Our webinar series, which features the firm's professionals, is an interactive forum for learning about recent legislative, economic, and technological developments that affect your portfolio and financial plan. Listen to replays of previous webinars below and register for our upcoming events.
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Making Sense of the European Debt Crisis: What's In It For Me?

Thursday, February 16 | 12:00 noon CT

With Europe’s fiscal and economic future hanging in the balance, political leaders and central bankers from across the continent have been engaged in seemingly endless rounds of discussions. In an interactive webinar, Brian Singer, the head of William Blair’s Dynamic Allocation Strategies team, will explore the dynamics driving these high-stakes negotiations and the implications for investors here in the United States. Drawing on game theory and fundamental economic analysis, Mr. Singer will explain the motivations, strategies, and tactics of the major eurozone players.

Brian Singer, CFA – Head of William Blair’s Dynamic Allocation Strategies team

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European Debt Crisis Transcript

Year-End Tax Strategies for Investors

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Although April 15 is still five months away, now is the time to start thinking about ways to minimize your tax bill. In this interactive webinar, William Blair financial planners Julie Alcala and Kelly Oliven will discuss year-end strategies relating to deferring or accelerating income, tax-loss harvesting, required minimum distributions from retirement accounts, and the gift-tax exemption. Alcala and Oliven will look at how these strategies are affected by the uncertainty surrounding the future of tax rates and other potential changes to tax laws.

Julie D. Alcala, CPA, CFP® – Senior Financial Planning Advisor
Kelly L. Oliven, CFP® – Financial Planner

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Balancing Retirement With Wealth Transfer Goals

Thursday, October 6, 2011, Noon CDT

The 2010 Tax Relief Act has created unprecedented opportunities to transfer wealth to the next generation tax-free through 2012. But for many, fully capitalizing on these gifting opportunities could jeopardize retirement plans.

In this interactive webinar, William Blair’s Sarah Mercurio and Melissa Mendoza will explain how to balance the often competing goals of saving for retirement and minimizing wealth-transfer taxes. They will outline the steps for determining how much you need to save to reach your retirement goals and how much can be prudently transferred via the $5 million gift-tax exemption. As senior financial planners, Mercurio and Mendoza have extensive experience working with high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as foundations and endowments, to review cash-flow projections, tax efficiency, charitable giving, estate planning, and other aspects of the wealth mosaic.

Sarah P. Mercurio, CFP® – Senior Financial Planning Advisor
Melissa Mendoza, CFP® – Financial Planning Associate

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What the U.S. Credit Downgrade Means for Investors

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Last Friday, Standard & Poor’s delivered another jolt of uncertainty to financial markets by downgrading U.S. long-term debt. As the implications of this historic downgrade continue to unwind, William Blair & Company is hosting a webinar to help clients understand what the downgrade means for the U.S. economy, financial markets, and individual investors.

In this interactive online presentation, William Blair’s Global Macro Strategy and Fixed Income experts will examine the near-term implications of the downgrade, as well as the longer-term effects for investors’ portfolios. The panel will provide analysis and perspective on the downgrade and answer clients’ questions about the current market environment and future implications

Jim McKinney - Head of Debt Capital Markets
Brian Singer, CFA - Head of Dynamic Allocation Strategies in Investment Management
Chris Vincent, CFA - Head of the Fixed Income Group in Investment Management 

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US Downgrade Webinar Transcript

Understanding Asset Allocation Within Your Portfolio

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Asset allocation is the foundation of an effective investment strategy. Strategically diversifying investments across and within asset classes allows investors to construct portfolios according to their objectives, risk tolerance, and time constraints. Whether an investor’s goal is to accumulate, preserve, transfer, or spend wealth—or some combination of these—creating the appropriate mix of equities, bonds, cash, and alternative investments is essential to achieving these objectives.

In this interactive webinar, William Blair & Company’s Ryan Dimas will provide an overview of asset allocation. In addition to discussing the risk and return characteristics of the various asset classes, Ryan will explain the role diversification plays in reducing volatility within a portfolio.

Ryan Dimas, CFA, CAIA – Head of Investment Manager Research team for William Blair Select

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Rising Rates: Risk, Return, and a Road Map for Bond Investors

Thursday, March 17, 2011

After an extended period of low interest rates, the transition to an environment of rising rates will create a new set of risks and opportunities for bond investors. Chris Vincent, head of William Blair & Company’s fixed-income group, will discuss how investors can prepare their bond portfolios for this impending sea of change. Chris will also describe the potential impact of rising rates on volatility across the yield curve and across credit ratings.

Chris Vincent, Principal, Head of Fixed Income, William Blair Investment Management 

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Rising Rates Webinar Transcript

2011 Tax Changes: What You Need to Know as an Investor

Thursday, January 20, 2011

With the fate of the Bush-era tax cuts hanging in the balance, Congress passed a sweeping piece of legislation on December 16 that extends the 2010 income-tax rates for all income levels and reinstates the estate tax at 35% on amounts in excess of $5 million through 2012. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 provides individuals with some much-needed clarity, at least for the next two years.

William Blair & Company will host a webinar on January 20 to discuss the key provisions of this law, as well as other tax changes that took effect starting January 1. In this interactive discussion, Christopher Brathwaite, CFP®, will focus on how investors can adapt their investment and wealth-transfer strategies in 2011 in response to the new laws.

Christopher Brathwaite, CFP®, CIMA®, Senior Financial Planning Advisor, William Blair Investment Management 

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Tax Changes Webinar Transcript