“In the short term, the financial markets will be shaky and quite volatile,” said chief investment officer Harold Pitcairn, “but longer term, our view is optimistic.”

The multi-family office had four “major recommendations” for investors for the coming year, including the need to “go global” in all asset classes. Families were also advised to: stay positioned for asset inflation, have a diverse long-term investment plan, and ensure “individual politics” don’t dictate investment plans.

“Inclusion of global consumption companies, both in the US and abroad, in one’s plan is very important. Protection against the effects of inflation, expected over the longer term, is also necessary in any balanced long-term investment plan,” said Pitcairn.

The firm believes that Mexico is often overlooked as an investment market, with a burgeoning consumer class, sophisticated manufacturing capabilities and attractive labor costs. Speakers also sounded optimistic notes on the US “fiscal cliff,” with a consensus emerging that a deal will likely emerge in time.

Despite this, in the short run, “shakiness and volatility may be the general order of the financial markets,” Pitcairn said.