Mesirow clients gain access to fundamentally driven actively managed equity and fixed income strategies, Front Barnett clients continue to benefit from the capabilities and client service they know while gaining a prominent parent firm with deep resources strong capital and robust infrastructure, No change to Front Barnett mission leadership or day-to-day operations, CHICAGO September 29 2023, – Mesirow an independent employee-owned financial services firm today announced that Front Barnett Associates LLC a leading high net worth and ultra-high net worth wealth manager and registered investment advisor (RIA firm has joined Mesirow and will operate as a distinct platform within the broader Mesirow Wealth Management offering  There is no change to the Front Barnett mission investment…, Marshall B Front, Mickey MacMillan, and, Peter Wahlstrom, CFA CFP ® The team will go to market as Front Barnett A Mesirow Company “We are excited to welcome the Front Barnett team to Mesirow” said, Natalie Brown, Mesirow CEO, “Their capabilities and commitment complement our firm’s 86-year history of advising families entrepreneurs and non-profits on their most important financial goals and this acquisition aligns well with our focus on comprehensive personal financial planning” “Our partnership with Mesirow brings important benefits to our clients and firm” said, Marshall B Front, who founded the firm in 1994 “We gain additional expertise and support in managing compliance technology and administrative matters as we continue to seek competitive investment returns and deliver the high level of personalized financial advice and communications our clients expect” The firms share important key characteristics Both have legacies of independence and employee ownership with long…, Brian Price, Head of Mesirow Advisory Services, “We look forward to ongoing organic growth and continued momentum through potential future acquisitions in the wealth management space” Mesirow CEO Natalie Brown with Front Barnett leadership Top L to R Peter Wahlstrom Ann M Marsh Brian Price Darren Feld and Mickey MacMillan Bottom L to R Natalie Brown and Marshall B Front As of June 30 2023 Front Barnett has more than $12 billion in assets…, About Mesirow ,    Mesirow is an independent employee-owned financial services firm founded in 1937 Headquartered in Chicago with offices around the world we serve clients through a personal custom approach to reaching financial goals and acting as a force for social good With capabilities spanning Global Investment Management Capital Markets & Investment Banking and Advisory Services we invest in what…, About Front Barnett,    Front Barnett is a Chicago-based employee-owned wealth management firm founded in 1994 The firm provides customized equity and fixed income investment management for high-net-worth and ultra-high-worth individuals and their related portfolios striving to assist clients in achieving their financial goals through strong and enduring relationship competitive risk-adjusted after-tax returns on…

Its a fact couples in the US are marrying later in life especially college educated professionals As a result both partners have often begun to save invest and accumulate assets Premarital financial planning has therefore become extremely important And the awkward question must be asked “How can we protect our assets when entering into marriage without tainting the romance of engagement” , According to the US Census Bureau the average age for first marriage in 2024 was 311 years for a man and 292 for a woman compared to 228 and 203 respectively in 1960¹ People often equate premarital planning with “prenuptial agreements” and mistakenly think that these arrangements are only for the wealthy The fact is that there are a number of other planning strategies that can protect your…, Protect the integrity of non-marital property, Marital property is subject to division upon dissolution of marriage non-marital property is not So one way to protect your assets upon marriage is to clearly understand how non-marital and marital property are defined and how they are impacted in the event of a divorce Non-marital property consists of assets that each spouse either brings to the marriage or inherits after the onset of marriage…, Title your assets appropriately prior to marriage, If the assets are held in an account that is titled in an individual’s name the assets should continue to be held in this manner However to maintain this property as non-marital one must ensure that they do not “taint” the character of these assets Commingling these assets with marital property or making contributions to the account with marital assets may make these assets marital For example…, Consider a family limited partnership or irrevocable trust, Family limited partnerships and irrevocable trusts are tools that can provide effective creditor protection Depending on the size of a family’s overall wealth personal situation and other variables a family’s strategic plan may provide for a portion of their assets to be retained in a partnership or trust If the trust is structured appropriately certain provisions will not only make the assets…, Retain financial independence, Regardless of whether a couple takes the steps noted above or conversely there is no necessity to take these planning strategies into consideration couples entering marriage might want to consider retaining some financial independence Below are a few easy ways that this can be accomplished Retain a separate bank account that allows for immediate access to cash with funds that cannot be “cut-off”…, Consider a prenuptial agreement, While the above are ideas to consider a properly executed prenuptial agreement is not necessarily a recipe for marriage disaster A prenuptial should be viewed like any other insurance policy When you buy auto insurance you don’t excitedly wait to use the insurance but you have it in the event that something unfortunate does happen A prenuptial can provide clarity in the unfortunate event of…, Our recommendations, In summary while premarital planning can include the process of obtaining a prenuptial agreement there are other solutions and planning techniques one can utilize While all situations differ it is always recommended that the specifics of an individual’s situation be coordinated with appropriate legal counsel and other family advisors If you are planning to get married — , or know a friend or family member who is,  — your Mesirow wealth advisor can serve as a third party to initiate this conversation and to help structure and retain the integrity of non-marital assets prior to marriage , Published January 2025, 1 Source wwwcensusgov

Wendy Evans is a Vice President and Client Relationship Specialist in Mesirow Wealth Management She is responsible for day-to-day client service and communications including client portfolio analysis trade requests account processing and documentation  Wendy has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry Prior to joining Mesirow in 2001 she worked as an Administrator for…

Wenli Tan is a Managing Director in Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions She provides extensive quantitative and qualitative investment research for the groups fiduciary partnership consulting institutional due diligence and other related engagements Wenli has 20 years of industry experience Prior to joining Mesirow in 2009 she served as a Mutual Fund Analyst at Morningstar where she conducted manager…

Over the past two years the Federal Reserve rose interest rates at a rate not seen since the 1980’s leading to some of the worst years for bond investors in history During October 2023 the US Treasury 10-Year yield breached 5% for the first time since 2007 a significant increase from the 06% yield experienced during the height of the pandemic Rising interest rates have a significant impact on a…, Published November 2023