Whether you have a family member turning 18, or someone in your life looking to build wealth from the bottom up, this primer provides a solid overview of the basic types of securities, investing strategies, and valuable lessons to help pave the path toward financial confidence.
Last July, I issued an open letter to the annuity industry requesting the introduction of a product to meet the needs of independent advisors who adhere to a safety-first, goals-based investing philosophy. That call has been answered.
China’s authorities are stepping up efforts to stabilize the stock market after a massive selloff. The collapse in valuations since a peak in 2021 makes them the world’s “best value proposition,” according to at least one market veteran.
China’s mutual fund houses are trying to tamp down investors’ enthusiasm for US stocks, putting new restrictions on buying into their products as demand soars.
Initiate the year with direct indexing, encompassing tax planning, personalized investing strategies, rejuvenating sidelined cash, and navigating concentrated stock positions or financial windfalls.
What was Gary Gensler thinking? The chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission cast the tie-breaking vote last week to approve 11 exchange-traded funds based on the spot price of Bitcoin.
The US Federal Reserve faces a monetary-policy challenge above and beyond determining the right level of short-term interest rates: how much and how quickly to reduce the more than $7 trillion in securities still on its balance sheet — holdings it amassed in previous years to help stimulate growth.
The January effect, named for the market anomaly where stock returns in January are typically higher than in other months, has been a subject of interest since it was first documented in 1942.
The Federal Reserve won’t want a repeat of 2023 where 10-year Treasury yields soared from a low of 3.3% in April to peak at 5% in October — only to plummet back to 3.8% by year-end.
China’s exchange-traded funds attracted record inflows in last year’s equity rout just as actively-managed products fell out of favor, a sign that investor preference is shifting.
2023 proved to be another year when the consensus views were not correct. A few of these views that turned out non-prescient were that inflation would remain elevated in mid-single digits or higher, higher interest rates would crush housing prices, consumer spending would collapse, and oil prices would continue to rise.
Rates are heading down, volatility will increase and there is a 75% chance of a recession in 2024, according to Jeffrey Gundlach.
If ESG funds are trying to take over the country, they aren’t doing it very well.
The average risk-adjusted excess return across all active portfolios will be less than the risk-adjusted excess return of the market portfolio, before taking account of fees and trading costs.
Bill Harnisch, whose $1.5 billion hedge fund delivered a market-beating 31% gain last year, is betting the recent bout of euphoric stock buying will peter out.
The past year saw the ETF industry barrel past the previous record for the number of launches in a calendar year, with 543 new ETFs hitting the market. The previous record was just under 480 in 2021, meaning 2023 beat that number by more than 60 funds.
Our current 10-year outlook highlights better opportunities for cash and bonds, primarily driven by higher starting yields, and a steady outlook for stocks.
Bob Doll, CIO at Crossmark Global Investments, provides his annual 10 predictions for financial markets.
Tweedy Browne is one of the most respected value managers. In this wide-ranging interview with its investment team, they explain why the opportunity set they are seeing among stocks is the best in 20-plus years.
The first actively managed exchange traded funds came to market in 2008. But 2023 may be remembered as the year when the asset class matured, paving the way for broader long-term adoption.
The cornerstone of diversification is the allocation of investments to counterbalance losses and dampen volatility. But what happens when traditional assets, like stocks and bonds, move in lockstep as they are now?
A New York money manager has netted a 64% gain from a strategy riding the big plunge in volatility across the stock market in this expectations-busting year on Wall Street.
Trying to outperform the market by timing exits (just before the bear awakens from its hibernation) and entries (as the bull enters the arena) is a fool’s errand.
It’s worth noting that despite the recent market advance, our own investment discipline, and even Treasury bills, have outpaced the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 during this period, with less volatility.
If today were the last day of 2023, Bitcoin would have returned almost 155%, marking the best year since 2020, when it rose a phenomenal 305%.
The VettaFi Market Outlook Symposium brought together industry thought leaders and experts to help investors position for 2024.
Jon Fee and Dave Nadig, Financial Futurist at VettaFi talk about the ETF marketplace in Canada.
We see potential opportunity in municipal bonds in 2024, although there may be more volatility.
Funds will begin paying out their 2023 distributions this month which could lead to a tax bill for your clients. While capital gains distributions will likely be lower this year than in recent years, interest income is expected to be higher.
Is a stock market correction coming before the Santa Claus rally at the end of the year?
With more than 3,000 ETFs to cover and many new ones launching each month, it is easy to forget. For many people, S&P 500 Index-based ETFs remain the core of their portfolio. Heading into 2024, these products topped the latest monthly flow leaderboard.
The AQR Style Premia Alternative Fund (QSPIX) was introduced a decade ago to provide pure exposure to four market factors that had historically delivered excess returns. Let’s look at how it performed over that period.
What were the big ETF trends of 2023? David Mann, Global Head of ETF Product & Capital Markets, reviews some of his predictions for this year—and how they panned out.
VettaFi’s Tom Lydon offers perspective on using alternative ETFs in a portfolio. Madison’s Patrick Ryan discusses the firm’s recent ETF entrance and explains the rise of active ETFs. Cerulli’s Daniil Shapiro highlights several of the industry’s biggest trends.
It’s the major casualty of November’s sizzling stock rally: Investor caution.
CIO designate Sean Taylor gives his take on what Asia has to offer global and emerging markets investors, from growth, to diversification, to innovation.
Former Bridgewater Associates LP executive Bob Elliott’s plan for exchange-traded funds that employ hedge fund strategies has sharpened the debate about whether retail investors should have access to such approaches.
Taxes can have a significant and ongoing impact on an investment portfolio. Advisors can help their clients minimize that impact with a tax-smart approach. Advisors can prepare for capital gains season now, and potentially maximize their clients’ after-tax returns.
The primary holder of U.S. Federal debt is, surprising to many, the U.S. federal government itself, accounting for approximately 40% of the total outstanding debt.
Dina Ting, Franklin Templeton’s Head of Global Index Portfolio Management, sheds light on the benefits of single-country ETF allocations against what has been a rocky macro backdrop and discusses ways to re-evaluate potential opportunities in terms of tax-loss decision-making.
For the better part of two years, investors have been primed with hope of a “Fed pivot” that will presumably restore easy monetary policy and supportive conditions for the financial markets.
Investors should embrace a genuine long-term perspective, extending their time horizons to at least 20 to 30 years. The traditional notion of long-term investing (five to 10 years) may fall short of realizing the full benefits of long-term strategies.
I find for many the same is true with ETFs and capital gains. However, the ETF pie continues to expand with newer investors each year. The persistent lack of a capital tax gain burden simply for holding onto an investment is worthy of celebration.
Investors starved for yield since the great financial crisis can now have it merely by holding cash reserves. At least for now (as of November 8), the U.S. three-month Treasury Bill was yielding 5.4%, up from 0.50% at the end of 2021 and 4.4% at the end of last year.
In the latest episode of the Alternative Allocations podcast series, Franklin Templeton’s Tony Davidow has an insightful conversation with the firm’s CEO, Jenny Johnson, regarding the burgeoning opportunities in alternative investments, especially in the current financial climate.
The price of gold just had its best October in nearly half a century, defying tough resistance from surging Treasury yields and a strong U.S. dollar. The yellow metal rallied an incredible 7.3% last month to close at $1,983 an ounce, its strongest October since 1978, when it jumped 11.7%.
Treasury yields have dropped as weak economic data suggests the Federal Reserve may begin cutting the federal funds rate target earlier than previously expected.
Where is the line between selling a financial product and providing investment advice? That question is at the heart of a debate over a new proposal that aims to protect Americans’ retirement savings.
New investors are overwhelmingly choosing ETFs as their investment vehicle of choice. Between June 13 and June 28, Charles Schwab conducted a comprehensive survey of 2,200 investors for its 2023 ETFs and Beyond Study.
The potential for a Fed pause presents an opportunity for investors to consider adding duration back into their portfolios. In this market regime, we believe duration serves well as hedge and equity diversifier.
