Top Choice?

Investing in actively managed equity funds can often feel like navigating a complex maze, especially when considering the ever-changing landscape of fund performance. Investors are prone to finding investment managers...
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®
Alex Bates, CFA®, CAIA®Director of Investment Research
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