In recent years the field of finance has exploded with innovation. New products, services and techniques abound. The risks of inflation, the volatility of interest rates, the deregulation of financial intermediaries and the unbundling of financial services have combined to present investment managers with challenges and opportunities far greater than in the past. For trustees and managers of pension, trust, endowment, and similar funds, the task of meeting the challenges and exploiting the opportunities is much more difficult. These fiduciaries must measure their investment decisions against constrained interpretations of a legal standard--the prudent man rule--that have caused it to lag far behind changes in investment theory and the marketplace. Drawing on financial history, a major opinion survey of institutional investors, and comprehensive reviews of the law and of the lessons of modern portfolio theory for prudence, this book presents a powerful case that the prudent man rule as elaborated in legal treatises and much of the case law would virtually compel a fiduciary to act imprudently in terms of financial theory and marketplace reality. In proposing a modern paradigm of investment prudence, the book uses illustrations drawn from such traditionally suspect categories of investment fiduciaries as securities lending, real estate, venture capital, options and futures and repurchaser agreements. An unusual examination of the interaction of the worlds of law and finance, this work will be of interest to fiduciaries who are subject to some from of prudent man rule and all others, including judges, lawyers and investment managers, who are called upon to interpret and apply that legal standard.

"Now including all eight volumes updated in this Fifth Edition, Scott and Ascher on Trusts, formerly published as Scott on Trusts, is widely regarded as the leading authority on the law of trusts. Scott and Ascher on Trusts offers practical advice on the creation, administration, and termination of all kinds of trusts, as well as incisive analysis of the underlying principles of trust law. The duties of trustees and the rights of beneficiaries, would-be beneficiaries, and third parties are constantly being changed and redefined. This preeminent resource keeps you abreast of the latest developments in trust law, enabling you to resolve trust problems efficiently and effectively with regular updates integrating the latest court decisions and legislative changes. Scott and Ascher on Trusts allows you to examine the full range of your options at every stage, from client counseling to final distribution."--Publisher's website.

Inheritance theft is a widespread but hidden phenomenon afflicting every level of society. During the next twenty years, baby boomers and their children will inherit an estimated one hundred trillion dollars, much of which will be hijacked by family members, associates, or strangers. Everyone who might give or receive an inheritance is a potential victim.The legal and practical advice in this book teaches:"Who steals inheritances"Why, When, and How inheritances are stolen"Why we are all potential victims"How to protect yourselfThis book includes Q&As on inheritance law, quizzes to determine the security of your estate, and checklists on how to protect yourself.

Diversification provides a well-known way of getting something close to a free lunch: by spreading money across different kinds of investments, investors can earn the same return with lower risk (or a much higher return for the same amount of risk). This strategy, introduced nearly fifty years ago, led to such strategies as index funds. What if we were all missing out on another free lunch that’s right under our noses? InLifecycle Investing, Barry Nalebuff and Ian Ayres-two of the most innovative thinkers in business, law, and economics-have developed tools that will allow nearly any investor to diversify their portfolios over time. By using leveraging when young-a controversial idea that sparked hate mail when the authors first floated it in the pages ofForbes-investors of all stripes, from those just starting to plan to those getting ready to retire, can substantially reduce overall risk while improving their returns. InLifecycle Investing, readers will learn How to figure out the level of exposure and leverage that’s right foryou How the Lifecycle Investing strategy would have performed in the historical market Why it will work even if everyone does it Whennotto adopt the Lifecycle Investing strategy Clearly written and backed by rigorous research,Lifecycle Investingpresents a simple but radical idea that will shake up how we think about retirement investing even as it provides a healthier nest egg in a nicely feathered nest.