‘Banks of all sizes have liquidity risk in a bank run scenario,’ said First American Trust’s Jerry Braakman “We do not think the turmoil is done running its course. As we saw from [this week’s] GDP release, overall economic activity is weakening, while the consumer is still resilient despite higher rates. Both housing and auto sales are dependent ... Read More›

Excited to announce that for the eighth year in a row, First American has been recognized as 100 Best Companies to Work For® in the U.S. by Great Place to Work US® Institute in partnership with Fortune Magazine! #100BestCos Read More›

Retail traders are pulling back on Tesla Inc. shares this month over a recent investor day and the overall health of the economy. Additionally, there are concerns over another price cut on its most expensive cars. Competitors typically follow Tesla’s cuts by lowering their own prices and “since Tesla has higher gross margins to begin with, the ... Read More›

Jerry Braakman, president and chief investment officer said he “expects bigger banks to emerge as one of the beneficiaries from this crisis. Depositors are already moving money out of regional banks to national banks, which can help shore up liquidity for the latter.” Learn more about the current economy and how investors are reacting in this ... Read More›

“We think we’re headed into economic deterioration and the current volatility in the market is enough for us to be very cautious in equities, and you’re getting paid in the meantime to wait with cash. So we do think it’s an attractive space to be in fixed income versus equities at this point,” said Jerry Braakman, president and chief investment ... Read More›

According to the 2020 Census the baby boomer generation is estimated at about 73 million with more reaching retirement daily. And many who own property are (or should be!) starting to plan for ways to transfer their wealth and assets to their heirs, which can be a daunting and challenging exercise. But by using careful, proactive estate planning ... Read More›

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has officially kicked off the 2023 tax filing season and has begun accepting and processing tax returns for tax year 2022 as of January 23, 2023. With tax season underway, there are a few things to think about as you compile your tax documents and get your tax affairs in order. Read More›

Global equities and bonds rose in the fourth quarter of 2022, closing out the worst year in more than a decade. The fourth quarter rally across risk assets was driven by sentiment that inflation has peaked and is decelerating, and thus the Fed's historic tightening campaign may soon be coming to an end. The rebound in markets was also supported by ... Read More›

“It’s almost like people are trying to project forward toward the end the Fed tightening policy and trying to find a bottom here and a new bull-market rally,” said Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer of First American Trust. “But that’s in light of deteriorating economic statistics and I think that’s a little premature.” Read More›

Among the most useful tools at an estate planner’s disposal is a power of appointment. There’s an almost infinite variety of powers of appointment, and they can be used to accomplish numerous important tax and non-tax estate planning objectives. In addition, powers of appointment may have significant, and sometimes surprising, tax consequences. In ... Read More›

“How long can the consumer stay strong in light of this monetary policy? said Jerry Braakman, president and chief investment officer of First American Trust in California." Read more about why investors are concerned about the stronger-than-anticipated U.S. economic data in this Wall Street Journal article. Read More›

The world of estate planning and trust administration is fraught with a variety of landmines, and only the diligent can detect and avoid them consistently. An estate planning professional’s behavior and performance may be judged unethical or even illegal in a given circumstance even if he or she is exceptionally knowledgeable about the substantive ... Read More›